Pain management in school-aged children by private and public clinic practice dentists

A mail survey of 198 Seattle dentists who treat children assessed their beliefs about pain control in school-aged children and examined the relationship of those beliefs to pain management behaviors. The survey population of general dentists and pediatric dentists in clinics and private practice had a response rate of 89.6%. Two of three dentists always use local anesthetic when doing restorations or extractions and also provide more anesthetic at the child's request. One in three dentists never provides postoperative medication following tooth extractions. Ten percent regularly deny child pain and many do not believe child pain reports are valid. Dentists who work in private practice are more likely to provide local anesthetic than are dentists who work in clinics. Dentists who desire more control over a child are less likely to provide local anesthetic. Dentists who question children about comfort are more likely to provide additional anesthetic based on a child's report of discomfort and to provide postoperative medication if the dentist perceives a dental procedure to be painful.