Paediatric dental sedation: Will your child return home unharmed?

Abstract

Sedation is widely used to reduce the fear and anxiety associated with dental procedures. In South Africa, this is frequently done in consultation rooms rather than a theatre environment, with the aim of reducing cost and improving patient comfort, particularly in the case of children. Both local and systemic analgesia are combined with sedation. While severe complications are rare, critical incidents such as dysrhythmias or respiratory depression are common. Acknowledging that even the mildest sedation for an apparently minor procedure may go wrong, the status quo must be improved so that complications, should they arise, will be successfully managed with a good outcome.