A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Pediatric Dental Sedation: Examining Post-Discharge Events, Amnestic Effects, and Parental Satisfaction.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate post-oral conscious sedation adverse events, amnesia, and parental satisfaction in the pediatric dental population. Methods: This cross-sectional study from 2023 to 2024 evaluated enrolled subjects undergoing oral sedation at Nationwide Children's Hospital with four different drug regimens: (1) midazolam only; (2) midazolam plus hydroxyzine; (3) meperidine plus hydroxyzine; and (4) triazolam. Parents were interviewed 24 or 72 hours after discharge to discuss post-sedation-related events. Results: The study population (n equals 109) was pre- dominantly female (53 percent), with a mean age of 8.7 years. Inconsolable crying and amnesia were significantly associated with the sedation regimen, with midazolam only having the highest frequency of each (31.3 percent and 37.5 percent, respectively). Amnesia was significantly associ- ated with age (P<0.001), with subjects six years old or younger experiencing the highest frequency (53.9 percent). Parents' ratings of sedation experience and providers' ratings of sedation effectiveness were similar. Conclusions: Oral conscious sedation in pediatric dentistry comes with both positive and negative side effects. Dentists and parents can use this study's results in a shared decision framework to achieve good sedation outcomes.