Behavioral Modifications in Children after Repeated Sedation with Nitrous Oxide for Dental Treatment: A Retrospective Study

Annelyse Garret-Bernardin, Paola Festa (), Giorgio Matarazzo, Arina Vinereanu, Francesco Aristei, Tina Gentile, Simone Piga, Elena Bendinelli, Maria Grazia Cagetti and Angela Galeotti
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Annelyse Garret-Bernardin: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy
Paola Festa: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy
Giorgio Matarazzo: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy
Arina Vinereanu: Department of Pedodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 032799 Bucharest, Romania
Francesco Aristei: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy
Tina Gentile: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy
Simone Piga: Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant’Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
Elena Bendinelli: Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Maria Grazia Cagetti: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Beldiletto 1, 20142 Milan, Italy
Angela Galeotti: Dentistry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale Ferdinando Baldelli 41, 00146 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Sedation with nitrous oxide (N 2 O) has been widely used as a viable alternative to general anesthesia to perform dental treatments in uncooperative or anxious children. The purpose of this retrospective study is to assess if repeated sedations with N 2 O can improve collaboration of uncooperative children. The medical records of 650 children, aged between 3 and 14 years, who underwent at least two sedations, were consulted. Differences in the Venham score during the first sedation and subsequent sedations were collected. After removal incomplete records, 577 children’s records (309 males and 268 females) were analyzed. The Venham score decreased both during each sedation and with repeated sedations ( p < 0.01 for both comparisons). In particular, a significant reduction of the Venham score was observed at the first contact with the dentist, with a mean score ranging from 1.56 ± 1.46 to 1.16 ± 1.37, comparing the first and the second sedation, and from 1.65 ± 1.43 to 1.06 ± 1.30, comparing the first with the third sedation ( p < 0.01). The reduction in the Venham score was recorded in both healthy and physically impaired patients, and it was significantly greater in older children than in younger children ( p < 0.01). In conclusion, uncooperative children with or without physical impairments can be successfully treated with N 2 O sedation in order to increase their confidence in dental procedures.

Keywords: nitrous oxide; conscious sedation; behavior; dental anxiety; pediatric dentistry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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