Abstract
In pediatric dentistry, sedation therapy is one of methods for managing children's behavior, and various types of sedation therapy are being used. Thus, this study surveyed the awareness of and satisfaction with sedation therapy in 204 parents who visited the Pediatric Dentistry using a self-administered questionnaire during the period from June to December 2008 in order to get information necessary in behavior management for pediatric patients, and obtained results as follows. 1. The most common path of learning about sedation therapy was dentistry (49.5%), and the most common reason for choosing sedation therapy was 'The child was young'(42.3%), which was followed by 'The child is too afraid'(18.8%), 'There are many teeth to be treated'(16.0%), 'To adjust the number of visits'(11.3%), and 'For behavior management'(3.1%). 2. Most of the parents felt anxiety about sedation therapy, and the reasons for the anxiety were 'The child was young'(33.0%), 'Worry about side effects'(31.3%), 'Worry about recovery of consciousness'(25.7%), 'Worry about the blunting of intellectual abilities'(7.6%), and others (2.4%). 3. Satisfaction with sedation therapy was higher in men than in women, and was high in order of 'Stationing of an anesthetist', 'One time completion of treatment', and 'Cautions'. Statistically significant difference was observed between men and women only in question "Have you ever heard about sedation therapy?"(p=0.018). 4. According to age, satisfaction with sedation therapy was highest in parents whose child was less than 48 months old. Satisfaction was high in order of 'Stationing of an anesthetist', 'One time completion of treatment', and 'Cautions', 'Choice of sedation therapy', and statistically significant difference was observed according to age only in question "Have you ever heard about sedation therapy?"(P=0.005). 5. Positive correlation was observed among questions on satisfaction with sedation therapy. In the survey on the awareness of and satisfaction with sedation therapy in parents visiting the dentistry, awareness and satisfaction were generally high with regard to the parents' choice of sedation therapy, but many of the parents answered that they chose sedation therapy and felt anxiety because their child was young. The results of this study need to be considered for behavior management in pediatric dentistry and there should be systematic education and promotion of sedation therapy.