• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2024

Dental sedation plays a pivotal role in alleviating patient anxiety during various procedures. Remimazolam, a benzodiazepine derivative, stands out for its distinctive attributes, particularly its rapid onset of sedation coupled with a brief duration, making it an invaluable option for dental applications. The patient was admitted for the extraction of impacted third molars via patient-controlled sedation and not only demonstrated stable vital signs but also expressed a high level of satisfaction with the procedure. An in-depth analysis of plasma remimazolam concentrations and changes in the Patient State Index revealed negative correlation patterns, highlighting the inherent potential of remimazolam in achieving effective sedation. This expanded research scope aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the pharmacological responses to remimazolam in dental sedation scenarios. This case report offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of dental sedation methodologies and paves the way for a more informed and evidence-based approach to the use of remimazolam in patient-controlled sedation.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.265-271
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• 2023

Background: Anxiety and fear in children's dental care are major impediments to successful dental care. High-quality dental treatment can be achieved using various behavioral control methods; however, conscious sedation using drugs can be used if behavioral control is difficult, owing to excessive fear and anxiety. This study aimed to examine the trends in conscious sedation implemented in pediatric dentistry at the Dankook University Dental Hospital over the past 11 years. Methods: This study included 6,438 cases of dental treatment under conscious sedation conducted over 11 years between January 2011 and December 2021 in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Dankook University Dental Hospital. Results: Over the past 11 years, the number of dental treatments under sedation has increased. In the case of inhalation sedation using nitrous oxide, the rate of increase was approximately twice every year, and the use of midazolam gradually decreased. The average age of children who underwent sedation was 5.11 years, and the rate of sedation treatment in children aged <4 years tended to decrease, while that of children aged >5 years tended to increase. This is related to the trend of changes in drugs used. In a sex-based survey, sedation treatment rate was higher in males than that in females. Conclusion: Appropriate selection of sedatives can reduce the frequency of general anesthesia and minimize complications through efficient and safe dental treatments. Trend analysis of sedation by year will help provide guidelines for the appropriate selection of sedation for dental treatment of children and patients with disability.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2022

Background: Although dental sedation helps control anxiety and pain, side effects and serious complications related to sedation are gradually increasing. Due to the introduction of new drugs and sedation methods, insurance rates, legal regulations, drugs, and methods used for dental sedation are inevitably changed. In the Republic of Korea, National Health Insurance is applied to all citizens, and this study investigated changes in the use of sedatives using this big data. Methods: This study used customized health information data provided by the Healthcare Insurance Review & Assessment Service of Korea. Among patients with a record of use of at least one of eight types of sedatives for dental sedation between January 2007 and September 2019 were selected; the data of their overall insurance claims for dental treatment were then analyzed. Results: The number of patients who received dental sedation was 786,003, and the number of dental sedation cases was 1,649,688. Inhalational sedation using nitrous oxide (N₂O) accounted for 86.8% of all sedatives that could be claimed for drugs and treatment. In particular, it was confirmed that the number of requests for sedation using N₂O sharply increased each year. Midazolam showed an increasing trend, and in the case of chloral hydrate, it gradually decreased. Conclusion: According to our analysis, the use of N₂O and midazolam gradually increased, while the use of chloral hydrate gradually decreased.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.6 no.2 s.11
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• pp.113-120
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• 2006

Recently, sedation in dentistry is gaining more and more interests of dental practitioners. Moreover. 'dental sedation', 'sleep dentistry', or 'pain-free dental treatment' become everyday words familiar to ordinary persons. Sedation clinic in Hanyang University Medical Center was open on Mar 2006 as specialty clinic at department of dentistry. Our aim is performing comfortable and safe dental treatments for patients who have problems for routine dental treatments because of extreme fear and anxiety or for patients who are supposed to have stressful and painful time-consuming treatment, such as sinus elevation and bone graft for implant placement. Our sedation was focused on conscious sedation, especially intravenous sedation using midazolam alone in technique. In two series, the sedation protocol at our Sedation Clinic will be described in details and then, analysis of our cases will be presented to help beginners for sedation in dentistry.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.209-213
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• 2010

Anxiety and fear is two main factors that keep patients from going to dental clinic. Especially, patients may feel implants operations are more traumatic. Intravenous conscious sedation for dental treatment can make patient comfortable and relaxable. Midazolam is more popular for sedation for dental treatment, but target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol and remifentanil is gaining wide popularity. A 54-year-old female patient who had severe dental phobia was referred to our dental hospital. She had past history of 2 times of hyperventilation and syncope during dental treatment. The patient showed a lot of dental anxiety and fear to dental treatments and stress reduction protocol was needed. We administered intravenous conscious sedation using target controlled infusion system with remifentanil and propofol. During sedation, we monitored the status of consciousness with bispectral index and vital signs. Dental treatment could be finished successfully without any problems.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2021

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. It has a worldwide pooled prevalence of 5.29%. The characteristics of ADHD can increase the probability of dental treatment, while special behavior management can be required to allow proper treatment. In South Korea, the use of sedation in dental treatment has rapidly increased in recent decades. The present study aimed to investigate the trend and effects of sedation in patients with ADHD undergoing dental treatment in South Korea. Methods: The study used customized health information data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Among patients with the record of sedative use during the period from January 2007 to September 2019, those with International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for ADHD (F90, F91) were selected; the data of their overall insurance claims for dental treatment were then analyzed. The patients' age, gender, sedative use, and dental treatment were analyzed per year. The annual number of general anesthesia or sedation cases was also analyzed, and changes in the method of behavior management with increasing age were examined. Results: The study involved 7,654 patients with ADHD (6,270 males; 1,384 females). The total number of dental treatments was 137,778, while the number of sedation cases was 16,109, among which 13,052 involved male patients and 3,057 female patients. The number of general anesthesia cases was 631, among which 538 involved male patients and 93 female patients. The most frequently used sedation method in the dental treatment of patients with ADHD was N2O inhalation. The percentage of sedation cases was highest in patients aged 4 years, and it decreased with increasing age. Conclusion: In South Korea, both sedation and dental treatments were slightly more common in patients with ADHD than in the general population. With increasing age, the frequency of dental treatments and the percentage of sedation cases decreased.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2023

Background: With advances in safety measures for anesthesia, conscious sedation has gained popularity in the field of dentistry and has become essential in dental practice worldwide. However, in Tanzania, intravenous (IV) sedation is rarely practiced in the dental field. Therefore, we report the establishment of sustainable IV conscious sedation in dental practices and subsequently train local OMS residents in Tanzania. Methods: In 2019, intravenous conscious sedation was initiated at the University Dental Clinic of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS), Tanzania. During the preparatory phase of the program, local oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) were given a series of lecture notes that concentrated on different aspects of IV conscious sedation in dentistry. During the on-site training phase, an oral surgeon from the United States joined the OMSs for case selection, IV-conscious sedation procedures, and patient follow-up. Patients were recruited from existing patient records at the MUHAS Dental Clinic. Results: The first conscious IV sedation program in dentistry was successfully launched at the University Dental Clinic in Tanzania. The local team of OMSs was trained on the safe administration of sedative agents (midazolam or ketamine) to perform various minor surgical procedures in a dental office. Nine patients with different ages, body masses, and medical conditions benefited from the training. No complications were associated with IV conscious sedation in the dental office. Conclusion: This was the first successful "hands-on" training on IV conscious sedation provided to OMSs in Tanzania. It laid the foundation for the sustainable care of patients with special needs requiring oral health-related care in the country.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.369-376
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• 2021

In adult patients with dental phobia, dental treatment may be difficult, or may not be possible. Depending on the level of fear or anxiety, non-pharmacological or pharmacological behavior management techniques are used in the dental treatment of such patients. Among the pharmacological behavior management techniques, minimal sedation, that is, the lowest depth of sedation, can be easily obtained in adult patients using oral sedatives, does not require special equipment or tools, and does not affect ventilatory and cardiovascular function. Diazepam is an anxiolytic drug belonging to the benzodiazepine family that, in addition to relieving anxiety, produces muscle relaxation, and is a representative drug used in adult patients with fear of dental treatment. Herein, we report the case of a 50-year-old woman with severe dental fear who successfully underwent long-term dental treatment in approximately 20 visits with minimal sedation using oral diazepam. In addition, we reviewed the considerations for the use of benzodiazepines for minimal sedation.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2021

Background: Conscious sedation is a useful adjunct in the treatment of patients in dentistry; however, a lack of knowledge among the dental profession regarding sedation is a restricting factor in the practice of dental sedation. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of sedation in dentistry among dental professionals in Tanzania. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted for five months targeting all practicing dental professionals in Tanzania. A modified questionnaire contained 14 questions regarding knowledge about sedative agents and a section on the practice of sedation. The data obtained from this study were coded and entered into a computer program and analyzed using SPSS software version 23.0. The data are presented as frequencies and percentages in tables and charts. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The age range of participants was between 24 and 63 years (mean 36.6 ± 7.7 years). There were 107 men (78.1%), and the male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1. The majority (76.6%) of participants only had an undergraduate dental degree. Thirty-one percent of participants only worked in publicly owned health facilities. Slightly more than half (59.9%) of participants had satisfactory knowledge regarding sedation in dentistry. There was no statistically significant association between the level of sedation-related knowledge and the demographic characteristics of the participants. Only 21.9% reported using sedation in their practice, and the most commonly used sedative drug was diazepam. The reasons for not using dental sedation in clinical practice included a perceived lack of knowledge on sedation, lack of equipment, and cost. Conclusion: Most dental professionals in Tanzania have basic knowledge of sedation in dentistry, although knowledge regarding sedative agents is generally low. The practice of sedation in dentistry in Tanzania is very low compared to that in middle- and high-income countries. Inadequate knowledge, lack of equipment, and the cost of practicing sedation are the main reasons for not practicing sedation.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2016

Sedation is an indispensable part of contemporary pediatric dentistry. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (KAPD) organized the dental sedation committee to help members perform safer and more effective sedation. The committee surveyed 111 members who practice dental sedation to figure out the present state of sedation in 2014. According to the survey, 86% of the respondents indicated that they were interested in continuing education of sedation. The most interesting topic was sedation related emergency management, followed by safe dosages of sedative drugs. However, it is not realistic to establish the recommended dosages as a guideline since the selection of agents and dosages depend on various factors. In order to provide successful sedation, pediatric dentist should make an individual sedation plan for each procedure. It is important to understand not only the properties of each sedative, but also interactions with other drugs. This article reviews useful information of commonly used agents for dental sedation and summarizes the recommended dosages from the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) and some famous pediatric dentistry textbooks.