Utilising a paediatric version of the indicator of sedation need for children’s dental care: a pilot study

Aim To assess the treatment outcomes of using inhalation sedation for comprehensive dental care in children by utilising a modified version of the indicator of sedation need tool. Methods Investigating the outcomes of dental treatment of patients referred to the sedation unit at the Leeds Dental Institute when the paediatric version of the indicator of sedation need (p-IOSN) was utilised. Results Forty patients of mean age 9.99 (SD = 3.14) years were followed up to ascertain treatment outcomes when the p-IOSN was used. Of the total of 40 children included, 20 scored 6 on p-IOSN. Treatment completion rate was 72.5 %. Although major differences existed between age and treatment outcomes, they failed to achieve statistical significance. No significant association was found between gender and p-IOSN of any score with any treatment outcome. Conclusions p-IOSN may be a useful tool that can be used to predict those child patients who would benefit from sedation for their dental treatment. However, the p-IOSN is still in a developmental stage and further research is required prior to its use on clinical grounds.