Changes in children's dental fear after restorative treatment under different sedation types: Associations with parents' experiences and dental health

Abstract Background Dentists often use sedative medications such as nitrous oxide inhaled sedation and general anesthesia (GA) to help decrease patient fear and manage paediatric patients' behavior during treatment. Aim The goal of this study was to examine factors associated with dental fear changes after restorative dental treatment under nitrous oxide or GA in children 4–12 years old. Design A prospective cohort study of 124 children examined changes in dental fear, number of treatment visits, and parental factors among children receiving restorative dental treatment under nitrous oxide ( n = 68) or GA ( n = 56) sedation. Data were collected at pretreatment (T1), 16 weeks post‐treatment (T2), and at 29‐month follow‐up (T3). Results Dental fear increased slightly, but not significantly, under both forms of sedation between T1 and T3. Children's dental fear was associated with parents' poor dental experiences and oral health, but not with number of treatment visits. Conclusions Progression of children's dental fear seems not dependent solely on the type of sedation used but is likely predicted by factors including pretreatment dental fear and dental needs. Dentists recommending sedation for children's dental care may consider pretreatment dental need, fear levels, and parental factors when determining which type of sedation to use.