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Dentists' attitudes towards acute pharmacological pain management in children and adolescents
Author(s) -
Berlin Henrik,
List Thomas,
Ridell Karin,
Klingberg Gunilla
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1111/ipd.12316
Subject(s) - medicine , pain management , analgesic , premolar , paediatric dentistry , permanent teeth , dentistry , general anaesthesia , dental care , anesthesia , pediatrics , molar
Aim This study aimed to investigate Swedish dentists' attitudes regarding pain management strategies for treating children and adolescents. It assessed recommendations for pre‐ and postoperative analgesics, and use of local anaesthesia, and whether application of these strategies differs between general dental practitioners ( GDP s) and specialists in paediatric dentistry ( SPD s). Design We invited all GDP s ( n = 807) in southern Sweden (Region Skåne), and all registered SPD s ( n = 122) working in Sweden (929 actively practising dentists under age 65 years) to participate in a postal survey on pain management in paediatric dental care. Results The SPD s reported using all types of pain‐reducing strategies more frequently than GDP s except local anaesthesia when extracting a permanent premolar, which SPD s and GDP s used equally often. Preoperative analgesic use was greater among SPD s than GDP s. GDP s used local anaesthesia less frequently for filling therapy in primary teeth than in permanent teeth. Conclusions SPD s recommend preoperative analgesics more often than GDP s do. GDP s seem to underuse local anaesthetics when treating children and adolescents. SPD s also use pain management strategies more frequently than GDP s. Among GDP s, pain management is less frequent when treating primary teeth than permanent teeth.