Focused children may be candidates for laughing gas treatment
According to a new study published in Anesthesia Progress, children who are better able to focus on a task respond more successfully to nitrous oxide at the dentist.
The study looked into how willing a child is to cooperate during a dental procedure, specifically how the use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) could help free children from anxiety and fear of the dentist.
Researchers looked at 48 patients between the ages of three to eight, and used a validated behaviour questionnaire along with data from the patients’ charts to assess behaviour and sedation success during the dental visit.
The study found that the success of nitrous oxide varies widely depending on the ‘type’ of child. When focusing on uncooperative children, they found that if scores were better in one temperament category, Effortful Control, laughing gas was more successful.
Children who succeeded in the Effortful Control category had specific behavioural traits: they were able to focus and become more absorbed in a task, and had the best ability to control negative reactions.
The lead-author of the study, Travis M. Nelson, stated that “It appears that children who are able to focus on a task and inhibit negative reactions are likely to be good candidates for treatment with nitrous oxide.”
The researchers concluded that children who can overcome poor attitudes about a trip to dentist are most successful in receiving dental care. Those who can focus on the task and remain focused throughout the visit have the best ability to control negative reactions. The researchers suggested that those who cannot focus might be better candidates for oral sedation or general anesthesia.
