Project USAP the use of sedative agents in pediatric dentistry: 1991 update.

A national survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry was conducted to update information on the use of sedative agents by pediatric dentists. All 2532 members of the Academy were sent questionnaires regarding their use of sedation and 1497 responded. Practitioners were questioned regarding how frequently they used sedative agents and the nature of patients receiving sedation. In addition, they were questioned on reasons for change, if any, in their use of sedation during the past two years. A separate survey was conducted of directors of all 55 postdoctoral training programs in pediatric dentistry. Forty-six directors responded to questions concerning the type and frequency of sedation use in their programs. Both surveys demonstrated wide differences in sedation use between different training programs and between different practitioners. The heavier use of sedation by some practitioners or by some training programs, as compared with others, generally was not related to the percentage of handicapped patients who received sedation, nor to the type of training. Frequent users of sedation (more than once each day) were located more in the south/southeastern and western parts of the country and they tended to have been in specialty practice for more than 10 years.