326 - Effectiveness of Opioids versus Benzodiazepines in Success of Oral Conscious Sedations

Purpose:
Oral conscious sedation is an advanced behavior management technique commonly used in pediatric dentistry to safely perform dental procedures on children who may be anxious or unable to tolerate treatment through basic behavioral methods alone. Frequently used medications for this type of sedation include benzodiazepines such as Midazolam and Diazepam, as well as opioids like Meperidine. This research project aimed to evaluate whether there was a difference in the effectiveness of sedation when using an opioid versus a benzodiazepine.

Methods:
The charts of a 100 patients who underwent oral conscious sedation by pediatric dental residents at Suncoast Community Health Centers in Brandon FL, were reviewed. To reduce the impact of confounding variables, only cases where Hydroxyzine was used as an adjunctive agent were included. Sedation outcomes were assessed using a three-tier scale: ineffective, effective, and very effective. Comparisons between benzodiazepine-based and opioid-based regimens were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.

Results:
Opioid sedation showed a slightly higher rate of very effective cases, while benzodiazepine sedation had a higher proportion of ineffective cases, though these differences were not statistically significant. Overall, both regimens were successful, with satisfactory sedation achieved in most pediatric patients, 73.3% in the benzodiazepine group and 82.9% in the opioid group.

Conclusion:
This study suggests that both benzodiazepine and opioid-based oral sedation protocols are similarly effective in pediatric dentistry. The choice of medication may depend on factors such as case selection, required working time, and operator experience rather than success rates alone. Further research is recommended to explore additional variables that may influence the success of oral conscious sedation in pediatric patients.