Advanced Education In General Dentistry

Select a Module Module 01: Advanced Pain Control and Sedation

Module 01: Advanced Pain Control and Sedation

Clinical Assessment and Guidelines

Guidelines for Sedation

Sedation guidelines include the following:

1. It is important to perform a pre-procedure assessment. This assessment will provide a focused medical history and physical examination, laboratory data in select patients may be, may be required. The ASA Physical Status of the patient will be assigned (definitions of the ASA Physical Status will be described in a later part of this lecture).
2. Informed consent must be obtained.
3. The patient, should fast prior to procedure.
4. The patient must be escorted home.

Preprocedure fasting applies to all patients undergoing moderate sedation. Adults and children older than 36 months should be NPO for solids and non-clear liquids for six to eight hours prior to the procedure, however they may have clear liquids two hours before the procedure. Patients at increased risk for aspiration, such as the obese, should be NPO for more than eight hours.