CONSCIOUS SEDATION IN PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Physical and emotional health should be addressed from birth to the end of life; but this is not the case because CHILDHOOD PAIN has always been the great FORGOTTEN.

Despite advances in pediatrics and a greater general awareness, recent studies conclude that perioperative pain and anxiety in the pediatric population remain under-diagnosed and under-treated.

That is why at Sedalux we are not only going to make the problem visible and make it matter ("Make pain visible and Make pain matter") but we are also going to fight against it, in order to achieve a better approach to pain in all its aspects: prevention, detection and treatment; and thus improve its care at all levels.

In young children and neonates, untreated pain carries an increased risk of producing changes in their developing nervous system that predispose to pain later in life, which can significantly impact performance and health, and continue into adulthood.

Studies on chronic pain in children reveal that 11-40% of juveniles experience pain that persists beyond 3 months, with significant functional impact for both children and their families (school absenteeism, reduced physical-social functioning or disability, increased psychological distress) with long-term consequences: both for the future adult and for society and its economy.

Conscious sedation in pediatric dentistry is the solution to avoid long-term pain consequences.

If childhood constitutes one of the most vulnerable groups, the other large group where pain is not forgotten but seems INVISIBLE is that of patients with MENTAL DISORDERS.

Depressive disorders, bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (obsessive compulsive disorder, stress-related disorders (acute or post-traumatic (ASD and PTSD), generalized anxiety, agoraphobia, claustrophobia...), psychotic disorders or schizophrenia, personality disorders involving emotional instability and unhealthy behaviors (e.g. borderline, antisocial, narcissistic disorders...), among others.

Although it is difficult to study in all of them, it can be observed that, in general, physical pain or psychological suffering is a very frequent symptom.

In the complexity of addressing pediatric dentistry in child patients with mental disorders, dental sedation in children emerges as an invaluable solution. For those little ones facing challenges such as impulse control disorders, autism spectrum disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the importance of sedation pediatric dentistry is magnified.

Sedalux has developed a specific plan to address pain in all these groups, for which we carry out an exquisite selection and accreditation of professionals qualified to practice conscious sedation in pediatric dentistry (for their specific training and daily experience in risk groups), and we will give recognition or endorsement to those clinics or centers whose activity and resources are focused on providing special attention to this special population.