Background: The aim of study was to evaluate parents’ and children's perception of two ways of conscious sedation in outpatient practice (inhalation nitrous oxide-oxygen factory prepared mixture N, and peroral intake midazolam mixture - M), and change in children's approach to food and oral hygiene afterwards.
Methods: Parental informed consent was obtained for every patient. Inclusion criteria were ASA I, II, no medical contraindications for N/M, and fasting prior to sedation followed EAPD guidelines. 129 children (66 M ♀27♂39, mean age 5.07; 63 N ♀23♂40, mean age 6.63) participated in the study. Parents were asked to complete a short questionnaire immediately after sedation and were questioned about the change in the children's approach to food and oral hygiene at the next check-up. The Wilcoxon sign-ranked test was used to compare study groups at 5 % statistical significance level.
Results: All parents would choose the same type of sedation next time p<0.001. Parental reasons for children's sedation were not dependent on sedation type, p = 0.17. Parents of M-treated children had more information about the sedation prior to it, p<0.001. There was a change in the children's approach to oral hygiene (p=0.018) and to sweet food (p=0.048) after N.
Conclusions: No differences in parental perception between the two sedation methods were found. They would choose the sedation method they already experienced for the child at the next visit. Results revealed significant changes in the children's approach to food and oral hygiene after nitrous oxide sedation.