The use of sedation is a pharmacologic behavior management technique that is described in more depth in Chapter 8. As with N2O/O2, sedation is an
adjunct to the child's innate coping. Children under sedation should be arousable, interactive, and benefit from communicative behavior guidance
techniques. Children that have no coping skills, such as those who are very young or who have medical or developmental disabilities, may benefit from
general anesthesia. Studies that look at behavior following these modalities support them as effective way of protecting the developing psyche of
patients. McComb and associates67 concluded that treatment with oral sedation had no significant effect on future dental behavior at a recall exam
performed 2 to 34 months later. Other studies have found more positive behavior in children after treatment under general anesthesia versus conscious
sedation.68