A survey to assess the provision of conscious sedation by general dental practitioners in the Republic of Ireland.

AIM To quantify and qualify how conscious sedation was used in general dental practice before the introduction of formal sedation teaching in the Republic of Ireland. OBJECTIVES 1. To determine the extent of use of oral, inhalational and intravenous sedation; 2. to determine the training and experience of general dental practitioners providing conscious sedation; 3. to determine the perceived barriers to the practice of conscious sedation; and, 4. to gauge the level of interest in a postgraduate course in conscious sedation. METHOD Postal questionnaire sent to one general practitioner in seven, selected randomly from the General Dental Council register, in 2007. RESULTS Seventy six percent of respondents agreed that the provision of conscious sedation in general dental practice is important. However, the current provision of inhalation and intravenous sedation by respondents is low in comparison to provision in the UK. The main barrier to the use of conscious sedation in general dental practice appears to be lack of availability of training. CONCLUSIONS The data from this study indicated the need for postgraduate training in conscious sedation in Ireland and a need for increased awareness of the Dental Council Code of Practice on sedation.