Premedication in pedodontics attitudes and agents.

The goals of premedication in children’s dentistry are to allay excessive apprehension and to prevent resistance to treatment efforts. With judicious use, premedicating agents are a valuable and necessary adjunct for the pedodontis~. When integrated with proper psychological approaches, premedication may enable the anxious child to accept his first dental experiences without undue emotional turmoil or it may often allow outpatient treatment of very young "precooperative" children where the only alternative might be hospitalization and general anesthesia. Prudent employment of drugs [or behavior management is dependent on the training, experience, and iudgement of the operator. A regimen of premedicant drugs and dosages is presented which may serve as base line guidance [or more successful management of the difficult child patient.