Relative analgesia and general dental practitioners: attitudes and intentions to provide conscious sedation for paediatric dental extractions.

AIM To examine the attitudes and intentions of general dental practitioners (GDPs) who work within the remit of the National Health Service (NHS) to provide relative analgesia (RA) for paediatric extractions. METHODS All 45 GDPs working within the boundaries of one Trust were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess demography, etc., intention and attitudes to provide RA for paediatric extractions. RESULTS Ninety-eight per cent of GDPs took part. All GDPs worked within the NHS. Twenty-nine per cent of GDPs stated that they had RA equipment available in their practices and 68% stated that they discussed RA as treatment alternative. Eighty-seven per cent referred their paediatric extraction cases for dental general anaesthesia. The behavioural intention was predicted by total attitude score and the availability of RA equipment in the practice (R2=0.97, F(37,5)=260.11, P<0.001). Total attitude was predicted by clinical competency, few financial worries or time concerns and the availability of RA equipment (R2=0.91, F(38,4)=106.21, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that GDPs' concerns of clinical competence and costs have an inhibiting effect upon their intention to provide RA for paediatric extractions. These concerns must be addressed by planners and policy makers if there is to be a shift from hospital-based DGA to surgery-based RA services for paediatric extractions.