Management of the uncooperative child.

The management of a child who requires a medical procedure is a challenging issue for the oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) and practitioners in the dental specialties. The office of the OMS is traditionally one in which short outpatient procedures are performed within brief appointment times often using only local anesthesia. For typical children, this brief procedure may be difficult, and for children with behavioral challenges, it may be impossible without the use of behavioral management techniques or pharmacologic modalities. Practitioners must be aware of current trends in pediatric mental health and should develop treatment protocols to avoid complications.