Alternatives for hand over mouth exercise after its elimination from the clinical guidelines of the american academy of pediatric dentistry.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to survey the alternative behavior management techniques that might be utilized by pediatric dentists in place of hand over mouth exercise (HOME) after its elimination from the clinical guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).

Methods: A questionnaire was electronically mailed to 2,600 AAPD members. The survey included items related to HOME alternatives after the elimination, concerns with its use, and if the elimination had affected access to care for children.

Results: Seven hundred four respondents (30%) completed the survey. Voice control was the first alternative, and minimum/moderate sedation was the second most common. Three hundred fifty respondents (50%) believed that HOME is an acceptable behavior management technique, and 290 (41%) believed it should be continued to be recognized by the AAPD. Only 7% believed that HOME elimination affected access to care for some children.

Conclusion: Advanced behavior management techniques will be utilized more by pediatric dentists after the elimination of the hand over mouth exercise from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's clinical guidelines.