Aim: Describe current dental sedation practice for under 19-year-olds in the UK and compare it with the recommendations of NICE guidance 112.

Method: Members of the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry and members of the Dental Sedation Teachers Group were invited to participate in an online survey.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-six dentists and doctors completed the survey. Eighty-two percent were operator and sedationist (operator-sedationist). Ninety-five percent provided written information and 94% obtained written consent. Eighty-four percent kept a written or electronic sedation record. Eighty-six percent complied with life support training expectations. Eighty-six percent had immediate access to resuscitation equipment. Sixty-seven percent of sedationists reported that treatment could not be completed under sedation for <10% of cases during the previous year. When sedation was unsuccessful, 61% said they would schedule general anaesthesia and 54.5% would schedule advanced sedation care. Forty-nine percent believed that a dentist was an appropriate person to provide advanced sedation for 12–18 years. Only 24% thought a dentist should provide advanced sedation for children <12 years, with 75% preferring an anaesthetist. The appropriate setting for advanced sedation was thought to be primary care by 33% and secondary care by 68%.

Conclusions: We found good agreement between the current practice of sedation and the recommendations of the NICE guidance 112.