Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in behavior exist following dental treatment under hospital-based general anesthesia (HBGA) or office-based general anesthesia (OBGA) in the percentage of patients exhibiting positive behavior and in the mean Frankl scores at recall visits. This retrospective study examined records of a pediatric dental office over a 4 year period. Patients presenting before 48 months of age for an initial exam who were diagnosed with early childhood caries were included in the study. Following an initial exam, patients were treated under HBGA or OBGA. Patients were followed to determine their behavior at 6-, 12- and 18-month recall appointments. Fifty-four patients received treatment under HBGA and 26 were treated under OBGA. OBGA patients were significantly more likely to exhibit positive behavior at the 6- and 12-month recall visits (p = 0.038 & p = 0.029). Clinicians should consider future behavior when determining general anesthesia treatment modalities in children with early childhood caries presenting to their office.
Highlights
Administration of general anesthesia has historically served an important role in the practice of dentistry by allowing specific patient populations such as young children greater access to comprehensive dental care [1,2]
It has been suggested that treatment performed under general anesthesia is of higher quality than treatment performed during other forms of behavior management [8]
Rising costs and scheduling difficulties of traditional hospital-based general anesthesia (HBGA) services have resulted in increased use of office-based general anesthesia (OBGA) services for dental treatment [5,9,10]
Summary
Administration of general anesthesia has historically served an important role in the practice of dentistry by allowing specific patient populations such as young children greater access to comprehensive dental care [1,2]. Behavior management techniques used by pediatric dentists have evolved toward increased use of general anesthesia in accordance with changing parenting philosophies, expectations, and safe outcomes [3]. Parents have become more willing to accept dental treatment of their children using general anesthesia over other behavior management techniques [4]. The use of general anesthesia allows both the practitioner and patient a modality in which safe, comprehensive treatment can be performed under optimal conditions [5,6,7]. Rising costs and scheduling difficulties of traditional hospital-based general anesthesia (HBGA) services have resulted in increased use of office-based general anesthesia (OBGA) services for dental treatment [5,9,10]
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