The Effectiveness of a Preventive Recall Strategy in Children Following Dental Rehabilitation Under General Anesthesia

Abstract

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PREVENTIVE RECALL STRATEGY IN CHILDREN FOLLOWING DENTAL REHABILITATION UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA By Amanda Kerns, DDS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 Thesis Advisor: Elizabeth Berry, DDS, MPH, MSD Vice Chair, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of a preventive strategy following full-mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) in children with early childhood dental caries. Methods: 130 patients completed FMDR and were included in the analysis. Caries risk assessment (CRA), dental exam, and a caregiver oral health knowledge (OHK) questionnaire was completed for each patient. Patients were randomized into two groups; intervention returned at 3 and 6 months and control returned at only 6 months post-surgery. At each recall, CRA and dental exam information was recorded, and at the six month recall, all caregivers completed the OHK questionnaire. Results: Actual recall data showed a statistically significant difference in CRA at six months, with 71.8% of patients in the control and 44.8% of patients in the intervention assessed as high caries risk.