The provision of primary care dental general anaesthesia and sedation in the north west region of England, 1996-1999.

Abstract

To investigate trends in the provision of primary care dental general anaesthesia (DGA) and sedation following the new guidance from the General Dental Council. Cross-sectional analysis of data about the provision of DGA in the General Dental Service and Community Dental Service from 1996/97 to 1998/99. The North West Health Region of England. The numbers of DGAs in the General Dental Service (GDS) and Community Dental Service (CDS) for the three financial years, 1996/97, 1997/98 and 1998/99 were examined. In addition General Dental Service quarterly information about the numbers of general anaesthetics, sedations requiring another dentist or doctor, and claims for conscious sedation or inhalation sedation from April 1997 to December 1999 was requested from the Dental Practice Board. The numbers of DGAs declined by 24 per cent between 1996/97 and 1998/99. Those in the GDS fell from 14,550 in the first quarter of 1997/98 to 3,527 in the first quarter of 1999/2000. The number of claims for sedation, which required another dentist or doctor, increased from 712 in the first quarter of 1997/98 to 2,989 in the same quarter of 1999/2000, while the number of claims for conscious sedation and inhalation sedation increased slightly from 2,847 to 2,963 over the same period. The revised General Dental Council guidance has reduced the numbers of DGAs being carried out in both GDS and CDS. The number of sedations involving another dentist or doctor has increased considerably but the new guidance seems to have had little effect on the numbers of patients receiving operated administered conscious sedation and inhalation sedation.