Characteristics and dental treatments of children under general anaesthesia

Abstract

The goal of this retrospective study was to determine the types of dental treatments provided to paediatric patients under general anaesthesia (GA) at the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Records of the 113 patients under 18 years old who had undergone dental treatment under GA from November 2015 to February 2019 were retrieved and reviewed. The median age for subjects was six years old and the data were skewed to the left. Subjects were diagnosed with early childhood caries (n = 94) where total oral rehabilitation was performed for most subjects (n = 82). Higher number of deciduous teeth were extracted (n = 488) with average number per person of 5.5 as compared to permanent teeth (n = 43) with 2.9 average number per person. The leading cause of surgical cases was removal of supernumerary and impacted teeth. Tooth colour restoration and stainless-steel crowns were commonly used in restorative procedures. Although most of the patients were in the American Society of Anaesthesiology categories I and II, treatments were performed under GA because complete oral rehabilitation was required. In conclusion, dental treatment under GA is essential for providing complete oral rehabilitation in young patients, especially those with early childhood caries or medical and behavioural problems.