Journal of Disability and Oral Health

cover art

Cover Date:
March 2008
Print ISSN:
1470-8558
Electronic ISSN:
1754-2758
Vol:
9
Issue:
1

Factors influencing the decision to perform dental treatment under general anaesthesia in children with intellectual disability

Abstract Aim: To investigate and describe the factors determining why people with intellectual disability are referred for dental treatment under general anaesthesia. Design of the study: Retrospective audit of the hospital records of 75 patients treated under general anaesthesia at the Paediatric Department, Dentistry Clinic, Novi Sad, between 2005 and 2007. Main outcome measures: Data collected related to: demographics of patients, reasons given by referring practitioners for requesting general anaesthesia, reasons given by the attending clinician for general anaesthesia, the degree of intellectual disability, state of dentition, and the treatment undertaken. Results: The referral forms reported intellectual disability and the patient’s lack of cooperation as the main reasons for referral. Behavioural techniques could not be used in 42 (56%) patients due to severe intellectual disability. In 7 (9.3%) patients there was no time for the application of behavioural techniques because of the presence of acute dental conditions requiring urgent treatment. In 13 (17.3 %) patients, behavioural techniques failed because of the patient’s age and treatment necessitating multiple extractions. In 5 (6.6%) cases parents insisted on treatment under general anaesthesia. The prevalence of dental caries was 100%. The mean DMFT was 14.2. A mean of 2.2 teeth per patient were extracted. Conclusion: General anaesthesia for dental treatment in children with intellectual disability in Vojvodina is mainly used for treating gross dental caries or its complications. Efforts should be made to integrate this type of dental treatment into the overall system of maintaining oral health, at a stage before urgent dental care necessitates recourse to general anaesthesia.

Key words: Disabled, behaviour management, general anaesthesia, oral health

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£15.00
Page Start
27
Page End
30
Authors
Duska Blagojevic, Igor Babic, Dejan Markovic, Bojan Petrovic

Articles from this issue

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  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial
  2. 2
  3. 2

  1. An investigation into the oral health status of male prisoners in the UK
  2. 3
  3. 12

  1. Extensive dental caries in unerupted permanent teeth of a disabled child with phenytoin-induced gingival overgrowth
  2. 13
  3. 16

  1. Current concepts in the pathogenesis and management of oral mucositis as a complication of cancer therapy
  2. 17
  3. 23

  1. Factors influencing the decision to perform dental treatment under general anaesthesia in children with intellectual disability
  2. 27
  3. 30

  1. Dental management of a child with Congenital Rubella Syndrome
  2. 31
  3. 34

  1. Prisoner and lay opinions of a prison-issue oral health kit
  2. 35
  3. 41

  1. Special Care Dentistry in daily practice
  2. 42
  3. 43

  1. IADH Symposium at FDI – Dubai 2007
  2. 44
  3. 47

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