Paediatric dentistry under general anaesthesia : from a patient perspective

Abstract

Introduction: The importance of good oral health in children is well documented. Extensive caries in young children has an impact on both oral and general health, including quality of life. It is important to offer DGA for patients where other options are not sufficient. Preventive measures can in many cases be done to reduce the number of DGA needed, and behaviour shaping techniques for all children will in the long run be cost effective. In Tromsø DGA is performed by two paedodontists. Objective: Investigate patient experiences with dental treatment under GA in Tromsø, with emphasis on preventive measures previous to DGA, information received and patient follow-up. If necessary promote suggestions for improvement. Method and materials: Telephone interviews with the parents of ten children that had received DGA at UNN Tromsø. Conclusion: Most parents were content with overall DGA experience and found the waiting time from referral to treatment acceptble. In most cases, other measures had been tried before DGA. Some improvements could be done regarding parent information.