The use of general anesthesia for dental treatment of children with special healthcare needs in Alberta, Canada.

Background: Children with special healthcare needs (SHCN) often require specialized interventions due to their disabilities. Dental general anesthesia (DGA) is a treatment modality, which improves their access to care but concerns about repeated DGAs persist.

Aim: This study investigated DGA utilization in children with SHCN and identified factors associated with multiple DGAs in Alberta, Canada (2010-2020).

Design: This retrospective population-based study used administrative data encompassing all children (<18 years) undergoing DGA in publicly funded facilities. Children were identified as SHCN based on their diagnosis codes and categorized into behavioral/psychiatric disorders, mental/intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, systemic conditions, syndromes/congenital anomalies, physical-mental disabilities, and disabilities with medical conditions.

Results: This study analyzed 3884 DGA visits for children with SHCN, predominantly males aged 6-11 and from low-income families. Mental/intellectual disabilities were prevalent (31.8%), and autism was the leading disease. Caries was the primary dental diagnosis across all groups, whereas pulp problems were higher in psychiatric/behavioral disorders (23.6%), and periodontal problems were more common in physical-mental disabilities (13.2%). 28.7% had multiple DGAs, with younger age, disabilities with medical conditions, mental/intellectual disabilities, and initial pulp treatments, increasing the likelihood of multiple DGAs.

Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of individualized prevention and less conservative treatments for younger children to reduce oral health disparities.