The effects of a long wait for children's dental general anaesthesia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to monitor the effect of an interruption in a service for children who were scheduled to have dental extractions under general anaesthesia (GA). The reasons for offering GA and the treatment given while the service was not available, together with the history of the pain, antibiotic usage and alterations to the number of teeth extracted were recorded.


METHODS
When the GA extraction service stopped, the children who were scheduled to have their teeth extracted were placed on a waiting list. When the service recommenced 6 months later, the children were invited to attend a reassessment. Relevant data were collected at this visit using a proforma.


RESULTS
A total of 321 children had their extractions delayed. Only 249 of these attended for a reassessment. During the waiting period, 102 parents (41.0%) reported that their children required analgesics, 71 (28.5%) stated that their children's sleep was disturbed and 82 (32.9%) recorded problems with eating. One hundred and twenty-three children (49.4%) had received antibiotics, with 49 (19.6%) having been prescribed two or more courses. The majority of treatment plans (85.5%) remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
Many children who had had their extractions delayed suffered further pain and disruption to their life.
North
Sarah
S
Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield, and School of Dentistry, University of Manchester, UK.
Davidson
Lesley E
LE
Blinkhorn
Anthony S
AS
Mackie
Iain C
IC
D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000379:methods*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014098:Toothache / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014850:Waiting Lists
D000700:Analgesics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents