Previous radiographic experience of children referred for dental extractions under general anaesthesia in the U.K.
OBJECTIVE
To determine what proportion of children undergo radiographic assessment prior to referral to a dental hospital for extractions under general anaesthesia.


METHODS
This prospective survey was conducted over a 6-month period. A data sheet was used to record the following information: patient's age; referrer's name and place of work (general dental practice or community dental service); teeth to be extracted (primary dentition and/or permanent dentition) and reported previous radiographic examination. Patients were excluded from the study if, following a clinical examination, radiographs were not actually deemed necessary for diagnosis and treatment planning purposes. Clinical setting A paediatric dentistry clinic within a dental hospital in the North of England. Participants 161 patients with a mean age of six years (SD = 2.2, range = 3-14 years) who were referred to the dental hospital for extractions under general anaesthesia.


RESULTS
Overall, 12.4% of children had reportedly undergone a previous radiographic assessment prior to hospital referral. A significantly greater proportion of children referred for permanent tooth extractions had been subject to radiographic examination compared to children referred for primary tooth extractions (46.2% as compared to 6.3%; P = 0.001 chi-squared test). Furthermore, patients referred from the community dental service were significantly more likely to have had previous dental radiographs than children referred from general dental practice (36.9% compared to 9.3%; P = 0.003 chi-squared test).


CONCLUSIONS
Radiographs do not appear to be routinely employed for caries diagnosis and treatment planning in young children within general dental practice in the U.K.
Young
N L
NL
Department of Oral Health and Development, School of Dentistry, Sheffield, UK.
Rodd
H D
HD
Craig
S A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D006801:Humans; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging