title: Referral patterns and general anesthesia in a specialized paediatric dental service.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The caries patterns of child populations in Germany have changed during the last 20 years. This affects the referrals and provision of specialist dental care for children. This study has two aims: first, to investigate referrals received by a specialized pediatric dental institution in 1995 and 2008, and second, to assess the treatments performed during full oral rehabilitations under general anesthesia in this institution from 2007 to 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  All data of referred patients were evaluated for 1995 and 2008 separately. Comparisons were carried out for different socio-demographic, medical, and dental parameters. All patients treated under general anesthesia (GA) between March/2007 and December/2008 were examined retrospectively and their data were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 1995 (n = 191), significantly older children were referred to specialized pediatric dental care compared to 2008 (n = 179). In addition, a shift of surgical referrals to very young children with high caries levels was clearly noticed, resulting in considerably more oral rehabilitation performed under GA in 2008 (n = 73). Thus, the mean values of 6.4 fillings and 2.7 extractions per child were quite high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preventive treatment approaches for primary dentition in Germany need further improvement by focusing on high caries-risk groups, as specialized pediatric dentistry bears the great burden of providing oral rehabilitations under GA in young children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Paediatric Dentistry, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkilzy
authors.forename: Ghalib
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qadri
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Moutaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takriti
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Splieth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000379:methods; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000601:surgery*