title: Five-year follow-up of children receiving comprehensive dental care under general anesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental general anesthesia (DGA) is part of public dental care in Finland, but the intention is to return the patient to routine dental care. The aims of this study were to describe the details of treatments under DGA given to generally healthy children and to explore the outcome of their dental care during a 5-year follow-up, with special focus on preventive care. In particular, we examined the return of the patients to routine dental care, of which, to our knowledge, little is known.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our prospective 5-year follow-up of generally healthy children (aged 0-13 years) treated under DGA by the Helsinki Public Dental Service in 2004 was based on official dental and general anesthesia documents. The statistical analyses employed chi-square tests, t-tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), Fisher's transformation to test r ≠ 0, and logistic regression modeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common reason for DGA was uncooperation (82%), followed by dental fear (56%). Filling therapy predominated in the treatments given under anesthesia, and the mean number of treatments per patients was 9.5 (SD = 4.2). Throughout the follow-up, 54% of the patients continued to have co-operation problems and 53% expressed dental fear; 11% of the patients received repeat DGA. The mean follow-up time was 48 (median 52) months. The postoperative review visit was actualized within 1.5 (SD = 0.8) months and the first visit to the home dental clinic of the patients in 12.0 (SD = 11.8) months for the 0-5-year-olds and in 7.2 (SD = 5.9) months for the 6-13-year-olds (p < 0.001). The mean time elapsed to the first need for treatment was 18.5 (SD = 14.1) months. During the follow-up, the mean number of treatments per patient was 5.3 (SD = 4.9); almost all patients (97%) received preventive treatment at one of two visits, but the control of dental fear remained rare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To return to routine dental care after DGA, most of the generally healthy children in our study still needed special attention due to their uncooperation and dental fear, thus calling for a renewal of practices to treat these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, P,O, BOX 41, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. nora.savanheimo@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Savanheimo
authors.forename: Miira M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vehkalahti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides