The Oral Health Outcomes of children treated after General Anaesthesia - A 3 year follow up

Abstract

Introduction: Dental full-mouth rehabilitation under General anaesthesia improves the quality of life, growth and overall social well-being of young children. Caries relapse is a common occurrence which is not addressed. This research aims to determine the oral health outcomes of children treated after General Anaesthesia. Material and method: A total of 45 individuals(31 males and 14 females) who had full mouth rehabilitation done under General Anaesthesia participated in the study. A questionnaire enquiring about the demographic, socioeconomic status, food habits and oral hygiene habits was given to each parent as they waited for their appointment. The oral hygiene was then evaluated by a single evaluator and OPGs were taken to determine the extent and progression of any new carious lesion. Results: The Oral Hygiene Score Simplified (OHI-S) was seen to be an average of 2.5±1.3, which meant the hygiene was relatively fair. The mean restorative index (ri) was 69.79±31.5%. There was a significant increase in the surfaces with new caries lesions which averaged 2.3±1.5. There was a slight increase in the DMFS score of 4.6% with an SD of ±4.3%. The RI was seen to be  15.15% with an SD of ±13.2%. The surfaces with new caries lesions on permanent teeth were seen to increase by 4.45±1.3.
Conclusion: Treatment under GA does not mean the individual is devoid of the disease. Children with Early Childhood Caries (ECC) are more susceptible to caries. Regular dental checkups and maintenance of good oral hygiene are vital in reducing caries risk.