The effect of dentist experience on the treatment of individuals with disability under general anesthesia

Abstract

Aims The aim of the present work was to assess in patients with severe disability operated under general anesthesia whether the progressive acquisition of experience by the dental team affects the type of procedure performed and the duration of operations. Methods and results A study group of 911 patients who underwent dental treatment under general anesthesia between 1997 and 2014 was conformed. Information was collected from every patient including: dental diagnosis, dental procedures and duration of the operating times. To analyze the impact of the operators’ experience, the study period was divided into three 6‐year periods. The most prevalent systemic diagnosis was “mental disease and behavior disorders” (42.9%). The most common dental procedures were extractions and fillings. Fewer extractions were performed during the third 6‐year period (p = .000). Compared with the other two periods, during the first period fewer composite fillings (p = .000 and p = .000, respectively) and more fissure sealants (p = .001 and p = .023, respectively) were performed. The number of amalgam fillings decreased progressively (p = .000). There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean duration of the operations between the first and third period (p = .002). Conclusion The dental team's experience entailed a significant reduction in the duration of operations.

Dental treatment provided to special needs children under general anesthesia in a tertiary care hospital – A cross sectional retrospective study

“…The average number of teeth treated per DGA was high for extraction, followed by restorative treatment including SSC and composite in comparison to other procedures. This is in agreement with Fernández-Feijoo et al (2019) , dental extractions were performed as the most common procedure in a different age distributions. Pei-Ying Lee et al, studied dental treatment under GA in healthy and disabled patients between the ages of 1–18 years old, teeth extractions were significantly higher in disabled patients with a lower number of restoration treatments when compared to healthy patients of the same age group.…”

Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia in Patients with Special Needs Provided by Private and Public Healthcare Services—A Retrospective, Comparative Study

“…The existing evidence demonstrates that non-surgical multiple extractions are the most common procedures performed on PSN subjected to GA [ 25 , 26 ], which is supported by the findings of this study, in which 86% of the patients had at least one extraction completed. Multiple dental restorations were performed almost equally frequently by both groups of care providers, with the number of fillings being between one and four.…”

“…An important factor is attributed to a greater likelihood of post-GA monitoring of PSN in the private sector, allowing follow-ups and subsequent treatment for common dental problems. Some authors suggest that these patients require 2–6 months of follow-ups after GA to maintain their oral health and to avoid further dental interventions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Based on our results, we believe that the adequacy of follow-up arrangement for PSN, depending on their needs, is currently a challenge for care providers, leading to the re-admission of patients.…”