Characteristics and Comparison of Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia in Healthy Children and Children with Special Healthcare Needs: A Retrospective Study

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics and treatment modalities performed under general anesthesia in very young children and children with special healthcare needs (SHCN) from January 2016 to December 2018. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data was retrospectively collected from the records of the patients who underwent dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia from January 2016 to December 2018. The healthy patients were assigned to group H and children with SHCN were assigned to group S. Comprehensive dental treatment included preventive (oral prophylaxis, fluoride, pit, and fissure sealant), restorations, pulp therapies, and surgical procedures, which were compared. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients were comprehensively treated under dental general anesthesia (DGA) during the study period. There were 34 males (73.91%) and 12 females (26.08%) with M:F ratio of 2.8:1. The patients in group H were significantly younger than group S. Extraction and restoration were more frequently performed in group S (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). While pulpectomy, pulpotomy, and stainless steel crown (SSC) were more frequently performed in group H (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was more number of extraction and less number of pulpectomies, pulpotomies, and SSC performed in children with special healthcare needs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dental management of very young children and children with SHCN is a challenging task. DGA is an excellent alternative to undergo full mouth rehabilitation in such patients. Every effort should be made towards restoring oral health of children. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Sevekar S, Jha MN, Avanti A. Characteristics and Comparison of Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia in Healthy Children and Children with Special Healthcare Needs: A Retrospective Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(S-2):S157-S161.