Evaluation of dental status using a questionnaire before administration of general anesthesia for the prevention of dental injuries

BACKGROUND: Dental evaluation and protection are important for preventing traumatic dental injuries when patients are under general anesthesia. The objective of the present study was to develop a questionnaire based on dentition-related risk factors that could serve as a valuable tool for dental evaluation and documentation. METHODS: We developed a questionnaire for dental evaluation before administration of general anesthesia, investigated the association between patient-and-dentist responses and mouthguard fabrication, and assessed response agreement between 100 patients. RESULTS: Protective mouthguards were fabricated for 27 patients who were identified as having a high risk of dental injury. There was a strong association between dentists’ responses and mouthguard fabrication, depending on the general oral health status, use of ceramic prosthesis, presence of masticatory pain related to periodontal diseases, gingival edema, and implants (P < 0.05). Response agreement between patients and dentists for items related to dental pain, loss of dental pulp vitality, root canal therapy, dental trauma, aesthetic prosthesis, tooth mobility, and implant prosthesis was high (Cohen’s kappa coefficient κ ≥ 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: A high agreement was observed between patient-dentist responses and a strong association with mouthguard fabrication for items pertaining to ceramic prosthesis, masticatory pain, and dental implants. Patients with a “yes” response to these items are recommended to undergo a dental evaluation and use a dental protective device while under general anesthesia.