Determinants of pediatric dental anxiety after comprehensive dental treatments under general anesthesia

Providing dental treatment to young patients can pose challenges in certain circumstances, particularly when they experience anxiety about dental procedures. For this reason, general anesthesia (GA) is preferred as an alternative treatment for performing dental treatments on children. On the other hand, the use of general anesthesia could potentially increase the risk of developing dental anxiety complications. This study was aimed to explore determinants of pediatric dental anxiety after comprehensive dental treatments under general anesthesia (CDT-GA). In this prospective study, 80 healthy children aged 3 to 10 years who required CDT-GA were enrolled in 2023. Demographic information and treatment checklist (duration of GA, the number of fissure sealants, restorations, pulpectomies, pulpotomies, crowns, and extractions) were completed for each child. The standardized MCDAS-f (Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale;- Faces Version) questionnaire was used to measure dental anxiety before GA, 7 days after GA, and 14 days after GA. Data were analyzed by SPSS 26 software, repeated measure analysis, and linear regression. The results of the study showed that dental anxiety significantly decreased 14 days after CDT-GA (P = 0.013) compared to before CDT-GA (P < 0.001). Additionally, anxiety before CDT-GA had a significant direct effect on anxiety levels on days 7 (P < 0.001) and 14 (P < 0.001). Other factors, such as the duration of GA, the number of treatments performed, age, and gender, did not have a significant effect on anxiety levels on days 7 and 14. Dental anxiety significantly decreases after CDT-GA, and this reduction is strongly influenced by the level of anxiety before CDT-GA. These findings highlight the importance of addressing preoperative anxiety to minimize postoperative anxiety and improve the overall dental experience for pediatric patients.