DENTAL TREATMENT AND ANESTHESIA PROCEDURE IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC DISEASE*

This retrospective study evaluates factors influencing anesthesia selection and procedure duration for children requiring pharmacological behavior management during dental treatment. This retrospective study involved 209 pediatric patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia and sedation at Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry. Health status, age, anesthesia type, procedure time, filling number, and root canal treatment number were recorded. Logistic and linear regressions examined anesthesia type and procedure duration predictors. Increasing the number of fillings (OR (95% CI): 0.857 (0.789-0.931); p<0.001) and the number of root canal treatments (OR (95% CI): 0.546 (0.341-0.873); p=0.012) reduced the likelihood of sedation. In the presence of combined systemic disease, sedation was preferred (OR (95% CI): 45.782 (1.713-1223.446); p=0.023), and the procedure time increased significantly in the presence of mental retardation (p=0.041). Increases in age (p=0.009), number of fillings (p<0.001), and number of root canal treatments (p<0.001) significantly increased the procedure time. The procedure time was significantly shorter in the sedated patients than in the general anesthesia group (p<0.001).Sedation was preferred when combined systemic disease occurred, but general anesthesia was preferred over sedation because the increased number of teeth treated increased the procedure time. The factors affecting the choice of anesthesia and the duration of procedures in pediatric dental treatment are complex; therefore, this study can contribute to create an evidence-based clinical practice guideline based on patient characteristics to improve the safety and treatment outcomes for children.