Trends in General Anesthesia Utilization by Board-Certified Pediatric Dentists

Area of Science:

• Dental Anesthesiology
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Healthcare Services Research

Background:

• General anesthesia (GA) is crucial for pediatric dental patients unable to cooperate.
• Understanding current trends in GA utilization is vital for optimizing patient care and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization patterns and trends of general anesthesia services among board-certified pediatric dentists in the United States.
• To identify preferred settings, anesthesia providers, and delivery methods for GA in pediatric dentistry.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 4,216 board-certified pediatric dentists via REDCap and mail.
• Survey responses were tabulated, and data were analyzed to identify trends in GA usage.

Main Results:

• A 31.8% response rate was achieved, with proportional representation across all American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry districts.
• 87% of respondents reported using GA, with 50.4% in hospital settings and 60.5% utilizing physician anesthesiologists.
• Endotracheal intubation was the most common (88.5%) method of GA delivery; 62.6% favored dental anesthesiology as an ADA-recognized specialty.

Conclusions:

• The majority of pediatric dentists use GA, primarily delivered by physician anesthesiologists in hospital settings via endotracheal intubation.
• Physician anesthesiologists tend to provide care in hospital-based settings, while dentist anesthesiologists work in dental offices.
• A significant majority of surveyed dentists support the recognition of dental anesthesiology as a specialty by the American Dental Association.