Denial of Operating Room Access for Pediatric Dental Treatment: A National Survey

Purpose: U.S. pediatric dentists require access to hospital operating rooms (ORs) to deliver safe and effective dental care to some children but have reported denial of access to ORs for general anesthesia (GA), causing long waiting times, deferral of medically necessary dental care, and unmeasured pain and anxiety for patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the extent and possible underlying causes of operating room access denial. Methods: Public policy advocates (PPAs) of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry completed a written or electronic questionnaire about state-specific OR denials during March 2020. Results: Responses from 50 states and the District of Columbia showed 34 PPAs (67 percent) acknowledging OR access problems, with 14 out of 34 (41 percent) reporting a moderate or major problem. Western district PPAs reported the fewest states affected (four out of 11; 36 percent). Hospitals and reimbursement emerged as frequent foci for denials in comment analysis. Conclusions: Operating room access denial is a problem for pediatric dentists in the majority of U.S. states and the District of Columbia; in those states reporting it as a problem, it was considered moderate or major in significance by almost half.