Identifying Risk Factors for Dental Neglect in Children Who Failed to Complete Their Dental Surgery Appointments in...

Background/Objectives: For dental providers, it can be difficult to distinguish dental neglect from legitimate barriers to care, preventing the completion of dental treatment for pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to utilize caretakers' self-reported reasons for missing their child's appointments to identify barriers to treatment completion versus dental neglect. Methods: The treatment setting was oral rehabilitation under deep or intravenous sedation (IV) or general anesthesia (GA). After the responses were examined, patients were categorized into one of four groups: Low-Risk, Treatment Completed; Low-Risk, Treatment Not Completed; High-Risk, Treatment Completed; High-Risk, Treatment Not Completed. Low- or high-risk classifications were determined based on whether the reported rationale was a temporary hindrance that could be overcome through additional effort or assistance, or whether it was because the parent or guardian did not follow through with the recommended instructions and treatment. A chi-square test was completed. Results: A total of 602 IV charts and 1, 296 GA charts were reviewed for this study. For both IV and GA settings, the proposed low- and high-risk factors for dental neglect were statistically significant (IV: p = 0.000442; GA: p < 0.00001). Conclusions: The patients whose appointments were not completed for reasons deemed high risk for dental neglect had a higher risk of having uncompleted treatment. These patients should be closely followed due to a higher risk of dental neglect.