Pain reported by children after dental extractions under general anaesthesia: a pilot study

A prospective study has been performed of factors influencing postoperative pain in a cohort of children undergoing dental extractions under general anaesthesia. Postoperative pain was assessed immediately after recovery from anaesthesia and also by using a visual linear analogue scale which was completed by the parent hourly for the first 10 hours and then at 24 hours. Analgesic use was also recorded. The most significant factor influencing postoperative pain was the relationship of the accompanying adult to the child; children attending with their mothers were more likely to complain of postoperative pain (P < 0.05). The results also suggested that the age of the patient and the extraction of primary rather than permanent teeth were influencing factors, although they did not reach statistical significance. Pain was reported by 57.5% of the children immediately after treatment. It would seem that the greatest need for postoperative analgesia is immediately after the dental procedure, especially in young children undergoing multiple extractions.