Comparing the behavior of children treated using general anesthesia with those treated using conscious sedation

This study compared the dental behavior of young children previously treated using general anesthesia (GA) with those treated with conscious sedation (CS). The sample included healthy children, two to four years of age, treated in private practice. The general anesthesia group included twenty-four children (mean age at time of treatment = 31 months) who were evaluated twelve to thirty-six months later (mean = 25 months). The conscious sedation group included thirty children (mean age at time of treatment = 35 months) who were evaluated twelve to thirty-eight months later (mean = 21 months). Both groups were subjected to a standard recall examination during which behavior and anxiety measures were used to assess the subjects' responses to the dental setting. Behavior was evaluated by the dentist and parent independently. Children were asked about their dental fears, recall of previous treatment and willingness to return to the dental clinic. Parents were asked to report any suspected psychologic trauma they attributed to the previous treatment. Behavior in both groups was positive or definitely positive as rated with the Frankl scale in the overwhelming majority of subjects (92 percent general anesthesia, 93 percent conscious sedation) as evaluated by the dentist. Parents rated their child's behavior more negatively, 33 percent and 27 percent of the time, respectively, in both groups. Seventeen percent of the children reported being afraid of the dentist in the general anesthesia group and 20 percent in the conscious sedation group. In both groups, fewer than 10 percent of the parents reported that they felt their child was traumatized by the initial dental treatment. The results support the hypothesis that there is no difference in the expected future dental behavior or anxiety of children who experience conscious sedation compared with general anesthesia for dental treatment at a young age.