Changes in Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life of Egyptian Children Treated under Dental General Anesthesia: A Prospective Study

Impact of dental treatments under general anesthesia on oral health-related quality of life in children: a comprehensive meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Children's oral health significantly impacts their overall well-being, daily activities, and social interactions. Dental treatments under general anesthesia are often required for extensive dental problems, special health care needs, or dental phobias, particularly in pediatric populations. The objective of this meta-analysis was to systematically review and synthesize existing research on how dental treatments under general anesthesia affect the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children.

METHODS

The electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically reviewed following PRISMA guidelines to identify studies evaluating OHRQoL changes after dental treatments under general anesthesia. Studies involving ECOHIS and COHRQoL scales in pre- and postoperative assessments were included. The mean differences between scale measurements before and after dental treatments under general anesthesia were reported as the standard mean difference (SMD), and effect sizes for Hedges' g were classified as follows: small effect (0.2), medium effect (0.5), large effect (0.8). All meta-analysis statistical computation was carried out using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for the random effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 36 papers satisfied the inclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the investigation. In the pooled analysis, treatments under general anesthesia in children improved OHRQoL (ECOHIS) in the short term with a significantly large effect size (SMD = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.07-2.24, p < 0.001; τ2 = 2.18, I2 = 98.9, p < 0.001). Similarly, dental treatment under general anesthesia increased the COHRQoL score in children with a significantly large effect size (SMD = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.81-1.84, p < 0.001; τ2 = 0.78, I2 = 97.3, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that there was evidence that OHRQoL of children receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia improves with a large effect size in the short-term following treatment.

Assessment of Children and "Young" Adult Patients' Quality of Life after Prosthetic Treatment of Disorders of the Craniofacial Region-A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Prosthetic rehabilitation for children and juvenile patients with congenital or acquired craniofacial disorders is the area of activity of many clinicians and is a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for dentists.

METHODS

Studies were carried out on a group of 30 patients (10 female and 20 male) aged 2.5 to 30 years who were treated prosthetically due to congenital and acquired craniofacial disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life using the CPQ 11-14 (Child Perception Questionnaire 11-14), OQLQ (Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire), and PIDAQ (Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire).

RESULTS

Before the prosthetic treatments, the mean values in the individual questionnaires were, respectively, CPQ 11-14-54 points; OQLQ-44.4 points; and PIDAQ-47.6 points. The following values were obtained after the treatments: CPQ 11-14-12.43 points; OQLQ-22.27 points; and PIDAQ-34.03 points. All obtained differences were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The total numerical results obtained in all questionnaires decreased, which means that prosthetic rehabilitation had a positive impact on the assessment of the quality of life based on individual categories.

Dental Treatment in Special Needs Patients and Uncooperative Young Children: A Retrospective Study

Background and Objectives: Special Needs Patients (SNPs) and young non-collaborative children are more predisposed to develop oral pathologies due to poor collaboration and scarce access to dental treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze a sample of SNPs who received dental treatments either under general anesthesia (GA) or deep sedation (DS) over a period of 6 years. The number and type of procedure were analyzed. Materials and Methods: In total, 131 patients were included and mostly (>90%) treated under GA. Patients were either uncooperative and phobic (Group 1) or affected by mental, behavioral, and neurological disorders (Group 2), diseases of the nervous system (Group 3), or developmental anomalies (Group 4). Results: Patients in Group 2 required more invasive dental treatments than those in the other groups. Therapies were mainly preventive and restorative, except in Groups 3 and 4, where extractions were more frequent. The type of dental treatment significantly varied according to age and systemic condition. Only 5.3% of the patients needed a second intervention, despite only 17.6% of patients respecting the scheduled follow-up. Conclusions: Treatment under GA is effective, but the poor adherence to follow-ups and the risk of reintervention should be contrasted by improving the perception by parents/guardians of the importance of oral hygiene and periodic visits.