The dental treatment process in children may not always proceed easily. Especially for children who are young, have high anxiety levels or have special needs and therefore have difficulty in establishing cooperation, dental treatments may require a more comprehensive approach.
In such cases, dental treatment under general anesthesia makes the process safer and more comfortable for both the child and the doctor. So in which cases is general anesthesia preferred, how safe is it and what do families need to know about this?
What is General Anesthesia Dental Treatment and Why is it Preferred?
Dental treatment under general anesthesia is a type of treatment in which the patient is completely anesthetized by the anesthesiologist and his team in a hospital environment and the dentist completes the dental treatments while the patient is asleep. During this time, the patient does not feel any pain, sound or pressure.
In young children, the child may not always show the necessary compliance with the treatment during procedures to be performed with local anesthesia. This situation both puts the procedure to be performed at risk and can turn into a traumatic experience for the child. With general anesthesia, procedures are performed more comfortably for both the family and the child, and the treatments are completed in an ideal manner. By completing all procedures in a single session, all decay and infection foci in the mouth are cleaned and patients are relieved of their pain at once.
In Which Cases is General Anesthesia Necessary for Children?
Starting from the first examination, your doctor actually decides on the necessity of general anesthesia by evaluating your child according to many factors such as their systemic condition, age and whether they can tolerate these procedures according to their age, pain status and severity of decay.
Sometimes this is obvious from the first session, while sometimes it may take a few sessions depending on their age to evaluate whether the child can get used to the chair. Here, the cooperation of the doctor and the family and proceeding with the procedure order recommended by your doctor will facilitate your child's adaptation process. However, if adaptation cannot be achieved despite these attempts or if dental treatment cannot be performed in the chair for any other reason, then general anesthesia is a safe method that we often apply.
General anesthesia is not routinely preferred for every child. However, in cases such as the following, it becomes an inevitable need for dental treatment to be completed effectively and healthily:
Children who are very young and cannot cooperate,
Children with mental or physical disabilities,
Patients who cannot be treated in the clinic due to severe gag reflex,
Children who need to have many procedures due to the presence of intense and widespread caries such as early childhood caries, but who cannot provide sufficient cooperation in the clinical environment,
Children with extreme dental phobia,
Situations requiring advanced surgical procedures,
Situations where dental treatment under general anesthesia reduces medical risks due to any systemic disease (various allergic reactions, heart diseases)
Patients who live in a different city or abroad and whose treatments need to be completed in a single session,
Is General Anesthesia Safe for Children?
Today, thanks to modern anesthesia techniques and equipped equipment, general anesthesia is an extremely safe procedure for children. The important thing here is that the treatment is performed in fully equipped hospitals and by specialist physicians in the field.
While the child's preparation for the operation, putting him to sleep, monitoring during the operation, waking him up and recovery process are constantly monitored by the anesthesiologist and his team, dental treatments are also completed by the pediatric dentist. The treatment process, which is carried out using modern medical equipment and under the supervision of an expert health team, offers the safest and most comfortable environment for your child.
Dental treatment under general anesthesia can be applied from the age of 1 (often after the age of 2) if the anesthesiologist deems it appropriate. As with any operation, the treatment period varies according to the number of procedures to be performed and the depth of the procedures. The treatment period may be extended, especially when there are many and severe caries.
How to Prepare Before General Anesthesia?
Before general anesthesia, the child's health status and suitability for general anesthesia must be evaluated in detail by the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist examines the child before the operation and requests the necessary blood tests, and decides on the suitability of the operation by requesting consultation from other physicians when deemed necessary due to the child's systemic condition.
When the decision for surgery is made, the child must be hungry and thirsty for at least 6-8 hours before the procedure. It is also important that the child does not have symptoms such as flu or runny throat at the time of the operation. These preparations both ensure the safety of the operation and minimize possible risks.
How Does Recovery Happen After the Procedure? What Should Families Pay Attention to?
After the procedure, children are kept under observation for 2-3 hours and their general condition is checked before they are discharged. It is normal to experience side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness, nausea, and dizziness in the first few hours. These effects pass in a short time. Rarely, allergic reactions may develop after general anesthesia. Parents should monitor such symptoms and consult a dentist or anesthesiologist when necessary. The child usually returns to normal life within 24 hours. Doctors will explain in detail to the family what to watch out for during the recovery process. When returning home, the child should drink plenty of fluids and eat soft foods.
The most important point that families should pay attention to after the procedure is to pay attention to their children's oral hygiene and nutrition and not to skip pediatric dentist check-ups at least twice a year. It is very important for parents to support their children's teeth brushing until they are 7-8 years old in order to ensure proper oral hygiene and prevent new cavities. Especially in children who have had dental treatment with general anesthesia, it is necessary to go for check-ups at intervals recommended by your doctor to ensure that the formation of cavities does not recur and to maintain oral and dental health by applying the necessary protective applications.
What are the Pediatric Dental Treatments Performed with General Anesthesia?
The main pediatric dentistry procedures that can be performed under general anesthesia are as follows:
- Multiple filling and root canal treatments
- Stone cleaning
- Tooth extractions
- Zirconium or stainless steel coatings
- Advanced surgical procedures such as cyst surgery
- Space maintainer or orthodontic applications
- Protective applications
- Treatment of dental traumas
In other words, all procedures performed on children's oral health with general anesthesia applications can be performed safely in a single session.
If the child really needs dental treatments, general anesthesia application is not a procedure to worry about. In fact, it offers families a very safe way to solve the health problems that their children will experience due to cavities and progressive infections. As Dentgroup Kids, we meticulously plan general anesthesia applications with our expert team and aim to provide both a safe and trauma-free experience for your child.
Article: Dr. Dt. Pırıl BAŞARAN KIRMIZI
