Dental treatments for children and adolescents have unique clinical characteristics that differ from dental care for adults in terms of children's physiology, psychology, and behavior. These differences impose specific requirements on the application of local anesthesia in pediatric dental procedures. This article presents expert consensus on the principles of local anesthesia techniques in pediatric dental therapies, including the use of common anesthetic drugs and dosage control, safety and efficacy evaluation, and prevention and management of complications. The aim is to improve the safety and quality of pediatric dental treatments and offer guidance for clinical application by dentists.
Humans ; Child ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Consensus ; Anesthesia, Dental/methods* ; Adolescent ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Dental Care for Children

Immature permanent teeth refer to those that have erupted but have not yet formed and matured in terms of shape and structure. The characteristics of their disease onset and treatment methods are different from those of ordinary permanent teeth. Children with special healthcare needs often lack the capacity to cooperate during routine dental procedures, making treatment under general anesthesia (GA) the preferred option. With social advancements, the demand for pediatric dental GA has considerably increased. This study discuss the treatment strategies for immature permanent teeth under GA, including diagnosis, therapeutic principles, key considerations, and clinical approaches for dental caries, pulpitis periapical periodontitis, etc.
Child ; Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Dental Caries/diagnosis* ; Dentition, Permanent ; Periapical Periodontitis/therapy* ; Pulpitis/therapy*

In May 2023, the Chinese Stomatological Association promulgated the group standard of "Standard on Clinical Dental Treatment for Children under General Anesthesia Orsedation". These specifications were formulated through broad-based expert consultation, iterative revisions, and a comprehensive review of relevant literature, incorporating the collective expertise of nationally recognized authorities in the field. The standard establishes a unified evaluation system and clinical guidelines tailored to China's medical context, aiming to regulate related medical practices. This paper aims to provide an in-depth interpretation of the standard, integrating the clinical research and experiences from the Pediatric Dentistry Department of West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, in performing dental treatments under general anesthesia in last 12 years. It particularly focuses on interpreting key aspects, including safety considerations, treatment protocol selection, prevention and management of postoperative complication, postoperative follow-up, and oral health maintenance, to provide a reference for medical staffs to understand and apply them in clinical practice.
Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Dental Care for Children/standards* ; China ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Anesthesia, Dental/standards* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of severe early childhood caries (SECC) treatment combined with local anesthesia under general anesthesia. METHODS: A total of 108 children under 6 years old who underwent SECC dental treatment under general anesthesia at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of classⅠor Ⅱ. The study subjects were divided into a control group (n=54) and an experimental group (n=54) by retrieving intraoperative cases and postoperative follow-up records. The control group was given general anesthesia through inhalation combined with nasotracheal intubation, whereas the experimental group was given local anesthesia with 2% lidocaine on each treated tooth on the basis of general anesthesia. The basic information, preoperative anesthesia depth, hemodynamic changes during different surgical procedures, postoperative pain, and adverse reactions in the two groups were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the basic information and preoperative anesthesia depth between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the three procedures (pulpotomy, root canal treatment, and tooth extraction), the three observed indicators in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The proportion of patients in the experimental group who needed to take analgesic measures in accordance with the modified facial pain scale (FPS-R) score was significantly lower than that in the control group at postoperative wakefulness and 2 h after surgery (P<0.05). Meanwhile, no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups at 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). The proportion of patients in the experimental group who needed to take analgesic measures on the basis of the parent posto-perative pain measurement (PPPM) score was significantly lower than that in the control group when they were awake after surgery (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups at 2 and 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). Moreover, no statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups at 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combination of local anesthesia during SECC dental treatment under general anesthesia results in minimal changes in intraoperative hemodynamics and mild postoperative pain response, hence worthy of clinical promotion.
Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Caries/therapy* ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control* ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Male ; Hemodynamics ; Female ; Lidocaine/administration & dosage* ; Child ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Anesthesia, Dental/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the parental acceptance of dental treatment under general anesthesia and deep sedation in children and assess the changes in postoperative oral health-related quality of life and treatment efficacy. METHODS: The parents of 131 children undergoing dental treatment in the Department of Stomatology of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January, 2022 to June, 2022 were surveyed using a questionnaire of children's advanced oral behavior management, and 83 children receiving general anesthesia or deep sedation for dental treatment between January, 2018 and December, 2021 were also investigated for changes in quality of life after the treatment using a questionnaire. The treatment efficacy was assessed at the 1-year follow-up visit in 149 children who received dental treatment under general anesthesia or deep sedation during the same period. RESULTS: The survey of perantal acceptance showed that 62.6% of the parents preferred deep sedation, 29.01% preferred general anesthesia, and 8.4% preferred compulsory treatment. Dental treatments under general anesthesia and deep sedation both significantly improved oral health-related quality of life of the children. While dental surgeries under general anesthesia resulted in the most significant improvement of pain symptoms, deep sedation was associated with both obvious relief of the children's pain symptoms and reduction of the parents' pressure level. No significant difference was found in the efficacy of treatments under general anesthesia and deep sedation at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION Dental treatment in children under deep sedation has the highest parental acceptance, followed by treatment under general anesthesia, and the acceptance of compulsory treatment is the lowest. The treatments under general anesthesia and deep sedation significantly improve the quality of life of the children and their parents and both have good treatment efficacy.
Humans ; Child ; Quality of Life ; Deep Sedation ; Child Behavior ; Treatment Outcome ; Anesthesia, General ; Parents ; Pain ; Dental Care ; Dental Caries

The use of nitrous oxide-oxygen inhalation sedation to relieve anxiety and pain in dental outpatient treatment has been a very mature and safe technique in the world. This technology has been introduced into China for nearly 20 years, and many clinical cases have proved its safety, practicability and effectiveness, which can meet the clinical needs of patients. To further standardize and popularize this technique, the Society of Sedation and Analgesia, Chinese Stomatological Association formed the recommended application guidelines after many discussions and revisions on the basis of widely soliciting opinions and referring to relevant literatures. It covers indications, contraindications, standardized operation procedures, occupational protection, identification and treatment of adverse reactions, training and other aspects. This guideline can be used as a reference for the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen inhalation sedation techniques in the outpatient setting of dentistry.
Anesthesia, Dental ; Anesthetics, Inhalation/adverse effects* ; Conscious Sedation/methods* ; Dental Anxiety/prevention & control* ; Humans ; Nitrous Oxide/adverse effects* ; Outpatients ; Oxygen

ABSTRACT This retrospective study aimed to evaluate patterns of comprehensive dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA) for healthy children in Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. The treatment records of healthy paediatric patients who received dental treatment under GA from February 2017 to January 2021 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: (1) less than 6 years old and (2) 6 to 16 years old. Patients’ characteristics were summarised using descriptive statistics while an independent t-test was applied to investigate the influence of “age group” on treatment duration, number of procedures and use of various restorative materials. A total of 125 paediatric patients (67 boys and 58 girls) were included. The patients’ mean age at the time they underwent GA was 5.77 ± 1.94 years old and the average duration of dental treatment was 62.58 minutes. There was a significant difference in the duration of treatment between the two age groups (p < 0.05). Tooth extraction was the most dental procedure performed (63.31%). The 6 to 16 years old group had a significantly shorter treatment duration (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in all procedures (extraction, restoration, preventive and pulp therapy) and the utilisation of composite, glass ionomer cement (GIC) and compomer in both groups. The use of stainless steel crown (SSC) restorations was significantly higher in the less than six years old group (p < 0.05). Most of the dental procedures performed under GA on healthy children were extraction procedures. Children less than six years of old had a longer treatment duration under GA. Composite restorations and SSC were more frequently used in primary dentition.
Pediatric Dentistry ; Dental Care for Children ; Anesthesia, Dental

In recent years, dental treatments of the outpatient children under general anesthesia has gradually developed as a relatively mature behavior management model. Due to the limited operating time and the large patient flow of children in outpatient clinics, higher requirements of management are proposed both in anesthesia and dental treatment phases. The Society of Sedation and Analgesia of the Chinese Stomatological Association organized experts to formulate a guideline of dental treatments of children under general anesthesia in outpatient clinic. The guideline would provide operable implementing criteria for the entire process including general anesthesia in the dental clinics, basic clinical conditions, types of oral diagnosis and treatment, evaluation and preparation before diagnosis and treatment, anesthesia implementation and monitoring, management during the recovery period, common complications and key points of treatments. This guideline will play an important role in the rapid development of the safe and comfort dental treatments of children under general anesthesia in China.
Anesthesia, Dental ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; China ; Conscious Sedation ; Humans ; Pediatric Dentistry

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and health economics of the comprehensive therapy for the children with severe early child caries (S-ECC) under dental general anesthesia (DGA) and conventional outpatient treatment to provide references for dentists and parents in the choice of clinical treatment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on S-ECC children aged 36-71 months and who received dental treatment under general anesthesia or routine outpatient situation. The filled tooth survival rate, treatment cost, and cost-filled tooth survival time of the two groups were compared, and the curative effect and health economics was evaluated. RESULTS: The filled tooth survival rate of the DGA group was higher than that of the routine outpatient group ( CONCLUSIONS Compared with the conventional outpatient treatment group, the treatment outcomes of S-ECC under general anesthesia were better, and the costs were higher. However, no significant difference was observed in the total medical cost-filled tooth survival time between these two groups, and the conventional outpatient treatment did not have evident economic advantages.
Anesthesia, Dental ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Dental Care ; Dental Caries ; Dental Caries Susceptibility ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative complications undergoing dental general anesthesia in children and analyze the prevalence and related factors. METHODS: This prospective study involved 292 systematically healthy children (36 to 71 months old) who received extensive dental treatment under general anesthesia. Data about patients' histories, characteristics, dental and anesthesia procedure were collected. Parents or caregivers were interviewed face to face preoperation and 72 h postoperation. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Approximately 93.5% of the enrolled children reported one or more complications. The most prevalent complication was postoperative pain, followed by weariness, agitation, problem in eating, drowsiness, oral bleeding, cough, fever, etc. The length of operative time and femininity were the risks of the postoperative pain. Nutrition status was the factor probably in association with fever. CONCLUSIONS The children receive longer operative time and girls show to be more susceptible to the postoperative pain. High nutrition status could be the protective factor of postoperative fever.
Anesthesia, Dental ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Care ; Dental Caries ; Female ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies