The use of general anaesthesia for orthodontic extractions.

AIM

The aims of the study were to evaluate 1) the uptake of general anaesthesia 2) the dental factors influencing use of general anaesthesia for routine orthodontic extractions.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional.

PARTICIPANTS

All patients, aged 16 years and under (n=145), currently undergoing orthodontic treatment at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester, who had received extractions, for their current course of treatment.

METHOD

Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire after appliance adjustment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

1. type of anaesthesia received for the most recent orthodontic extractions 2) whether a choice of anaesthesia was given 3) number of permanent teeth removed for the current course of orthodontic treatment 4) previous experience of general anaesthesia.

RESULTS

The response was 87%. Twenty-two per cent of patients received general anaesthesia, 64% local anaesthesia and 14% inhalation sedation. Sixty-five per cent of patients were not given a choice of anaesthesia for extractions. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that a patient was more likely to receive a general anaesthetic if: 1) they had received a GA in the past (for fillings or extractions) 2) more than four teeth were extracted.

CONCLUSIONS

Local anaesthesia was predominantly used for orthodontic extractions although the use of general anaesthesia was still quite high. The majority of patients were not given a choice of anaesthesia for routine extractions. Previous exposure to general anaesthesia and removal of more than four teeth increased the likelihood of a patient receiving general anaesthesia.