Parental issues and concerns for their children treated under general anaesthesia for early childhood caries: A qualitative research approach.

CONTEXT

Most often, young children with early childhood caries (ECC) may need oral rehabilitation under general anaesthesia (GA) as treatment cannot be done chairside. A procedure under GA can be traumatic and stressful for both the parents and the children. Hence, it becomes necessary to understand the parents' opinions and address their concerns to provide better treatment. Aims: This qualitative study was conducted to explore the parental issues and concerns for their children treated under GA for ECC. Qualitative research approach was used so that it would enable us to address these issues better and prepare parents by counselling them in advance.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

An in-depth interview was conducted with the parents of children who underwent oral rehabilitation under GA for ECC in the M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, admitted under the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Data were audio-recorded and transcribed.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The themes derived were 'Concerns and Issues of GA Procedures and Improved Oral-health-related Quality of Life'.

CONCLUSIONS

The parents of children who underwent oral rehabilitation under GA initially had a few concerns and were reluctant about the procedure but were happy with the improvement post-operatively.