The long‐term effect of previous dental treatment under general anaesthesia on children's dental fear and anxiety

BACKGROUND Dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA) is deemed to contribute to children's dental fear and anxiety (DFA), both in the short term and long term. OBJECTIVE To compare DFA between children who had previous DGA and those who did not. METHODS A cross-sectional survey included 5- to 12-year-old children who had undergone DGA (n = 43) and a control group who had not (n = 55). Questionnaires were completed by parents regarding sociodemographic and dental profiles. Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (faces) (MCDASf) were completed by children. RESULTS The mean age of the control group and the DGA group was 9.5 ± 1.7 and 8.8 ± 1.5 years old, respectively (P > 0.05). The time passed since DGA was experienced ranged between 1.2 and 6.9 years ago (mean: 4.2 ± 1.1 years). The mean CFSS-DS and MCDASf scores for the DGA group (34.3 and 20.4, respectively) were significantly greater when compared to the control group (23.6 and 12.7, respectively) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Children who experienced DGA are a high-risk group for DFA several years after the procedure. The DGA status could be used for identifying anxious children to promote better behaviour management.