Postoperative Pain of Pediatric Patients Undergoing Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia Visiting a General Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Dental general anesthesia (GA) is a day-stay procedure and is a suitable choice for complicated cases. It is undertaken in a controlled hospital setting that ensures the quality, safety, efficacy, and efficiency of dental treatment. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence, severity, duration, and factors related to the occurrence of postoperative discomfort in young children following GA in a general hospital. This study includes a minimum sample size of 23 children that were undergoing GA over a 1-month period. Informed consent was obtained from the parent prior to the treatment. A preoperative questionnaire via the Survey Monkey program was used for the purposes of recording the responses of the survey population. All data related to the immediate postoperative period while the child was in the post-anesthetic recovery room (PAR) was collected and assessed by one of the investigators using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) pain assessment scale. Postoperative data was gathered using the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-8) and was performed by phone 3 days after the GA procedure. The participating 23 children ranged from 4 to 9 years old (mean 5.43 ± 1.53). A total of 65.2% were girls and 34.8% were boys, with 30.4% experiencing a recent history of pain.

Evaluation of post-operative pain following dental procedures under local anesthesia among pediatric patients at Al Rass, Saudi Arabia

“…Furthermore, children receiving thorough oral treatment may experience many forms of physical and psychological damage. Numerous factors, such as the procedure's type and duration, can contribute to postoperative symptoms [ 1 ]. Pediatric dentists usually provide comprehensive dental treatment with their patients in a conscious state.…”

“…The most reliable method for assessing pain is self-reporting. Children find it difficult to convey and define their discomfort, which makes it harder for them to perceive it [ 1 ]. The conventional strategy for assessing pain throughout any surgery is to measure each patient's individual degree of pain [ 4 , 5 ].…”