Investigating the scope and costs of dental treatment provided under general anaesthesia among children with congenital heart disease

Aim: To identify the types of dental treatment provided under general anaesthesia for children diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD), quantify the costs within a publicly funded tertiary paediatric hospital setting and identify factors which affect the cost.Methods: A retrospective analysis of dental records (July 2015 to June 2019) was conducted for children with CHD who had undergone a dental general anaesthetic procedure at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia. Patient and treatment-related information were collected, and a costing analysis was performed on 89 dental general anaesthetic procedures.Results: Mean age at the time of the general anaesthetic was 8.15 years. About 27% of children with CHD had a history of dental infection. Dental extractions and restorations comprised the majority of treatments provided, with extractions performed in 86% of procedures. The mean number of days in hospital was 1.43 and the mean cost was $4395.14. The cost was significantly greater when children presented with a facial swelling compared to any other reason.Conclusions: Dental extractions are performed in the majority of general anaesthetics. Not only is there an economic burden to the public health system in providing dental treatment under general anaesthesia for children with CHD, the health impacts also appear to be substantial. A considerable proportion required overnight hospitalisation and days in hospital was strongly related to the cost of the dental general anaesthetic. Systematic referral pathways for accessing dental care are an important consideration for children with CHD.