OHRQoL changes among Chinese preschool children following dental treatment under general anesthesia

Objective To assess dental treatment under dental general anesthesia (DGA) among Chinese preschool children by investigating changes in their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), the incidence of postoperative complications, and parental satisfaction. Method A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 190 children who received treatment for early childhood caries (ECC) under DGA were included. The primary outcome was a change in the children's OHRQoL at 1 month after the operation compared to that at baseline, which was measured by the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). The secondary outcomes were the incidence of complications within 1 day after treatment and parental satisfaction with the DGA treatment. Results In total, 180 participants were successfully reevaluated after the operation, yielding a 94.7% follow-up response rate. The total ECOHIS score decreased by 76.3% (P < 0.01) after treatment, demonstrating a large effect. Approximately 74.4% of the children complained of at least one complication, including sleepiness (43.3%), emergence agitation (38.9%), nausea/vomiting (13.9%), dizziness (10.6%), and fever (3.3%), on the first day. Approximately 85.5% of the parents were satisfied with the DGA treatment. Conclusion DGA treatment has a positive effect on Chinese preschool children's OHRQoL and is evaluated highly by their parents.