Dental Anxiety and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children Following Dental Rehabilitation under General Anesthesia or Intravenous Sedation: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate dental anxiety and oral health-related quality of life among children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia (GA) and intravenous sedation (IVS). Materials and Methods: Participants were 99 healthy children aged 3-5 or 6-12 years operated under GA or IVS. Dental anxiety before treatment and 1 month postoperatively were measured using the Frankl behavior scale (FBS), the venham picture test (VPT), the early childhood oral health impact scale (ECOHIS), and the children's fear survey schedule-dental subscale (CFSS-DS). Data were analyzed using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: ECOHIS scores decreased in all groups. VPT scores increased in the 3-5-year-olds treated under GA (P = 0.003). Postoperative CFSS-DS anxiety scores were lower in IVS groups. FBS scores were significantly higher for both age groups (P < 0.001). There was no effect of numbers of extracted or treated teeth. Conclusions: Dental rehabilitation under GA and IVS improved the quality of life and dental behavior. In the 6-12-year-olds, there was no statistically significant difference between children undergoing dental operations under GA and those undergoing dental operations under IVS. Dental anxiety decreased in 3-5-year-olds after treatment under GA but not after IVS.