Professional Attitudes and Practice of Pediatric Dentists About the Use of Local Anesthesia for the Treatment of Children Under General Anesthesia Publisher

Summary: Study shows varied use of local anesthesia in pediatric dental surgeries under general anesthesia, depending on patient and treatment. #PediatricDentistry #Anesthesia

Faghihian R¹ ; Golabbakhsh A² ; Asnaashari E³
Source: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Published:2024

Abstract

Background: The application of local anesthesia in dental surgeries conducted under general anesthesia poses a challenge in pediatric dentistry. There isa lackof consensus regarding the benefitsand drawbacks of using general anesthesiainthisfield. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes and practices of pediatric dentists regarding the use of local anesthesiafor dentaltreatmentsinchildrenunder general anesthesiainIran. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 110 pediatric dentists from across Iran. The dentists' professional attitudes and practices were assessed using a specially designed questionnaire for this study. The questionnaire was distributed through the Linepress system, and the datawereanalyzedfollowing collection. Results: Regarding professional practices, 34.5% of specialists refrained from using local anesthesia. The most frequent application of local anesthesia was observed in tooth extractions. The preferred local anesthetic agent was 2% lidocaine with 1:100 000 epinephrine. A lower dose than that used in outpatient settings was administered, and most specialists allowed sufficienttimefor the anesthesiatotakeeffect. Conclusions: This study revealed that opinions and attitudes towards the use of local anesthesia in the dental treatment of children under general anesthesia vary across different specialties and are significantly influenced by the patient's condition, typeof treatment, and practicetechniques. © 2024, Faghihian et al.