General Anesthesia for Dental Procedures in Children: A Comprehensive Review
Preethy J Mathew
Citation Information :
Mathew PJ. General Anesthesia for Dental Procedures in Children: A Comprehensive Review. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2022; 56 (1):29-33.
With the advent of modern and safe anesthesia drugs and equipment, myriad of dental procedures are being safely conducted in children, including those with special needs. General anesthesia facilitates efficient intervention in children who would otherwise be uncooperative to dental interventions. However, providing general anesthesia for these procedures has its own risks and implications. Hence, a focused preanesthesia evaluation emphasizing upon the medical and behavioral comorbidities remains the cornerstone of providing safe anesthesia to these children. The fear of pain and anxiety due to parental separation are common in children which is managed by various pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures to enable a smooth transition onto the dental chair. Another important consideration in dental procedures is the sharing of airway by anesthesiologist and dentist. Airway protection with a definitive airway is therefore mandatory. Since children with special needs constitute a significant cohort undergoing dental procedures under general anesthesia, the anesthetic plan must be tailored for a smooth emergence as well.
We hereby discuss the various perioperative concerns in providing anesthesia to children for dental procedures emphasizing the preoperative and intraoperative implications and prerequisites to provide safe anesthesia.
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