Criteria for Treatment of Children Under General Anesthesia by Pediatric Dentists and Parents
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Criteria for Treatment of Children Under General Anesthesia by Pediatric Dentists and Parents THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Elizabeth Sutton Gosnell DMD Graduate Program in Dentistry The Ohio State University 2011 Master's Examination Committee: Professor Sarat Thikkurissy DDS, MS, Advisor Professor Dennis McTigue DDS, MS Professor Megann Smiley DDS, MS Professor Simon Prior DDS, MS Copyright by Elizabeth Sutton Gosnell 2011 Abstract Purpose: As of 2011, 70% of all states (35/50) have legislation outlining criteria for the use of general anesthesia (GA) to manage early childhood caries (ECC). Criteria are inconsistent, with varying age, health and disease requirements. The purpose of this study was to compare parental and pediatric dentist criteria for treatment of dental disease under GA. Method: This case cohort series surveyed caregivers at both a large urban tertiary hospital and also at a suburban private pediatric dental practice. Caregiver responses were compared to results from an electronic survey sent to Board-certified members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Results: Data were collected from 195 parents 631 dentists. Parents believe that children (a) from ages 3-4, (b) with 2-4 carious teeth or (c) requiring 2-4 extractions or restorations all immediately qualify for GA; all significantly different (P<.0001) from surveyed dentists, who felt the above did not provide a solely adequate criteria. Thirty- two percent of parents felt that a developmental delay automatically qualified a patient ii for GA, significantly more than the 12% of dentists (P<.0001). Parents and dentists did agree that a behavior problem at any age qualified a patient for GA (P=<.78). When asked “who was most qualified to determine appropriateness for treatment of dental cavities under GA?” both parents and dentists ranked dentists first, and insurance companies last. However, parents ranked themselves above physicians, while dentists ranked physicians higher. This difference was significant (P<.0001). Pediatric dentists report they consult the AAPD guidelines first when considering a child for general anesthesia, followed by state legislation and insurance company reimbursement last. Fifty-five percent of pediatric dentists report they have delayed urgent/ emergent care waiting for insurance pre-authorization. Conclusion: Board certified pediatric dentists were less likely to have specific tooth number or disease-criteria for GA than parents. Most pediatric dentists referred to the AAPD guidelines for GA, with less than 10% citing state legislation as their first choice. Twenty-seven percent of parents felt they were most qualified to request GA, while 11% of parents felt physicians were most qualified. iii Dedication This document is dedicated to my husband William who has shown me boundless love and unwavering support through this entire process. iv Acknowledgments Thank you to my entire thesis committee who has given me support and guidance through the entire thesis process. A special thank you to my thesis advisor for keeping me focused and giving me constant support and encouragement. v Vita May 2001 .......................................................Dutch Fork High School 2005................................................................BS Chemistry, University of South Carolina 2009................................................................DMD, Medical University of South Carolina 2009 to present ..............................................Pediatric Dental Resident, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children‟s Hospital Fields of Study Major Field: Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………xii Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1: Dental Caries in Children: Epidemiology and Morbidity…………………….............1 1.2: Treatment Modalities for Dental Disease in Children- General Anesthesia…………7 1.3: Determining "Appropriateness" of General Anesthesia for Dental Rehabilitation......8 1.4: Impact of the Dental Home on GA Utilization……………………………………...11 1.5: State Legislation and Insurance Coverage for Dental Rehabilitation under GA……13 Chapter 2: Methods………………………………………………………………………16 Chapter 3: Results……………………………………………………………………….17 3.1: Pediatric Dentists- Demographics…………………………………………………..17 vii 3.2: Use of Sedation/ General Anesthesia among Pediatric Dentists……………………18 3.3: Resources Utilized by Pediatric Dentists……………………………………………19 3.4: Patient Specific Criteria for GA use in Children……………………………………20 3.4a: Age…………………………………………………………………………………20 3.4b: Minimum Number of Teeth………………………………………………………..20 3.4c: Patient Health Status…………………………………………………….................21 Section 5: Parents- Demographics……………………………………………………….22 3.5a: Analysis by Ethnicity………………………………………………………………22 3.5b: Analysis by Education……………………………………………………………..22 3.5c: Analysis by Recruitment Site………………………………………………………23 3.6: Parental Concern for General Anesthesia…………………………………………...23 3.7: Appropriateness of General Anesthesia for Children……………………….............24 Chapter 4: Discussion……………………………………………………………………38 4.1: Current use of General Anesthesia………………………………………….............38 4.2: Decision to use General Anesthesia…………………………………………………42 4.3: Location for the provision of GA…………………………………………………...45 4.4: Parents- Patient specific criteria for GA…………………………………………….46 4.5: Influence of Demographics and Location…………………………………………...48 4.6: Finances of going to GA…………………………………………………………….49 4.7: Parent Data Finding: 'Don't Know'………………………………………………….50 4.8: Appropriateness of GA for Children………………………………………………..50 4.9: Analysis of State Legislation………………………………………………………..51 viii 4.10: Analysis of Study………………………………………………………….............52 References……………………………………………………………………………….54 Appendix A: General Anesthesia State Legislation……………………………………..57 Appendix B: Dentist Survey…………………………………………………………….70 Appendix C: Parent Survey……………………………………………………………...74 ix List of Tables Table 1. Pediatric Dentist demographics……………………………………………….25 Table 2. Use of Sedation/ GA use among Pediatric Dentists…………………………..26 Table 3. Rank the following in order from highest priority to lowest priority when considering GA for dental treatment………………………………………….28 Table 4. Pediatric Dentists: When a child has suffered trauma, which of the following do you consider before the child is put under general anesthesia for dental treatment? Rank the following in order of most important (1) to least important (4) in consideration………………………………………………………………28 Table 5. Pediatric dentists: Patient specific responses………………………………….29 Table 6. Pediatric Dentists: What do you consult when considering GA for treatment? Rank the following from most important (1) to least important (3)……………31 Table 7. Parental demographics…………………………………………………………31 Table 8. Parental responses……………………………………………………………..32 Table 9. Parental responses- qualifier questions……………………………………….35 Table 10. Pediatric Dentists- Which of the following groups is most qualified to determine the appropriateness of general anesthesia for treatment of dental caries/ cavities? Rank the following from most appropriate (1) to least x appropriate (4)…………………………………………………………………37 Table 11. Parents- Which of the following groups is most qualified to determine the appropriateness of general anesthesia for treatment of dental caries/ cavities? Rank the following from most appropriate (1) to least appropriate (4)………..37 xi List of Figures Figure 1. Early childhood caries morbidity and mortality pyramid……………………...3 Figure 2. Multifactorial model of early childhood caries………………………………...6 xii Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1: Dental Caries in Children: Epidemiology & Morbidity Dental caries remains the most common chronic childhood disease, with an estimated prevalence five times that of asthma6. A hallmark of modern-day dental disease is a notable disparity in prevalence, with eighty percent of dental caries being localized in 25% of children. The majority of these children are from families of lower socioeconomic status. Dental caries prevalence has been associated with age, income, and minority status6, 32. It has been estimated that approximately 20% of preschoolers, 50% of second graders, and 67% of ninth graders have experienced tooth decay6. Data from the 1999-2004 The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicated the prevalence of dental caries for children 2-5 years old increased from 24% in 1988-1994 to 28% in 1999-2004. The survey also indicated that 72% of decayed or filled tooth surfaces (dft) remain untreated18. In the 1988-1994 NHANES data, two-year old children defined as being in poor