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This study primarily sought to compare levels of child behaviour and parental anxiety during tooth extraction under inhalation sedation (IS) or general anaesthesia (GA). A prospective study was carried out within the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield, UK. The sample comprised 46 IS patients (mean age 11.5 years) and 48 GA patients (mean age 9.4 years) who attended the hospital for dental extractions. Child behaviour was assessed before, during and after treatment using a Frankl Scale. After treatment, parents completed a questionnaire, which sought a measure of parental anxiety before and during treatment, and parental satisfaction with the treatment outcome. Visual Analogues Scales (VAS) were employed to grade the responses. The majority of children complied well throughout their treatment, with no significant differences in parental assessment of child anxiety levels between IS and GA patients. However, GA parents were significantly more anxious than IS parents before and during treatment. About a third of GA parents reported they were worried about the risks of GA. Conclusion; It would appear that parents of children undergoing a GA are significantly more anxious about the treatment than IS parents. Furthermore, IS has been shown to be a viable alternative to GA in alleviating anxiety in children and their parents during tooth extractions. |
