Evaluation of dental treatments in adult patients with special needs: a retrospective study

Abstract

Objective: Patients with special needs are at a higher risk of inadequate oral care, leading to dental caries or periodontal diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to retrospectively analyze the dental records of patients with special needs who received dental treatments under general anesthesia or sedation. Methods: A total of 186 cases (170 patients) of dental general anesthesia and sedation in adult patients with special needs were included in the study from January 2015 to April 2022. Demographic data, restorative treatments, tooth extractions performed under general anesthesia/sedation, secondary diseases, type of anesthesia, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification were obtained from patient files. Data were recorded as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or numerical value. Results: Of the 186 cases (mean age 28.55 ± 11.91 years), 134 (72 %) were performed under general anesthesia and 52 (28 %) under sedation. A total of 396 fillings, 775 extractions, 14 root canal treatments, and 93 scaling procedures were performed in 186 cases. On average, each case received 5.5 ± 3.4 teeth fillings, 4.5 ± 4.0 teeth extractions, and 1.6 ± 1.0 root canal treatments. Patients were classified as ASA I (n = 100) at most and ASA III (n = 5) at least. Conclusion: Patients with special needs have a high demand for dental treatment. In dental treatment of patients with special needs under general anesthesia/sedation, dentists prefer radical treatments such as tooth extraction.