Cross-sectional analysis of dental treatment under general anaesthesia in hospitalised Western Australian children in 2018-19

Objective To date, there has been little research that has comprehensively analysed dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA) at Perth Children's Hospital (PCH) for dental emergencies (dental pain and sepsis). This cross-sectional descriptive analysis of the PCH dental department analysed the demographic of children admitted and the type of treatment used, and assessed the cost. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive study analysing the dental records of patients ranging from 2 to 16 years of age at PCH in Western Australia. Of the 310 cases randomly selected from the 2018-19 study period, 202 were admitted for DGA. Two outcome measures were derived: cumulative count of treatment mix and cost analysis. Results The mean (+/- s.d.) age at the time of admission was 6.2 +/- 2.6 years and the mean (+/- s.d.) decayed (d/D), missing, (m/M) and filled (f/F) teeth (dmft/DMFT) was 2.1 +/- 0.8. Of the 429 teeth affected, 282 were molars. Treatments were grouped therapeutically; of the 856 treatments performed, 465 were extractions (54%). The total cost, consisting of direct and indirect costs, was A$313 823, and equated to an approximate mean (+/- s.d.) of A$1554 +/- 109 per case. Conclusion Untreated dental caries was the most common cause for hospital admission. Most cases presenting at the emergency department were young children (<7 years old) who underwent extractions under DGA. What is known about the topic? The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) was introduced to improve access and affordability to oral health care for children without private dental insurance. However, a significant number of children are still being admitted to hospital for emergency dental treatment. What does this paper add? Despite the availability of the CDBS, untreated dental caries remains one of the most common reasons for dental emergency in the PCH. What are the implications for practitioners? Not only are direct costs a burden on the health budget, but indirect and intangible costs also affect children and their families.