Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry
-
The goal of this study was to identify and quantify complications occurring with the administration of anesthesia for the dental treatment of patients with special needs. Anesthesia providers completed a standardized evaluation form, delineating possible complications for 202 consecutive ambulatory patients receiving anesthesia in a special needs clinic. Statistical analysis of four types of administered anesthesia showed that the overall complication rate was 23.8%. ⋯ Variables found to affect the incidence of anesthetic complications included ASA classification, anesthetic technique, Mallampati airway classification, and type of dental procedure performed. An evaluation of the results of the study showed that the majority of complications that occurred with anesthesia during care of patients with special needs were mild and did not lead to severe adverse events. Our findings show that anesthesia administered during dental treatment for patients with special needs is safe and effective.