ASDC journal of dentistry for children
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Comparative Study
Comparing the behavior of children treated using general anesthesia with those treated using conscious sedation.
This study compared the dental behavior of young children previously treated using general anesthesia (GA) with those treated with conscious sedation (CS). The sample included healthy children, two to four years of age, treated in private practice. The general anesthesia group included twenty-four children (mean age at time of treatment = 31 months) who were evaluated twelve to thirty-six months later (mean = 25 months). ⋯ Seventeen percent of the children reported being afraid of the dentist in the general anesthesia group and 20 percent in the conscious sedation group. In both groups, fewer than 10 percent of the parents reported that they felt their child was traumatized by the initial dental treatment. The results support the hypothesis that there is no difference in the expected future dental behavior or anxiety of children who experience conscious sedation compared with general anesthesia for dental treatment at a young age.