Patient Management
Kelsey Scott, DDS
Resident
Bon Secours - St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond,VA
Bon Secours - St. Mary's Hospital of Richmond, VA
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Elizabeth Berry, DDS, MPH, MSD
Bon Secours - St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond,VA
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Dennis Reinhartz, PhD
Bon Secours - St. Mary's Hospital, VA
Judy Reinhartz, PhD
Bon Secours - St. Mary's Hospital, VA
John H. Unkel, DDS, MD
Medical Director
Bon Secours - St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond,VA
Richmond, Virginia, United States
John H. Unkel, DDS, MD
Medical Director
Bon Secours - St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond,VA
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Elizabeth Berry, DDS, MPH, MSD
Bon Secours - St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond,VA
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of local anesthesia to children for dental extractions during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia improves post-operative recovery.
Methods: This randomized, single-blind controlled study includes pediatric patients aged 6 years and younger, who underwent full mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) under general anesthesia (GA), were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: 1) Periodontal ligament (PDL) injections of local anesthesia (2% lidocaine 1:100,000 epinephrine) were administered prior to dental extractions and 2) no intraoperative delivery of local anesthesia was completed during treatment. No systemic analgesics were administered to patients while under GA. Patient recovery was graded by Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurses immediately upon waking with the FLACC (Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) Scoring system and prior to discharge using the Wong-Baker FACES Scale.
Results: Eleven children were recruited for this study. The average number of primary teeth extracted per case was 4 (range = 1-7 teeth). Eighty percent of patients who received lidocaine had recorded FLACC scores of 0 immediately upon waking while control patients had elevated FLACC scores ranging from 1 to 10.
Conclusions: The current trend of the data suggests that intraoperative delivery of local anesthesia during pediatric FMDR under GA reduces children’s immediate post-operative pain. Additional patients must be included in the study to determine statistical support.