An evaluation of the change in quality of life of children after dental extraction under general anaesthesia.

Objectives:
To assess the changes in the OHRQoL of preschool children who presented to the emergency department for dental conditions and underwent dental extractions under general anesthesia (GA).
Methods:
221 healthy preschool children, who had emergency dental extractions under GA, were recruited over a period of 12 months. The ECOHIS questionnaire was completed by the same parent or caregiver both prior to the GA and at the 2-week post-treatment visit. Data was analyzed using repeated ANOVA with adjustments for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni tests with the significance level set at 5%.
Results:
126 participants, with a mean age of 4.02 and a mean dmft score of 8.27 (SD = 4.13), completed the 2-week post-treatment questionnaires. The overall ECOHIS, CIS, and FIS scores decreased significantly (p<0.001) after emergency extractions under GA, demonstrating large effect sizes. The biggest decrease in prevalence after emergency dental extractions under GA was observed for the items of pain in teeth, trouble sleeping, being irritated or frustrated, difficulty drinking food, and parents being upset.
Conclusions: The OHRQoL of preschool children, who presented to the emergency department for dental conditions, was significantly improved following dental extractions under GA.