Introduction: Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) can be at increased risk of unmet dental services. Dental treatment under General Anesthesia (GA) may be a safe and effective treatment for CSHCN. Assessing Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of CSHCN could enable the evaluation of the oral health state and treatment efficiency after oral rehabilitation under GA.
Objectives: To assess change in oral health related quality of life among children with special health care needs before and after oral rehabilitation under general anesthesia.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample of 47 parents/caregivers of CSHCN who were scheduled for oral rehabilitation under GA at the Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University. Parents/caregivers responded to a self-completed Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (COHQoL). It consisted of Parental- Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) and Family Impact Scale (FIS) which, was completed before and at 1 month after the oral rehabilitation.
Results:The impact on OHRQoL was reportedly negative before oral rehabilitation under GA but it improved significantly (p=0.001)in all aspects postoperatively with overall scores for P-CPQ section ranged from 12.0 to 45.0 and a mean of 30.2± 7.7 preoperative and it declined post-operatively to range from 0.0 to 39.0 and a mean of 15.9± 11.4. For FIS section scores ranged from 3.0 to 23.0 and a mean of 13.9± 4.5 preoperative and declined post-operatively to range from 0.0 to 21.0 and a mean of 7.3± 6.0.
Conclusions: Oral rehabilitation of CSHCNs under GA markedly improved their OHRQoL as well as their families.