Appointment Adherence Following General Anesthesia In High-Risk Pediatric Dental Patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate post-operative follow-up appointment adherence following general anesthesia (GA) and its association with returning for preventive recall visits within 12 months . Methods: This retrospective chart review included all children (ASA I or II) who had GA completed Sep 1, 2020-Feb 28, 2021 in a post-graduate university-based surgical center. Demographics, post-operative follow-up adherence, and dental care received from the same clinic within 12 months following GA was collected. If patients returned, data were collected on caries recurrence and whether visits were preventive vs. emergency. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis (Chi-Square test) were used. Results: 256 children with a mean age of 4.8 years (SD 1.3) at the time of GA met inclusion criteria. One hundred and ninety-eight patients (77%) attended post-operative follow-up visits (mean=14.15 days after GA); 138 patients in this subgroup never returned for a subsequent recall visit. Among the total sample, 69 patients (27%) attended a preventive visit and 11 (4%) had an emergency appointment within 12 months. There was a significant association between attending a follow-up visit and receiving subsequent preventive care (P=.026). Conclusions: The majority of patients adhered with the post-operative follow-up visit, but most did not return within 12 months for preventive care. Families may deem GA as curative and undervalue the need for subsequent preventive care or may utilize GA for tertiary care and return to a community provider