Comparing Oral Health Related Quality of Life for Children Before and After General Anesthesia

The purpose of this study was to compare oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) before and after general anesthesia (GA) for complete oral rehabilitation in children. The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) survey was administered to legal guardians of healthy pediatric patients seen for complete oral rehabilitation under GA at a university outpatient care center. The survey was administered again at the 6-month recall visit to assess any change in OHRQoL. Baseline and follow up scores were analyzed using paired samples t test. A total of 86 subjects completed baseline surveys. Thirty-three children returned for the 6-month follow-up visit. There was a significant difference in the ECOHIS scores prior to GA (Mean=27.15, SD=8.31) compared to after GA (Mean=18.94, SD=5.36) for complete oral rehabilitation; p<.001. There was a significant difference in the baseline Child Impact Score subdomain (Mean=17.89, SD=5.37) compared to the follow-up score (Mean=12.84, SD=3.54); p<.001. There was a significant difference in the baseline Family Impact Score subdomain (Mean=9.26, SD=3.97) compared to the follow-up score (Mean=6.09, SD=2.61); p<.001. OHRQoL significantly improved for both children and their families following GA for complete oral rehabilitation.