General Anesthesia Versus Moderate Sedation: Factors Affecting Caregivers' Decision

Purpose: The purpose was to examine factors influencing caregivers’ decisions to select general anesthesia (GA) or moderate sedation (MS) for their child's dental treatment. Factors included demographic information, extent of treatment, missed days from work/school, cost, child’s behavior, and dental knowledge. Methods: Staff distributed a 44-item survey in English or Spanish to caregivers who presented for GA or MS appointments for their children. Inclusion criteria were caregivers of children 2 to 10 years of age who were healthy or had mild health conditions. Results: One hundred thirty surveys met the inclusion criteria; 74 from the MS group and 56 from the GA group. Demographic characteristics did not differ between groups. Parental knowledge of MS was higher for GA group (P=0.02). Neither group reported having a high level of knowledge of either MS or GA. Other factors were valued as more important than the cost of treatment and the number of days the child would miss from school. Conclusion: There is an association between caregivers having more knowledge about MS and preferring treatment to be completed under GA. Although other factors may be important, there was no difference between the groups. This indicated that decision-making might rely heavily on providers’ recommendations.