• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 2015

Background: Patients were subjected to post-discharge follow-up (by telephone) in order to investigate the potential complications of outpatient general anesthesia or deep sedation that could develop in disabled dental patients discharged from the hospital. The ultimate aim of this study was to establish an appropriate response measure for such complications. Methods: The caregivers of 79 disabled patients who underwent dental procedures under general anesthesia at our outpatient clinic were interviewed over telephone. Necessary care instructions were provided during the phone calls when required. The patient satisfaction level regarding the telephonic follow-up care was surveyed by additional telephone calls. Results: Most of the patients did not suffer any serious complications; however, some reported fever and bleeding. The data obtained in this study can be utilized towards the development of caregiver education pertaining to the ambulatory general anesthesia of dental patients with disabilities. Conclusions: Additionally, we hope that the findings of this study will help minimize the effects of complications experienced by disabled dental patients undergoing ambulatory general anesthesia, as well as increase the overall patient satisfaction level.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.313-316
• /
• 2017

Mask ventilation, the first step in airway management, is a rescue technique when endotracheal intubation fails. Therefore, ordinary airway management for the induction of general anesthesia cannot be conducted in the situation of difficult mask ventilation (DMV). Here, we report a case of awake intubation in a patient with a huge orocutaneous fistula. A 58-year-old woman was scheduled to undergo a wide excision, reconstruction with a reconstruction plate, and supraomohyoid neck dissection on the left side and an anterolateral thigh flap due to a huge orocutaneous fistula that occurred after a previous mandibulectomy and flap surgery. During induction, DMV was predicted, and we planned an awake intubation. The patient was sedated with dexmedetomidine and remifentanil. She was intubated with a nasotracheal tube using a video laryngoscope, and spontaneous ventilation was maintained. This case demonstrates that awake intubation using a video laryngoscope can be as good as a fiberoptic scope.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.375-378
• /
• 2018

Endotracheal intubation is commonly associated with laryngeal injury that often resolves spontaneously without any complication. However, stenosis or granulomatous lesions are generally found on the tracheal wall or vocal process at the tube cuff level, caused by excessive cuff pressure. We present a case of fatal vocal cord granuloma leading to dyspnea following orthognathic surgery and sustained intubation for 14 hours.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.87-98
• /
• 2021

Patients with disabilities have difficulties tolerating in-office dental treatment due to limitations relating to cooperation and/or physical problems. Therefore, they often require general anesthesia or sedation to facilitate safe treatment. When deciding on dental treatment under general anesthesia, the plan should be carefully determined because compared to general patients, patients with disabilities are more likely to experience anesthetic complications because of their underlying medical conditions and potential drug interactions. Clinicians prefer simpler and more aggressive dental treatment procedures, such as extraction, since patients with impairment have difficulty maintaining oral hygiene, resulting in a high incidence of recurrent caries or restorative failures. This study aimed to review the available literature and discuss what dentists and anesthesiologists should consider when providing dental treatment to patients with severe disability under general anesthesia.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.205-211
• /
• 2014

Background: General anesthesia is a necessary method for successful dental treatment for children, compromised patients and the disabled who have difficulty in cooperation. The aim of this study was to assess dental treatment under general anesthesia at the department of pediatric dentistry, Ajou university hospital on children and the disabled. Methods: 217 general anesthesia from June 2010 to June 2014 were assessed for this study. Patient's distribution, treatment pattern, reasons for general anesthesia, distribution of combined operation, duration of anesthesia, treatment, frequency of general anesthesia and agents for general anesthesia were examined. Results: The proportion of male, the disabled were higher and above 19 years age group was the highest. Combined operation with otolaryngology was highest. Main reasons for general anesthesia were mental retardation for the disabled and uncooperative behavior for the non-disabled. Percentage of restorative treatment was the highest. Average anesthesia duration was 186 minutes and average treatment time was 143 minutes. Most of the airway was maintained by nasotracheal intubation and induction was done by sevoflurane. Conclusions: General anesthesia for dental treatment has been increasing for children, the disabled who have a difficulty of cooperation. The demand for dental treatment under general anesthesia is expected to continuously increase. Therefore, continuous research and studies should be done to establish efficiency and safety of general anesthesia and provide an enhanced environment for treatment.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2024

Background: Administering anesthesia in dentistry can be distressing for patients, especially those with dental fear and anxiety. Needle pain during local anesthesia is a common concern in intraoral procedures. This study aimed to compare pain perception in 4-6-year-old children following intraoral dental injections with 26- and 31-gauge needles. Methods: Fifty healthy children were divided according to age into Group I (N = 25; 4-5 years) and Group II (N = 25; 5-6 years). Each group was further subdivided according to the needle gauge as follows: Group IA (26 gauge), Group IB (31 gauge), Group IIA (26 gauge), and Group IIB (31 gauge). Using a lottery method, the gauge of the needle to be used at the first visit for local anesthesia administration was selected. Children's reactions to pain were evaluated using a Modified Behavioral Pain Scale. Immediately after administration of local anesthesia, pain perception was evaluated using the Faces pain rating scale. In the subsequent visit, another needle gauge was used to administer local anesthesia, and the previously described evaluations were performed. At the third appointment, the child was shown both syringes and asked to choose one of the syringes they preferred, and the choice was noted. Results: When local anesthesia was administered using a 31-gauge needle, pain perception was similar between the two groups. In group II, the children demonstrated significantly higher arm and leg movements (P = 0.001). However, the difference was significant in group I alone (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Irrespective of age, anesthesia with a 31-gauge needle resulted in significantly lower pain perception than anesthesia with a 26-gauge needle.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2018

General anesthesia is an effective behavior management method for disabled patients or uncooperative children who have difficulty in cooperation. The objective of this study was to assess and analyze dental treatment under general anesthesia in department of pediatric dentistry at Pusan National University Dental Hospital for 5 years. One hundred and nine cases of general anesthesia from June 2013 to May 2018 were surveyed for this study. Patients' distribution, reasons for general anesthesia, treatment pattern, agents for general anesthesia, duration of treatment, and visiting route were assessed. The proportion of male was higher than female and age group of 5 to 9 was highest. Reasons for general anesthesia were handicapped situations with or without systemic disease(52%), operative treatment needs(13.2%), uncooperative(15%) and others(29.8%). Most used agents for general anesthesia were thiopental sodium and sevoflurane. Dental treatment under general anesthesia for handicapped and uncooperative children has been increasing. Therefore, it is important to improve the system and efficiency of general anesthesia to provide satisfactory treatment.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.116-119
• /
• 2010

Trauma to the lips and tongue can occur by accidental self-biting after dental treatment. After local anesthesia, it is likely that the patient may feel painless even in biting the tongue. In case of young children and disabled patients, the dentists should be careful not to bite the tongue. In this report, we present a case of deep lingual laceration due to biting the tongue in the course of dental treatment under general anesthesia. A 33 year-old male was transferred to our hospital to treat tongue laceration. Before 2 hour on arrival, he had received dental care under general anesthesia at a dental hospital for the disabled because of cooperation difficulty and cerebral palsy. During recovery from general anesthesia, he tried to bite his own tongue involuntary. The doctors and nurses tried to prevent the patient from being injured. Despite these efforts, massive bleeding occurred from the injured sites of the tongue. Because we could not communicate with him, we decided to evaluate the extent of the injury and treat the injured sites under general anesthesia. The laceration wound was sutured for nearly 1 hr general anesthesia. During recovery we inserted mouth prop into the oral cavity to prevent further injuries from tongue biting. After full recovery from general anesthesia he didn't try to bite his tongue. After 4 hour admission, he was discharged without other complications.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.143-149
• /
• 2019

Background: Uncooperative behavior of children due to dental anxiety may interfere with the effective delivery of dental care and compromise the quality of treatment provided. Injection of local anesthesia is one of the most anxiety-inducing stimuli in pediatric dentistry. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of a child-friendly device, having a combined effect of vibration and distraction, with the conventional method of injection on pain, anxiety, and behavior of pediatric patients aged 6-11 years. Methods: This randomized, crossover, split-mouth study included 30 children requiring a bilateral inferior alveolar nerve block. The children were equally divided into two groups: group 1, aged 6-8 and group 2, aged 9-11 years. All children were injected with anesthesia using the conventional and device method in two separate sessions. They were assessed for anxiety by measuring the pulse rate before and during the administration of local anesthesia. Behavior was assessed using Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale, and the child's experience while receiving anesthesia was assessed using the Wong Bakers Pain Rating Scale. Results: Results showed that the children who received local anesthesia using the device method had a lower mean pulse rate, FLACC scores, and pain rating scores than those who received local anesthesia using the conventional method. Conclusion: The device method was more effective than the conventional method in managing pain, anxiety, and behavior of patients aged 6-11 years. The device is a cost effective, simple, and child-friendly product for administrating local anesthesia in pediatric patients.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 2022

Background: Injections are one of the most fear-provoking stimuli in dentistry. Painless administration of an injection is a vital step in alleviating anxiety, which in turn leads to good behavior in children. The aim is to evaluate and compare anxiety levels and pain perception using conventional, insulin, and deception syringes during the administration of local anesthesia in children. Methods: Forty-five children aged 6-12 were selected using a standard sample size formula and equally divided into three groups. Local anesthesia was administered using a conventional syringe to Group A participants and an insulin syringe for Group B participants. Group C participants were administered local anesthesia using a deception syringe by showing the patient disposable obturation tips, and eventually a conventional syringe was used for administration of local anesthesia after hiding them from the patient. Anxiety levels were assessed using Venham's Picture Scale and pulse rate at baseline and after administration of local anesthesia. The Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was used to assess pain perception after the administration of local anesthesia. Results: Insulin and deception syringes showed better reduction in anxiety levels and pain perception than conventional syringes, demonstrating a high statistically significant difference. Conclusion: The use of insulin and deception syringes for administration of anesthesia was demonstrated to be effective in alleviating anxiety in children and is therefore recommended as an alternative to conventional syringes.