Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in the amount of time it took to exhibit positive behavior following dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA) vs conscious sedation (CS).
Methods: This retrospective study examined charts of a pediatric dental office between 1999 to 2003. Patients presenting before 36 months old for an initial exam who were diagnosed with early childhood caries were included in the study. Following the initial exam, the patients were treated under GA or CS. These patients were followed to determine their behavior at the 6-, 12-, and 18-month recoil appointments.
Results: Thirty-nine patients who received treatment under GA were identified and 41 were treated under CS. The former were 3.9 times (P < .01) (P = .0057) more likely to exhibit positive behavior at the 6-month recall appointment. Although not statistically significant, a trend toward positive behavior was exhibited at the 12- and 18-month appointments.
Conclusion: Clinicians should consider future behavior, in addition to caries, when determining treatment modalities for children presenting to their office with dental caries.