Introduction: Maintaining good oral health may be more important for children with disabilities than others, since problems with oral health may increase the impact of a disability, or the medical condition may increase the risk for poor oral health. In addition, the risk for oral health problems may be influenced by the functioning of the child. Functioning can also affect the child’s ability to cooperate in the dental setting, and how dental treatment is performed. A medical diagnosis alone does not provide enough information about a child’s functioning, nor oral health. Thus, there is a need for a holistic perspective of oral health and dental health care in children with disabilities. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children and Youth (ICF-CY) enables a structured assessment of the biopsychosocial consequences of a health condition. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate how biopsychosocial factors relate to oral health and specialist dental health care in children with disabilities in a Swedish, and an international context, with special focus on the experience of dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA). Material and methods: The research was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative and descriptive design. An ICF-CY Checklist for Oral Health was completed with data from a structured interview with children 0-16 years old, referred for specialist dental health care, and their parents/carers. Additional information was retrieved from dental and medical records. Three groups were included in data analyses: one large international group of 218 children from Argentina, France, Ireland and Sweden; one large Swedish group with 99 children with complex disabilities; and one international group of children with disabilities and manifest dental caries from Argentina, France and Sweden. Results: The ICF-CY Checklist for Oral Health identified both common and varying functional, social and environmental aspects relevant for oral health and oral health care in children who had been referred to specialist dental clinics in four countries. Swedish children with caries experience had been referred to a paediatric dental specialist clinic at a significantly older age than caries-free children. The medical diagnoses were not significantly related to dental caries or child functioning in the large Swedish group with complex disabilities and low caries prevalence, nor was there a significant relationship between dental caries and child functioning. Collinearity between dental caries and problems in the functioning factor ’Interpersonal interactions andrelationships’ was observed in the international group of children with disabilities and manifest dental caries. DGA sessions with combined medical and dental treatment were common in the large Swedish study group. Children with experience of DGA had more severe problems in intellectual functions than those without experience of DGA. Problems in interpersonal interactions and relationships increased, while problems with mobility decreased, the likelihood for children having had experience of DGA. On international group level, dmft/DMFT was significantly higher in children with the experience of DGA than in those without DGA experience, but looking at Argentina, France and Sweden separately, this was not true for the Swedish children. There were significant, international differences between the prevalence of dmft/DMFT, DGA and environmental barriers. Conclusion: The biopsychosocial perspective, operationalised by the ICF-CY, contributes a holistic view on oral health and specialist dental health care in children with disabilities. In addition to certain differences, children with different health status from different countries share many functional and environmental aspects, important for oral health and dental health care. Early referral to a paediatric specialist dental clinic seemed favourable for oral health. The medical diagnosis was not related to child functioning or dental caries. Child functioning had a significant impact on DGA, and in children with disabilities and manifest dental caries, child functioning also had a correlation with caries. The dental caries burden was a stronger factor than functioning for the experience of DGA, however, dental health organisation and country context seemed to matter the most. Combining dental and medical procedures during the same GA session is good use of resources for both the individual and the society. To ensure children with complex disabilities to have the possibility of achieving equivalent good oral health as other children, DGA is one important factor.

Abstract General anaesthesia (GA) is a widely used sedation method in dentistry. It is usually used for patients with an extensive dental treatment need, most often related to dental caries, and limited coping skills to consider conventional dental care. These patients are often small children or persons with dental fear. Using dental general anaesthesia (DGA) is expensive, special equipment and trained staff are needed, and it is not without risks for patients. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with children’s DGA. In addition to dental caries and dental fear, general health status, oral health behaviours, family-related factors, as well as dental attendance after DGA were in focus. The thesis is composed of five independent studies. There were three different study populations ‒ one in specialised and two in primary health care. There was also an age- and gender-matched comparison group for one of the study populations. Questionnaires were used in three of the studies, and two of the studies were based on patient files. According to the results, DGA is more common among medically compromised children than among healthy children. Medically compromised children have more often a history of DGA treatments compared with their healthy peers. Dental caries and dental fear were the main reasons for DGA in all of the studies. Dietary and drinking habits, as well as oral hygiene behaviours were distinctly poorer among children undergoing DGA than among those treated in a normal dental setting. A history of DGA in the family, a large number of siblings and male gender were important background factors associated with DGA. Patients treated under DGA were prone to miss or cancel their upcoming appointments. In conclusion, DGA is necessary in some cases, but it could be avoided if factors associated with DGA were taken into account in treatment plans. DGA in itself does not have an enhancing effect on oral health over the long term. / Tiivistelmä Yleisanestesia on hammashoidossa yleisesti käytetty sedaatiomenetelmä vaikeahoitoisille potilaille. He ovat usein pieniä lapsia, hammashoitopelkoisia tai sellaisia potilaita, joiden hoidontarve on liian laaja ja haastava tavanomaiseen hammashoitoon. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää lasten nukutushammashoitoon liittyviä tekijöitä. Karieksen ja hammashoitopelon lisäksi tutkimuksen kohteena oli yleisterveydellisiä seikkoja, suunterveystottumuksia, perheeseen liittyviä tekijöitä sekä hammashoitopalvelujen käyttö nukutushammashoidon jälkeen. Tämä väitöskirja koostuu viidestä erillisestä osajulkaisusta. Tutkimusjoukkoja oli kolme: yksi erikoissairaanhoidosta ja kaksi perusterveydenhuollosta. Yhdelle tutkimusjoukolle oli ikä- ja sukupuolivakioitu vertailuryhmä. Kyselylomakkeita käytettiin kolmessa osajulkaisussa ja kaksi osajulkaisua perustui potilaspapereihin. Nukutushammashoito oli yleisempää yleissairailla kuin terveillä lapsilla. Yleissairailla lapsilla oli myös useammin nukutushammashoitohistoriaa kuin terveillä lapsilla. Karies ja hammashoitopelko olivat pääsyyt nukutushammashoitoon kaikissa tutkimuksissa. Juoma- ja ruokatottumukset, kuten myös suuterveystottumukset, olivat selkeästi huonommat nukutushammashoidossa hoidetuilla lapsilla kuin niillä lapsilla, jotka hoidettiin normaalisti hereillä. Perheen nukutushammashoitohistoria, suuri määrä sisaruksia ja miessukupuoli olivat merkittäviä nukutushammashoitoon yhteydessä olevia tekijöitä. Nukutushammashoidossa hoidetut potilaat jättivät usein tulematta nukutushammashoidon jälkeisille hammashoitokäynneilleen tai peruivat aikansa. Nukutushammashoito on välttämätön tietyissä tilanteissa, mutta se voitaisiin välttää, jos siihen liittyviä tekijöitä huomioitaisiin paremmin hoitosuunnitelmissa. Nukutushammashoidolla sinänsä ei ole suunterveyttä parantavaa pitkäaikaisvaikutusta.

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / AIM:The aim of this study was to review the data available from the Department of Health(DOH), on pre-school paediatric patients treated under Dental General Anaesthesia(DGA), at public health facilities in the Western Cape (WC) in order to ascertain the type and nature of treatment provided.METHODOLOGY:This retrospective descriptive study reviewed the records on the Department of Health(DoH) Database of 16 732 pre-school patients treated under dental general anaesthesia in the period 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2007. A questionnaire was also completed telephonically with 22 dentists from the district dental health clinics.Summary descriptive statistics were calculated from data collected and comparisons were drawn between services available at the health districts and academic hospitals.RESULTS:Of the 58 255 procedures recorded for pre-school patients in the district health clinics in the Western Cape, 99.94% were for extractions provided and 0.5% for restorations.The average number of teeth extracted was 10.4 (SD ±3.9).The average rate of DGA per 1000 of the population was 1.06. Only 9% (2) of dentists at district clinics reported that pre-DGA prevention was provided and 5% (1) reported including post-DGA prevention. The Academic Hospital at Tygerberg Oral Health Centre was the only facility in the Western Cape that provided comprehensive dental treatment for pre-school patients which included restorations, extractions, pre and post DGA prevention. Red Cross Children’s Hospital provided treatment for pre-school patients under DGA that included extractions, pre- and post DGA, but no restorative treatment. CONCLUSION:The demand for DGA in pre-school patients in the WC was high. The lack of prevention associated with DGA in the public health service is the most likely reason the retreatment rate under DGA was reported by dentists as being 77%. There was an absence of protocol regarding DGA for pre-school patients in the public health service.RECOMMENDATIONS:Guidelines formulated were recommended for use in the public service for pre-school patients being treated under DGA and includes the provision of preventive interventions such as regular topical fluoride applications, oral hygiene instruction and dietary advice.