Specialised dental care for children with complex disabilities focusing on child's functioning and need for general anaesthesia

PURPOSE: To describe and analyse dental care and treatment modalities for children with complex disabilities from a biopsychosocial perspective, with special focus on dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA) and its relationship to child's functioning. METHOD: An ICF-CY Checklist for Oral Health was completed using structured interview, direct observations, and dental records for patients attending a specialist paediatric dentistry clinic. Descriptive and comparative data analysis was performed. Performance qualifiers from the ICF-CY component Activities and participation were used to calculate functional factors. RESULTS: Median referral age was 1.5 years and the majority were referred by their paediatrician. Almost all visited a dental hygienist regularly. Dental treatment under GA was common and was combined in 78% of sessions with medical treatment. Children with limitations in their interpersonal interactions and relationships were most likely to have dental GA. CONCLUSION: Children without caries experience had been referred for specialist dental care at an earlier age than children with caries experience. GA was a common treatment modality and dental and medical treatments were coordinated under the same GA for a majority of children. By using the ICF-CY, it was possible to identify functional limitations characterising children with disabilities that require dental treatment under GA. Implications for Rehabilitation Early referral to a specialist in paediatric dentistry is valuable for oral disease prevention in children with disabilities. Availability of dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA) is also important. Combining dental and medical interventions during the same GA session optimises resources both for the individual and for the health organisation. Children with limitations in interpersonal interactions and relationships are more likely to need dental treatment under GA than other children