The use of general anesthesia for dental treatment of children with special healthcare needs in Alberta, Canada.

Background: Children with special healthcare needs (SHCN) often require specialized interventions due to their disabilities. Dental general anesthesia (DGA) is a treatment modality, which improves their access to care but concerns about repeated DGAs persist.

Aim: This study investigated DGA utilization in children with SHCN and identified factors associated with multiple DGAs in Alberta, Canada (2010-2020).

Community water fluoride cessation and rate of caries-related pediatric dental treatments under general anesthesia in Alberta, Canada.

Objective: This study examined the rate of caries-related dental treatments under general anesthesia (GA) in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Alberta, Canada, between 2010 and 2019.

Methods: This retrospective, population-based study included all children ( 12 years of age) living in Calgary (non-fluoridated) and Edmonton (fluoridated) who underwent caries-related dental treatments under GA at publicly funded facilities. Demographics and dental data were extracted from health administrative databases for three time periods of 2010/11 (pre-cessation), 2014/15, and 2018/19 (post-cessation).