[Analysis of possible factors that impact parents to accept dental general anesthesia].

Purpose: To analyze the possible factors that impact parents to accept dental general anesthesia (DGA) in pediatric dentistry, thus provide some reference when a pediatric dentist suggests DGA technique to parents in clinical practice.

Methods: DGA technique was explained to 299 surveyed subjects (mother or father), and then the questionnaires were filled in. Parental acceptance rate was determined by a 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS). At the left end of the line appeared the words "completely acceptable" (0mm); at the right end of the line appeared the words "completely unacceptable" (100mm). Each parent placed a mark on the horizontal line at a point corresponding to their personal acceptance rating of the DGA technique. The acceptance rating of DGA was determined by measuring the distance on VAS line from the left end to the marked point by the subject. All statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 11.0 software package. Difference between parental acceptance rates of DGA was compared using X(2) test. The correlation between independent variables and the acceptance rate of DGA was analyzed using Spearman correlation test. The possible factors in this study were consisted of the age of the child, the frequency of dental visit for the child, the age of the parents, their educational level, monthly income and the evaluated score of the child cooperation degree.

Results: Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated that there was no correlation between the DGA acceptance rate and the age of the child, the age of the parents, educational level, and the frequency of dental visit for the child. For the surveyed mother, acceptance rate of DGA was positively related to the monthly income (r=0.21,P<0.05) and negatively related with the evaluated score of child cooperation degree( r=-0.137,P<0.05).

Conclusions: There is no correlation between the DGA acceptance rate and the age of the child, age of the parents, educational level and the frequency of dental visit for the child. There is different considerations from mother and father when choosing DGA.The major factors for mother to accept DGA was the income level and the status of children's cooperation.Adequate explanation of DGA to both father and mother should be emphasized. At present family income may be the most important factor for the lower acceptance rate of DGA technique in China.