The Family Impact of Dental General Anaesthesia in Children: A Meta-analysis

Background: The health and well-being of children are intimately linked to their parents' physical, emotional, and social health and social circumstances.

Aim: To conduct a meta-analysis of studies that have used the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (COHRQoL) instruments, to evaluate the family impact scale (FIS) changes following their children's dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA).

Methodology: A systematic search was undertaken using the PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria consisted of patients below 16 years of age, DGA, pre- and post-operative assessments, and the use of ECOHIS and COHRQoL. FIS changes were the primary outcome measure, where the mean difference (MD) was calculated.

Results: After initial search of 105 studies in the database, twenty-one articles were included in the analysis. A positive outcome in the FIS changes was identified in all studies. The combined MD for FIS using ECOHIS and COHRQoL was 1.52 [95% CI: 1.15-1.89; P < 0.00001; I =87%] and 1.10 [95% CI: 0.68-1.52; P < 0.00001; I =79%], respectively.

Conclusions: Dental treatment with general anaesthesia for children had a significant positive impact on parental emotions, activity, and conflict. Following DGA, there was significant improvement in the FIS, with large MD.