Journal of the British Society of Special Care Dentistry
July 2025
Volume: 25
Issue: 2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63507/XTPG2004
Title: General anaesthesia in special care dentistry: service evaluation of a day case list in a tertiary hospital
Authors: Barrow H, Alsayer F
Abstract:
Introduction
General anaesthesia (GA) is often used in special care dentistry (SCD) to facilitate the delivery of dental care to those who are unable to receive it by other means. In 2022 new guidance was published by the British Society of Special Care Dentistry (BSSCD, formerly the British Society of Disability and Oral Health), relating to the use of GA in SCD (Geddis-Regan et al., 2022). This paper aims to review the data produced from an audit and service evaluation of the SCD GA service at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and discuss the challenges and considerations in providing dental care under GA to the SCD patient cohort.
Methods
A retrospective audit and service evaluation was conducted of SCD patients who had undergone GA for dental treatment between the two-year period from 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2023. Data was collected on domains that were informed by the guidance.
Results
The service evaluation provided information on patient demographics, processes and team involvement. The audit showed in cycle 1 that the standard was not achieved in all areas, this improved in cycle 2 due to action plan implementation.
Discussion
A consistent SCD GA service is delivered at UCLH that delivers well within the guidelines, with the majority of the audit areas achieving close to or at the required standard. Service evaluation data gives us further information on the patient population that allows tailored service development.
Key words: Special care dentistry, general anaesthetic.
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Articles from BSSCD Journal 25-2