Journal of Disability and Oral Health
- Cover Date:
- March 2010
- Print ISSN:
- 1470-8558
- Vol:
- 11
- Issue:
- 1
Patients’ and carers’ views of a Special Care Dentistry general anaesthetic service
Aims: To understand how a special care dentistry general anaesthetic service (SCD GA) was perceived by patients and their carers and to ascertain what additional information was required to assist carers in preparing their clients for dental treatment under general anaesthetic (GA). Method: A prospective audit was undertaken over six months of all (16) patients seen on the comprehensive care SCD GA Service at a general hospital. Demographic data were collected at the time of treatment and a telephone interview was undertaken 24-48 hours after treatment. Semi-structured, open questions were asked and data were analysed using simple counts and content analysis. Results: The SCD GA Service was well received. Themes emerged around: facilities, timing and duration of the service; assessments, consent and discussion of treatment options; lack of appropriate information and preparation for the hospital visit. Conclusions: Wide variation in the needs of patients on the SCD GA Service meant that a variety of different strategies were required to support the provision of treatment. Assessment of social care needs should be undertaken as part of the dental pre-GA assessment.
Key words: Patients’ / carers’ views, general anaesthetic, special care dentistry
- Article Price
- £15.00
- Institution Article Price
- £
- Page Start
- 10
- Page End
- 13
- Authors
- L Hopper, L Szymkowiak
Articles from this issue
- Title
- Pg. Start
- Pg. End
- Establishing a procedure for managing poor standards of oral care in vulnerable and dependent adults
- 14
- 16