2003-15-1-17-21 - Saudi Dental Journal

ISSN (Print) 1013-9052
EISSN 1658-3558

The Saudi Dental Journal,
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Tel.	966-1-467-7328
Fax.	933-1-467-7308 / 966-1-467-7534
Email	saudidj@ksu.edu.sa

Compliance of Saudi parents with follow-up preventive care

following dental treatment under general anesthesia

AlJohara A. Al-Hussyeen, BDS, CAGS (Pedo), MSc, DScD
Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University P.O. Box 5967, Riyadh 11432, KSA

The aim of this study was to investigate the compliance of Saudi parents in bringing their children to follow-up dental care visits after full-mouth rehabilitation treatment under general anesthesia (GA). A retrospective study was undertaken by reviewing 134 dental records of children treated under GA between the years 1990 and 2000 at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 76 males and 58 females. The ages of the children ranged from 2 to 17 years with a mean of 5.43 years. Seventy-four percent were healthy children and 26% had medical or developmental disability. Results showed that over half (53.7%) of treated children did not respond to follow-up dental care visits. Approximately 35% of children came for the post-operative visit, 29% came for the recall visit and only 18% of the treated children came for both visits. Results also showed that 68% of children who had space maintainers attended the post-operative visit while 57% of them came for the recall visit and both percentages were statistically significant (P<0.0001). Medical/developmental disabilities and place of residence were not found to be significant variables in parents' compliance with follow-up preventive dental care following GA. The findings of this study showed that a high percentage of Saudi parents did not comply with the recommended follow-up dental care visits.

Saudi Dental Journal 2003;15(1):17-21.