Clefts and Dental General Anesthesia: The South Thames Experience

Abstract

Background: Children with clefts have high dental needs and often require a dental general anesthesia (DGA) for the management of their dentition. Objective: To assess the number of children with clefts requiring a pediatric dental consultant led DGA in the South Thames Cleft Service over a 3-year period. Design: Data were collected retrospectively over a 36-month period. Results: Sixty-five children with cleft lip and/or palate required a DGA with the South Thames Cleft Service. The average age of the child was 7 years, and the average number of teeth treated under the general anesthetic was 9. Families traveled an average of 21 miles to access their child’s care, and the referral-to-treat time was on average 14 weeks. Conclusion: Results highlight the need for DGA provision for children with clefts. Cleft centers need sufficient capacity for this service to prevent long wait times, and in view of distances traveled shared, care should be implemented with local providers.