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Sedation

52 - Pediatric Dentists’ Preferences and Rationale for Selection of In-Office Anesthesia Providers

Friday, May 23, 2025
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM MDT
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Abstract:

Purpose: To evaluate changes in pediatric dentists' utilization of anesthesia providers following the recognition of dental anesthesiology as a specialty in 2019.





Methods: A 16-item questionnaire was distributed to 6,588 U.S.-based pediatric dentists via SurveyMonkey, as listed by the AAPD. The survey assessed anesthesia provider types, selection rationale, and changes in attitude’s or utilization since 2019. Data were collected over three months and analyzed.





Results: The response rate was 8% (n=520). Among respondents, 65% (n=338) reported using general anesthesia (GA), with 47% (n=138) choosing dental anesthesiologists (DAs), 45% (n=134) medical anesthesiologists (MDs), and 8% (n=25) nurse anesthetists (NAs). Comfort levels were highest with MDs with pediatric fellowship training, followed by MDs, DAs, Oral Surgeons, and NAs. Key factors in provider selection included: training level (32%), access/availability (26%), and experience (25%). Other factors were dentist preference (8%), awareness of the oral cavity (6%), fees (2%), and patient/parent preference (1%). Pediatric dentists’ perceptions and comfort level with dental anesthesiology since specialty recognition, on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) was 3.09, and 3.07 respectively, reflecting a neutral stance. Since 2019, 36% (n=156) reported increased use of DAs, 11% (n=47) reported decreased use, and 53% (n=232) reported no change. Since 2019, pediatric dentists report utilization of dental anesthesia more, but there was no statistically significant relationship (P = .744) with the relative use of DA vs. MD’s.





Conclusion: While the recognition of dental anesthesiology has not significantly shifted utilization, training, availability, and performance remain key considerations in provider selection.

 

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