The aim of the present review was to identify the studies published on dental treatment under general anaesthesia for special-needs patients. A comprehensive search of the reported literature from January 1966 to May 2012 was conducted using PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Keywords used in the search were "dental treatment under general anaesthesia", "special-needs patients", "medically-compromised patients", and "children", in various combinations. Studies published only on dental treatment under general anaesthesia and in English were included. Only 10 studies were available for final analysis.
Age range from 1 to 50 years and restorative procedures were most prevalent. Only two studies discussed repeated general anaesthesia, with rates of 7.2% and 10.2%. Over time, the provision of general anaesthesia for special-needs patients has changed from dental clinics to general hospitals. The…
