Article information
Year 2021 Volume 71 Issue 3 Page 222-230
Title:
Adverse Events in Pediatric Dental Care Part 2: During Treatment
Keyword(s):
Dental treatment, Children, Adverse event
Abstract:
This study aimed to collect adverse events happening during pediatric dental care. The article part 1 has described non-treatment related adverse events, whereas this article presented treatment-related adverse events during treatment. A survey of the dentists who were taking care of child patients was performed using a questionnaire asking their direct experience on any kind of adverse events throughout their working period but within the past 10 years. Experiences on body wounds/injury and soft tissue irritation that were related to dental treatment were asked. Percentage and frequencies on their experienced cases, as well as types of dental objects and parts of body involved, were described. Association between factors of the respondents and their experiences of cases was assessed by Chi-square and logistic regression. Among 390 respondents, 89.23 % experienced any kind of body wounds/injury during pediatric dental treatment (95 % confidence interval (CI), 86.15-92.31): burs, mouth gag and needle of syringe were the top three of most common instruments involved. Soft tissue irritation was reported by 179 respondents (45.90 % with 95 % CI, 40.95-50.85): prophylaxis paste/pumice and etchant were most commonly reported. Lip and eye were parts of body that were most frequently involved in adverse events. No other association between experiences on soft tissue irritation and the dentists’ demographic data was found, whereas dentists working in private hospitals and clinics tended to experience fewer body wounds/injury during dental treatment than those in public hospitals and dental schools (odds ratio: 0.43, p=0.016). The study indicates that many kinds of adverse events actually occur during pediatric dental care. Protective equipment, such as rubber dam and protective eye-glasses, can be useful, if possibly applicable. Awareness and culture of patient safety should be raised among dental professionals.