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Journals / International Journal of Health Management and Tourism / 2026 / Cilt: 11 Sayı: 2

Dental Care Under General Anesthesia for Individuals with Disabilities: Challenges in Children and Adults

Engelli Bireylerde Genel Anestezi Altında Diş Tedavisi: Çocuklar ve Yetişkinlerde Karşılaşılan Zorluklar

Tuğba Emine Beyhan(DUZCE UNIVERSITY)0000-0003-3021-124X
Gülcan Berkel(MARMARA UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-2466-8967
Şükrü Can Akmansoy(MARMARA UNIVERSITY)0000-0001-9542-9018
Gonca Mumcu(OKAN UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-2280-2931
Pages
253–272
Publication Date
2026-07-28
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Keywords: Dental care for persons with disabilities, General anesthesia, Treatment needs, Health services accessibility, Hospital information management systems

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Abstract Aim: The high prevalence of oral health problems and barriers to dental healthcare access constitute an important health inequity for individuals with disabilities.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: This retrospective study analyzed Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) records of 262 patients with disabilities who received dental health services under GA between March 2017 and March 2020.
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Conclusion & Impact:Keywords: Dental care for persons with disabilities, General anesthesia, Treatment needs, Health services accessibility, Hospital information management systems
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2017 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Engelli bireylerde dental bakım · genel anestezi · tedavi ihtiyaçları

Abstract

Abstract Aim: The high prevalence of oral health problems and barriers to dental healthcare access constitute an important health inequity for individuals with disabilities. This inequity becomes more pronounced in patients who cannot be treated in standard clinical settings and require general anesthesia (GA) for comprehensive dental care. This study aimed to evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical profiles, treatment needs, and service process indicators of children and adults with disabilities who received dental health services under GA at a faculty of dentistry. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) records of 262 patients with disabilities who received dental health services under GA between March 2017 and March 2020. Evaluated variables included GA sessions, waiting times, operation durations, medical consultation requirements, referral status, out-of-pocket payment status, and dental treatment needs. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Mann–Whitney U tests were performed. Results: Of the patients, 38.2% were children and 61.8% were adults. Their main diagnosis were neurodevelopmental disorders, diseases of the nervous system, and developmental anomalies. The presence of out-of-pocket payments (Children [C]: 11.0%; Adults [A]: 38.9%; p=0.000) and the rate of receiving multiple GA sessions (C: 1.0%; A: 22.2%; p=0.000) were higher in adults. Additionally, the duration of the first GA session was significantly longer in adults (C: 170 min; A: 195 min; p=0.039). The most common dental treatment needs under GA were restorative (91.0%) and surgical (88.0%) treatments in children, and periodontal (90.1%), restorative (87.2%), and surgical (66.0%) treatments in adults. Conclusion: Dental treatment needs under GA varied by age group, with a more comprehensive and complex treatment burden emerging among adults. Therefore, improvement of preventive applications and easily accessible dental care are the main domains for developing oral health policies for patients with disabilities. Keywords: Dental care for persons with disabilities, General anesthesia, Treatment needs, Health services accessibility, Hospital information management systems

Özet

Özet Amaç: Ağız sağlığı sorunlarının yüksek prevalansı ve diş hekimliği hizmetlerine erişimdeki engeller, engelli bireyler için önemli bir sağlık eşitsizliği oluşturmaktadır. Bu eşitsizlik, standart klinik koşullarda tedavi edilemeyen ve kapsamlı dental bakımı için genel anestezi (GA) gereksinimi olan hastalarda daha da belirgin hale gelmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bir diş hekimliği fakültesinde genel anestezi altında dental sağlık hizmeti alan engelli çocuk ve yetişkinlerin sosyodemografik ve klinik profillerini, tedavi gereksinimlerini ve hizmet süreci göstergelerini değerlendirmektir. Yöntem: Bu retrospektif çalışmada, Mart 2017 ile Mart 2020 tarihleri arasında genel anestezi altında dental sağlık hizmeti alan 262 engelli hastanın Hastane Bilgi Yönetim Sistemi (HBYS) kayıtları analiz edilmiştir. Değerlendirilen değişkenler arasında genel anestezi seansları, bekleme süreleri, operasyon süreleri, tıbbi konsültasyon gereksinimleri, sevk durumları, cepten yapılan ödeme durumları ve diş tedavisi gereksinimleri yer almaktadır. Tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Ki-kare ve Mann–Whitney U testleri uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Hastaların %38,2'sini çocuklar, %61,8'ini ise yetişkinlerden oluşturmaktadır. Temel tıbbi tanıları nörogelişimsel bozukluklar, sinir sistemi hastalıkları ve gelişimsel anomalilerdir. Cepten yapılan ödeme varlığı (Çocuklar [Ç]: %11,0; Erişkinler [E]: %38,9; p=0.000) ve birden fazla genel anestezi seansı alma oranı (Ç: %1,0; E: %22,2; p=0.000) yetişkinlerde daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Ayrıca ilk genel anestezi seansının süresi yetişkinlerde anlamlı derecede daha uzundur (Ç: 170 dk; E: 195 dk; p=0.039). Genel anestezi altında en sık görülen diş tedavisi gereksinimleri; çocuklarda restoratif (%91,0) ve cerrahi (%88,0) tedaviler iken, erişkinlerde periodontal (%90,1), restoratif (%87,2) ve cerrahi (%66,0) tedavilerdir. Sonuç: Genel anestezi altında diş tedavisi gereksinimleri yaş grubuna göre değişiklik göstermekte, yetişkinlerde daha kapsamlı ve karmaşık bir tedavi yükü ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu nedenle, koruyucu uygulamaların geliştirilmesi ve kolay erişilebilir diş bakımı, engelli hastalar için ağız sağlığı politikalarının oluşturulmasında temel alanları oluşturmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Beyhan, T. E., Berkel, G., Akmansoy, Ş. C., Mumcu, G. (2026). Dental Care Under General Anesthesia for Individuals with Disabilities: Challenges in Children and Adults. International Journal of Health Management and Tourism, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 2, 253–272. https://doi.org/10.31201/ijhmt.1970146

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