Evaluation of parental satisfaction and improvement of oral health for uncooperative pediatric patients treated under general anesthesia in Queen Alia Military Hospital

Aim: The study explores parental satisfaction in paediatric dentistry, examining the impact of proposed variables on a paediatric cohort and their parents, and examining correlations between categorised variables and graded parental satisfaction.

 Methods: This study is a retrospective observational study at Queen Alia Military Hospital, involving 120 pediatric patients and their parents from January 2023 to November 2024. The participants were assessed for ineligibility for non-anesthetic procedures and parental consent was obtained. The study examined parental tested variables, including educational levels and periprocedural communication quality. Parental satisfaction levels were classified into three ordinal categories: poor, good, and excellent. The Dental Satisfaction Scale questionnaire was used to assess parental satisfaction. Chi-square analyses were used to evaluate the distributional rates across the three levels of parental satisfaction. Pearson correlations were also examined to examine the statistical significance of the variation in satisfaction levels.

Results: This study examined the satisfaction levels of pediatric patients who underwent dental procedures, focusing on extraction only, dual restoration with exodontia, or restoration with pulp therapy. The overall satisfaction rates were 6 (5%), 39 (32.5%), and 75 (62.5%), respectively. The gender distribution rates were insignificant, with 62 males (51.7%) and 58 females (48.3%) participating. The age distribution rates were insignificant, with 46.7% of patients under 6 years attending testing. This study examined five predefined variables related to post-procedural dental procedures in children. Four of these variables were related to the paediatric cohorts, while the fifth variable was the parental involvement. All variables showed significant correlations across parental satisfaction levels. The study found that post-procedural food consumption, sleep quality, and reintegration rates in social activities were positively correlated with parental satisfaction. However, recovery time had a negative correlation with parental satisfaction. The study also found a positive correlation between parental satisfaction and perioperative communication between the dental department and the parental cohort of paediatric patients undergoing dental procedures under anesthesia.

Conclusion: The study found that comprehensive dental rehabilitation for uncooperative children, along with post-procedural improvements in oral health, sleep quality, and social reintegration activities, significantly improved parental satisfaction levels and overall healthcare system quality.