Dentoalveolar oral surgery in children and adolescents: organization and surgical treatment in a large, Danish municipal dental service

Abstract

Objective: To describe a population-based organization of dentoalveolar surgical service for 0 to 18-year old subjects in a Danish municipal dental service, and analyze the type of dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed.

Material and methods: The study was conducted in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark during five consecutive school-years. An internal referral system was established within the municipality where patients could be referred to colleagues with a higher level of competencies and more experiences with paediatric dentoalveolar surgery. The analysis includes a total of 1812 children and a total of 2854 surgical interventions.

Results: Almost 80% of the patients, representing more than 80% of the dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed, were referred internally. Denudations were the most frequent treatment type (40.3%) carried out, followed by removal of third molars (18.0%). Furthermore, 22 odontomas and 100 supernumerary teeth were removed.

Conclusions: The need of dentoalveolar surgery in children and adolescents is relatively low, but includes a wide range of interventions. An organizational system, where dentists can refer to colleagues who have developed special competencies in this field, results in most of these surgical patients being referred and treated internally.

Keywords:

• Dentoalveolar surgery
• children
• organization
• analgesia
• sedation

Note

Acknowledgements

We would also like to thank Mikkel Als, Head of Administration, Municipal Dental Service, Aarhus, Denmark for kindly supplying the data presented in Table 1. The assistance of Janne Lytoft Simonsen, Research Librarian, MSc, PhD, Aarhus University Library, Health Sciences, Denmark is highly appreciated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The search was performed on 2nd June 2017. A complete account for the search strategy and the 47 studies identified can be obtained from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

The Association of Public Health Dentists in Denmark (DOFT) is acknowledged for financial support.