Dentistry for Special Needs

The first article, "Risks of General Anesthesia for the Special Needs Dental Patient" by Messieha (2009) presented findings from the literature about the risk of dental rehabilitation with general anesthesia in patients with special needs, identifying the risks and benefits and how to assess these factors. The author began with an introduction to the topic, noting the safety of using general anesthesia for dental treatment as well as the risks associated with its use. The special needs patient population presents with more risk than other patients. Messieha listed factors that increase this risk and these, including advanced age, unstable systemic disease, physical limitations affecting physiological functioning, syndromes with abnormalities, pediatric patients with physical limitations or congenital disease, mental illness, cognitive impairment, and other complex medical conditions. These conditions were described with support fromm existing literature. The author also noted the need for a medical risk assessment prior to using anesthesia in the dental patient, to note special needs and limitations, with possible complications that might result.