Aktuelle Situation der zahnärztlichen Versorgung von Kindern in Allgemein- anästhesie in Deutschland und Österreich

Early childhood caries is the most common reason for treatment under general anaesthesia in young children. This signals that there is a need for treatment—starting in young children—which cannot be realised while awake using only local pain relief due to the age-related lack of ability or readiness for treatment. The use of general anaesthesia for dental restoration should therefore be considered to enable child-friendly dental care. Because there is little data available on dental treatment under general anaesthesia, data were collected in Germany and Austria using an online survey. Members of the German Society of Paediatric Dentistry (DGKiZ) and the Austrian Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ÖGKiZ) were surveyed. Analysis of the data makes it clear that there are insufficient resourses for children to receive prompt treatment under general anaesthesia. Furthermore, the current remuneration for anaesthesia does not cover the costs for anaesthetists, which does not simplify the situation.