Comparison of dental treatments performed under general anesthesia for healthy and disabled children

Background: This study aimed to assess and compare the type of dental procedures performed under general anesthesia for healthy and disabled children. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study evaluated 361 dental records of children who received dental treatments under general anesthesia in the operating room of Torabinejad Research Center during 2011-2013. Patients with mental or physical disability were categorized as disabled. The age and gender of patients, number of treated teeth, duration of general anesthesia, type of tooth, and type of dental treatment such as extraction, pulp therapy, placement of stainless steel crowns, composite restoration, preventive resin restoration (PRR), fissure sealant treatment, and fluoride therapy were separately recorded for the healthy group and patients with disability. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, and independent sample t-test at P < 0.05 level of significance. Results: Of 361 patients, 263 patients were healthy and 102 patients had disability. Of all disabled children, 48 had physical and 52 had mental disability. Among patients with physical disability, allergy (40), followed by cardiovascular diseases (26) were the most common. Mental retardation (54) followed by cerebral palsy (10) were the most common mental disabilities. Number of extracted teeth was significantly higher in disabled children (P = 0.006). Furthermore, disabled children received significantly lower PRR (P = 0.015), fissure sealant treatment (P = 0.003), fluoride therapy (P = 0.002), and pulp therapy (P < 0.001) compared with healthy children. Conclusion: Tooth extraction has a higher frequency in disabled children; while, attempts are made to preserve the teeth as much as possible in healthy children

What are the health needs, familial and social problems of Thai migrants in a local community in Australia? A focus group study

This study explored the health needs, familial and social problems of Thai migrants in a local community in Brisbane, Australia. Five focus groups with Thai migrants were conducted. The qualitative data were examined using thematic content analysis that is specifically designed for focus group analysis. Four themes were identified: (1) positive experiences in Australia, (2) physical health problems, (3) mental health problems, and (4) familial and social health problems. This study revealed key health needs related to chronic disease and mental health, major barriers to health service use, such as language skills, and facilitating factors, such as the Thai Temple. We concluded that because the health needs, familial and social problems of Thai migrants were complex and culture bound, the development of health and community services for Thai migrants needs to take account of the ways in which Thai culture both negatively impacts health and offer positive solutions to problems