Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41931349›Full record

ArticleMedicine2026

Dental treatment outcomes under general anesthesia in pediatric patients with and without autism spectrum disorder: A retrospective analysis.

Türkan Ünal, Fatma Nur Kizilay, Sami Erkan Ünal, Nigar Javadzade

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Türkan ÜnalAlanya Oral and Dental Health Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0001-5415-6084
Fatma Nur KizilayDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0001-6588-663
Sami Erkan ÜnalDenizli Oral and Dental Health Center, Denizli, Turkey.ORCID 0009-0004-7982-5423
Nigar JavadzadeDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan.ORCID 0009-0001-4992-0807

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study compared perioperative dental treatment outcomes under general anesthesia (GA) between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical peers, focusing on treatment duration, complication rates, and clinical predictors. This retrospective comparative study analyzed records of 160 children aged 5 to 12 years who underwent dental treatment under GA at a university hospital in Turkey (January 2023-May 2025). The ASD group (n = 80) included patients diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), while the control group (n = 80) comprised age- and sex-matched neurotypical children requiring GA due to cooperation difficulties. Data included demographic variables, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, caries indices (dmft/DMFT), GA and operative durations, types of procedures, and perioperative complications. Statistical analyses used the Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, and chi-square/Fisher exact tests, with multivariable regression to identify predictors. Effect sizes (Cohen d) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. ASD patients were older (8.20 ± 1.79 vs 5.27 ± 1.29 years, P < .001; Cohen d = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.38-2.20) and more often ASA II (64.2% vs 24.1%, P < .001). They had lower dmft but higher DMFT scores (P < .001). GA and treatment durations were shorter in the ASD group (GA: 120 vs 155 minutes, Cohen d = 0.75; treatment: 85 vs 130 minutes, Cohen d = 0.72; both P < .001), reflecting fewer treated teeth (11.5 ± 2.9 vs 14.1 ± 3.2; P < .001). Perioperative complications were higher among ASD patients (32.1% vs 7.6%; odds ratio = 5.7, 95% CI: 2.0-15.0; P < .001), most commonly bradycardia, nausea, and emergence agitation. Multivariable regression identified ASA II status and caries burden - but not ASD diagnosis - as independent predictors of prolonged GA and treatment times. Children with ASD had shorter GA durations but significantly higher perioperative complication rates. ASA II status and caries burden predicted longer operative times. These findings emphasize the need for ASD-specific perioperative protocols, preventive strategies, and multidisciplinary care.

Indexed as

Anesthesia, GeneralAutism Spectrum DisorderChildChild, PreschoolDental CariesFemaleHumansMaleOperative TimePediatric AnesthesiaPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeTurkeyautism spectrum disorderdental treatment under anesthesiageneral anesthesiapediatric dental care

Identifiers

PMID41931349
PMCPMC13052918

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.