Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients

Background: Effective behavior management is vital in pediatric dentistry to ensure positive treatment in uncooperative children. General anesthesia (GA) and Inhalational sedation (IS) are some commonly used techniques, but an objective assessment tool is required to determine the most appropriate a...

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Main Authors: Sriram Swetha, Bagmar R. Mehul, Jayakumar Priya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-11-01
Series:Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212426825001940
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author Sriram Swetha
Bagmar R. Mehul
Jayakumar Priya
author_facet Sriram Swetha
Bagmar R. Mehul
Jayakumar Priya
author_sort Sriram Swetha
collection DOAJ
description Background: Effective behavior management is vital in pediatric dentistry to ensure positive treatment in uncooperative children. General anesthesia (GA) and Inhalational sedation (IS) are some commonly used techniques, but an objective assessment tool is required to determine the most appropriate approach. Objective: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Modified Mohan Scale in guiding the selection between GA and IS for pediatric dental patients. Methods: Thirty children aged 3–6 years were evaluated using the Modified Mohan Scale, which considers American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, treatment complexity, number of teeth affected, behavior during radiographic imaging, parental expectations, socioeconomic status, and Frankl's Behavior Rating Scale. Mann–Whitney U test was conducted after assessing normality with the Shapiro–Wilk test to compare the GA and IS groups. Results: Significant differences were found in the total Modified Mohan Scale scores between the GA and IS groups (p = 0.0001). Additionally, subscales related to the number of teeth requiring treatment (p = 0.011) and behavior during radiographic imaging (p = 0.029) showed prominent variations, with higher scores indicating a greater need for GA. Conclusion: The Modified Mohan Scale shows promising potential as a structured and consistent method for evaluating the need for GA versus IS in pediatric dental patients. The scale's application may support clinical decision-making and treatment planning. Future research with a larger sample size is recommended to validate its application for broader use.
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spelling doaj-art-7a528cf43e4340fc8cd8a2bc6c011ffa2025-08-20T05:06:44ZengElsevierJournal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research2212-42682025-11-011561311131510.1016/j.jobcr.2025.08.015Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patientsSriram Swetha0Bagmar R. Mehul1Jayakumar Priya2Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, 600 116, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, 600 116, Tamil Nadu, IndiaCorresponding author.; Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, 600 116, Tamil Nadu, IndiaBackground: Effective behavior management is vital in pediatric dentistry to ensure positive treatment in uncooperative children. General anesthesia (GA) and Inhalational sedation (IS) are some commonly used techniques, but an objective assessment tool is required to determine the most appropriate approach. Objective: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Modified Mohan Scale in guiding the selection between GA and IS for pediatric dental patients. Methods: Thirty children aged 3–6 years were evaluated using the Modified Mohan Scale, which considers American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, treatment complexity, number of teeth affected, behavior during radiographic imaging, parental expectations, socioeconomic status, and Frankl's Behavior Rating Scale. Mann–Whitney U test was conducted after assessing normality with the Shapiro–Wilk test to compare the GA and IS groups. Results: Significant differences were found in the total Modified Mohan Scale scores between the GA and IS groups (p = 0.0001). Additionally, subscales related to the number of teeth requiring treatment (p = 0.011) and behavior during radiographic imaging (p = 0.029) showed prominent variations, with higher scores indicating a greater need for GA. Conclusion: The Modified Mohan Scale shows promising potential as a structured and consistent method for evaluating the need for GA versus IS in pediatric dental patients. The scale's application may support clinical decision-making and treatment planning. Future research with a larger sample size is recommended to validate its application for broader use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212426825001940General anesthesiaInhalational sedationBehavior managementDental anxietyNitrous Oxide Sedation
spellingShingle Sriram Swetha
Bagmar R. Mehul
Jayakumar Priya
Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research
General anesthesia
Inhalational sedation
Behavior management
Dental anxiety
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
title Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
title_full Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
title_fullStr Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
title_short Assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
title_sort assessing the need for general anesthesia versus inhalational sedation using modified mohan scale in pediatric dental patients
topic General anesthesia
Inhalational sedation
Behavior management
Dental anxiety
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212426825001940
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