“Comprehensive dental rehabilitation of a mentally handicapped patient under general anaesthesia.”

Patients with mental and physical limitations often pose a challenge when presenting for dental treatment. Lack of cooperation, combative behavior and physical limitations can make conventional office-based dental treatment under local anesthesia very difficult and sometimes impossible. To avoid the risks of injury or excessive stress as well as the inability to provide high quality, well-delivered dental care, dentists often resort to the management of their special needs patients under general anesthesia. Dental anaesthesia is often underestimated and considered ideal for the less experienced practitioner. This perception has proved to be devoid of truth. The few studies that are present in literature support that general anesthesia for comprehensive dental treatment performed with appropriate medical care is safe and has shown remarkable results. This case report describes the management of an un-coperative mentally handicapped patient treated with multiple endodontic and restorative procedures under general anaesthesia in an established surgical setup.