30 March 2026

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Adverse Events in Pediatric Dentistry: An Exploratory Study

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Purpose

Existing studies on adverse events (AEs) in pediatric dentistry have been limited in scope. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive list of pediatric dental adverse events and assess their occurrences among pediatric dentists. This study developed the first inventory of pediatric dental adverse events.

Methods

Over a three-month period, semistructured interviews were conducted with domain expert pediatric dentists to develop a comprehensive list of AEs occurring in pediatric dentistry. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) members were invited to complete a validated 15-item survey about their experience with pediatric dental AEs. Data analysis was performed to determine the percentage of pediatric dentists experiencing AEs.

Results

A total of 193 pediatric dental AEs were identified through interviews and surveys; 1,042 AAPD members completed the survey (response rate equals 16.3 percent). The most common AEs experienced were post-treatment soft tissue trauma (86.1 percent), nicking/damaging of adjacent teeth (52.0 percent), and intraoperative soft tissue damage (47.1 percent). The least commonly experienced AEs were patients requiring CPR (0.5 percent) and patients aspirating materials (0.4 percent).

Conclusions

A significant proportion of pediatric dentists experienced adverse events, and a small but poignant number indicated that their patients faced moderate to severe AEs.

Authors: Calvo, Jean Marie, Obadan-Udoh, Enihomo, Walji, Muhammad, Kalenderian, Elsbeth 
Source: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/