Abstract: Objective:?To evaluate the impact of dental general anesthesia (DGA) under a chronic disease management (CDM) model on caries risk in children with severe early childhood caries (SECC). Methods:?Eighty SECC patients (aged 3–5 years) were enrolled. Cariostat test was used to assess cariogenic bacterial acid production before and after DGA. Plaque index and questionnaires (feeding habits, oral hygiene, etc.) were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression identified caries-related risk factors, and oral microenvironment changes were compared at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively. Results: feeding patterns, timing of nighttime weaning, pre-sleep eating habits, frequency of consuming sugary foods or beverages, age of starting toothbrushing, daily toothbrushing frequency, parental supervision of toothbrushing, use of fluoride toothpaste, maternal frequency of consuming sugary foods or beverages, maternal toothbrushing frequency, maternal flossing, and maternal caries count (P＜0.05). Cariostat scores significantly decreased at 3, 6, and 9 months post-DGA (P＜0.05). Plaque index positively correlated with caries risk (P＜0.001). Conclusions:?DGA combined with CDM effectively reduces caries activity in SECC patients, but long-term follow-up is needed to assess sustainability.

Key words: chronic disease management, severe early children caries, dental general anesthesia, Cariostat method