Community water fluoride cessation and rate of caries-related pediatric dental treatments under general anesthesia in Alberta, Canada

Objective This study examined the rate of caries-related dental treatments under general anesthesia (GA) in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Alberta, Canada, between 2010 and 2019. Methods This retrospective, population-based study included all children ( < 12 years of age) living in Calgary (non-fluoridated) and Edmonton (fluoridated) who underwent caries-related dental treatments under GA at publicly funded facilities. Demographics and dental data were extracted from health administrative databases for three time periods of 2010/11 (pre-cessation), 2014/15, and 2018/19 (post-cessation). Results Among 2659 children receiving caries-related treatments under GA, the mean (SD) and median (IQR) age were 4.8 (2.3) and 4 (3–6) years, respectively, and 65