Dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic

Some Australians receive dental care under general anaesthesia, usually due to the severity of the disease or other medical, physical or behavioural complications. Dental care under general anaesthetic carries an additional risk and is resource intensive.

In Australia, the age-standardised rate of hospital separations for dental conditions requiring general anaesthetic has remained relatively stable between 2010–11 and 2021–22, ranging from a low of 4.9 per 1,000 population in 2019–20, a year affected by COVID-19, to a high of 6.1 per 1,000 population in 2020–21. The rate in all other years remained relatively stable ranging from 5.5 per 1,000 population to 5.9 per 1,000 population.

In 2021–22, the rate of hospital separations for dental conditions requiring general anaesthetic was 5.7 per 1,000 population

  • In 2021–22, the age-standardised rate of hospital separations for dental conditions requiring general anaesthetic (per 1,000 population) was highest in Western Australia (7.9 per 1,000 population) and lowest in the Northern Territory (2.9 per 1,000 population).
  • In 2021–22, there were around 139,000 separations requiring general anaesthetic for procedures related to dental conditions.

Explore the number or rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic across Australia between 2010–11 and 2021–22 using the Hospitalisations interactive 7 below.

This figure shows the number and rate of hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia for procedures related to dental conditions. National, state and territory data is presented for 2010–11 to 2021–22. In Australia, there were 138,932 hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia for procedures related to dental conditions in 2021–22.

See Data tables: Hospitalisations for data tables.

In 2021–22, the rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic (per 1,000 population) was highest in those aged 15–24 years (15.0 per 1,000 population)

  • In 2021–22, the rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic (per 1,000 population) was lower in males (5.0 per 1,000 population) than females (5.8 per 1,000 population).
  • In 2021–22, the rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic (per 1,000 population) was lower in Very remote areas (4.3 per 1,000 population) than any other area.

Explore the number or rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic by selected characteristics using the Hospitalisations interactive 8 below.

This figure shows the number and rate of hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia for procedures related to dental conditions, by selected characteristics. National data is presented for each year, for 2016–17 through to 2021–22. In Australia, there were 5.4 per 1,000 population hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia for procedures related to dental conditions in 2021–22.

See Data tables: Hospitalisations for data tables.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of the Australian health system, including the provision of dental care services (refer to Impact of COVID-19 on dental services for more detail).

The rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic has fluctuated over time, from a low of 4.9 separations per 1,000 population in 2019–20, a year affected by COVID-19, to a high of 6.1 separations per 1,000 population in 2020-21.

In 2021–22, the rate of hospitalisations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic was 5.7 per 1,000 population

Between 2016–17 and 2021–22, the rate of hospital separations for dental procedures requiring general anaesthetic was consistently higher for:

  • females than males
  • Other Australians than Indigenous Australians
  • those living in Major cities than those living in Very remote areas.

Explore the trend of potentially preventable hospitalisations due to dental conditions using the Hospitalisations interactive 9 below.

This figure shows the number and rate of hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia for procedures related to dental conditions, by sex, remoteness and indigenous status. National data is presented for each year, for 2016–17 through to 2021–22. The rate of hospital separations requiring general anaesthesia fluctuated over the period from 2016-17 to 2021-22, from a low of 4.9 per 1,000 population in 2019–20 to a high of 6.1 per 1,000 population in 2020-21.

See Data tables: Hospitalisations for data tables.

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