ABSTRACT Background Same‐day cancellations in pediatric dental sedation disrupt care delivery and lead to inefficient use of healthcare resources; however, their frequency and associated factors are underreported. Aim To quantify same‐day cancellation frequency and examine associations with potentially modifiable factors, including age and sedation session time, in relation to inadequate fasting and recent upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms. Design This single‐center retrospective study reviewed children aged 2–14 years scheduled for dental treatment under sedation between August 2024 and August 2025. Same‐day cancellations were included, while cases planned under general anesthesia and those with incomplete records were excluded. Cancellation reasons were categorized as inadequate fasting, recent URI symptoms, or other causes. Group comparisons were performed using Chi‐square or Fisher's exact tests. Results Of 763 scheduled patients, 86 were cancelled on the day of the procedure (11.3%). Recent URI symptoms accounted for 51.2% of cancellations, inadequate fasting for 26.7%, and other reasons for 22.1%. No differences were observed by sex, month, or season. Fasting‐related cancellations were more frequent in the 13:30 session ( p = 0.007). Cancellation reasons differed by age group ( p = 0.017). Conclusion Recent URI symptoms and inadequate fasting were the most commonly observed reasons for same‐day cancellation, with notable associations with age and session timing.
Akçaalan et al. (2026) studied this question.