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The anaesthetic management of handicapped young adults is often difficult. However, few examples were found in the literature that attempted to specifically measure the frequency of general anaesthesia in the dental treatment of this group of patients. This paper focuses on the management of mentally or physically handicapped young patients undergoing extractions at a specialist dental service in Southern France. A survey of 184 young patients treated during a 39-month period, either under general (34 cases) or local (150 cases) anaesthesia was carried out. A minimum one-year follow-up period was used for each patient. The main characteristics of the patients who received general or local anaesthesia were compared and the factors which indicated the choice of general rather than local anaesthesia were assessed. This study attempts to define precise selection criteria, including dental and non-dental factors. Limited past treatment history was found to be a strong indicator of the need for general anaesthesia. The results of this study suggest that non-dental background factors were also important. The need for general anaesthesia was markedly increased in the groups with severe behavioural disturbances or low levels of contact with the general dental practitioner. If provision of regular dental services for disabled young patients can significantly reduce the need for general anaesthesia, care will have to be taken in developing the relationships between the hospital and general dental practitioner