Utilization of Emergency Services for Non-Traumatic Dental Disease

Purpose: To identify and characterize children who utilize emergency dental services for non-traumatic dental disease. Study design: Caregivers of children under 12 years old who seek out emergency services for the treatment of non-traumatic dental disease will be surveyed regarding their child's current oral health status. Patient's clinical data will be obtained and they will be further followed for a period of 2 months to determine if they follow-up with recommendations for comprehensive dental care. Results: One hundred and ninety-eight people participated in the study (97% response rate). Eighty-three percent of the children were diagnosed with dental caries. Seventy-four percent of patients of record presented with an emergency at least once before and 73% had a history of one or more broken appointments. Patients with a history of previous emergency visits (OR =3.45, CI=2.05, 5.81) or a history of missed appointments (OR=2.21, CI=1.42, 3.58) were significantly more likely to fail to return for comprehensive care (P <.01). Conclusion: This study shows that those who utilize emergency services more than once, or have a history of missed appointments are more likely to continue to utilize emergency dental services as their primary means for dental care.