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A 10‐year retrospective study of paediatric emergency department visits for dental conditions in Montreal, Canada
Author(s) -
Ferraz dos Santos Beatriz,
Dabbagh Basma
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1111/ipd.12651
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , retrospective cohort study , emergency medicine , medical emergency , family medicine , pediatrics , nursing , surgery
Background Trends of paediatric emergency visits (ED) for dental conditions have been broadly discussed; however, little has been published in the Canadian context. Aim To describe the utilization of ED for dental conditions among children and to investigate demographic characteristics influencing its use. Design A comprehensive review of records of all children aged 1‐17 years who attended the ED service of a paediatric hospital in Montreal, Canada, for dental conditions over a 10‐year period (2004‐2013) was completed. Information on the child's principal dental diagnosis, sociodemographic data, and source of referral was obtained. Results A total of 10 905 paediatric ED visits were seen during the study period. Among the children, 54.7% were male and the majority was younger than 6 years old. Dental caries constituted the most common reason for ED presentation comprising close to 43% of total visits for a dental complaint. Females, teenagers, and self‐referred children were more likely to experience ED visits due to non‐traumatic dental conditions. Conclusions The utilization of ED for dental conditions has increased among pre‐school children in the last decade and was mostly due to caries‐related dental problems. Effective preventive strategies are needed to improve the oral health condition of children.