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Pain and problems: a prospective cross‐sectional study of the impact of dental emergencies
Author(s) -
Currie C. C.,
Stone S. J.,
Durham J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of oral rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2842
pISSN - 0305-182X
DOI - 10.1111/joor.12333
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , cross sectional study , population , emergency department , descriptive statistics , physical therapy , psychiatry , nursing , environmental health , pathology , statistics , mathematics
Summary One‐third of the population will only attend the dentist for an acute problem, often waiting a period of time before presenting. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of pain in patients presenting for a dental emergency and the impact this had on their quality of life. Questionnaires were provided to adult patients attending dental emergency services over 1 week. Demographic and clinical details were collected. Quality of life was measured using EQ ‐5D‐5L. Pain and the interference it caused were examined using the graded chronic pain scale. Data were analysed in STATA using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney and chi‐squared tests. Results showed that majority of patients (64%) seen were male; the mean age was 36 (±14) years. Forty six per cent of patients reported having a general dental practitioner. One‐third of the patients had attended this service previously for emergency care, and 13% consulted for the same problem. The mean duration of pain was 17·7 (±52·3) days prior to seeking care. The mean characteristic pain intensity was 53·6 (±23·6). The mean disability score was 43·4 (±33·6). The mean EQ ‐5D‐5L score was 0·57 (±0·27). In conclusion, a large number of patients attend the emergency dental services despite being ‘registered’ with a general dental practitioner. A proportion of these individuals will re‐attend for the same condition. Patients will often be in pain for over 2 weeks before attending, which may have a significant impact on their quality of life. Further research is warranted to investigate these care‐seeking behaviours and patterns.