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Emergency room visits for dental problems among working poor C anadians
Author(s) -
Ramraj Chantel C.,
Quiñonez Carlos R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/jphd.12015
Subject(s) - medicine , telephone interview , population , dental care , logistic regression , family medicine , emergency department , telephone survey , dental trauma , demography , dentistry , environmental health , psychiatry , marketing , business , social science , sociology
Objectives To explore the risk of visiting hospital emergency rooms ( ER s) for dental problems not associated with trauma among a sample of working poor C anadians. Methods Data stem from a telephone survey administered between M arch and A ugust 2007 of working poor C anadians aged 18‐64 years. Logistic regressions were employed to determine the predictors of reporting a visit to an ER for dental problems not associated with trauma. Results Approximately 6.1 percent of the sample reported visiting an ER in the past for a dental problem not associated with trauma. Those who were publicly insured, reported poor oral health, experienced a bed day due to dental pain, had dependent children, were lone parents, had competing needs, a history of receiving welfare, a history of an inability to afford dental care, and a perceived need for dental treatment were all more likely to have reported an ER visit. When adjusting for all variables, having experienced a bed day due to dental pain and a history of an inability to afford dental care were the dominant predictors of this outcome. A higher but not significantly different prevalence of ER visits for dental problems was found among the working poor sample when compared with the general C anadian population (6.1 percent versus 5.4 percent, P > 0.05). Conclusions Further research is needed in order to provide insight into the reasons why the working poor population is seeking dental care in hospital settings.