Investigators have examined children's dental utilization in various settings (e.g., dental offices, emergency departments, operating rooms), but no studies have examined inpatient hospitalizations for non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDCs). The authors examined NTDC-related hospitalization trends in the United States and identified the relationship between complex chronic condition (CCCs) and NTDC-related inpatient hospitalizations. We analyzed data from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2000-2010) for children ages 3 to 17 years (N = 3,030,970). The predictor variable was number of CCCs (0/1/2+). The outcome variable was whether the child had a NTDC-related hospitalization (no/yes). Covariate-adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (PORs). From 2000 to 2010, there were 17,993 NTDC-related hospitalizations (0.59%) and a slight increase in NTDC-related hospitalizations (p = .049). This increase was not significant in the final regression model. There was no difference in odds of NTDCs for children with 0 or 1 CCCs (POR = 1.08; 95%CI = 0.99, 1.18), but children with 2+ CCCs had significantly greater odds (POR = 1.61; 95%CI = 1.42, 1.83), as did non-White, publicly insured, and lower income children. NTDC-related hospitalizations for children did not increase from 2000 to 2010. Children with 2+ CCCs had the greatest odds of being hospitalized for NTDCs, which highlights the need to develop preventive interventions targeting children with 2+ CCCs.
Keywords: children; complex chronic conditions; dental caries; health services research; hospitalization; trends.