Pediatric non-traumatic dental presentations to the emergency department: a ten year retrospective study in an Australian tertiary hospital

Background: Non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDC) that present to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital tend to be related to dental caries, including facial cellulitis, abscess and toothache. This study aimed to report the types of dental conditions and the characteristics of children that presented to an urban tertiary hospital emergency department for NTDC.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for children less than 19 years of age who presented to the emergency department over a 10-year period with a NTDC. Principal diagnosis, sociodemographic data and source of referral was obtained with treatment and investigations collated for those who were subsequently admitted.

Results: Across the total 4483 dental presentations, 2481 were NTDC. The most common age group was from 0 to 3 years of age (average 6.3) and 57.2% of children were male. Dental caries related diagnoses were the most common reasons for emergency department presentations. A total of 297 children were admitted for investigations and treatment.

Conclusions: Children present to emergency departments with caries related conditions more often than traumatic injuries. Targeted interventions are needed to ensure adequate oral health care access for children to avoid overburdening the emergency services in tertiary hospitals with NTDC.