Patient Attendance for Emergency Care in a Brazilian Dental School

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the profile of patients attending the Emergency Dental Clinic at São José dos Campos Dental School, UNESP-São Paulo State University, between 2006 and 2010, evaluating the gender, ethnicity, age, diagnosis and treatment performed for resolution of the cases. Materials and methods A total of 600 dental records were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Fisher and Chi-square tests at a significance level of 5%. The dental records included information on the patients’ name, gender, age, ethnicity, phone number, date of attendance, diagnosis and treatment performed. The case history addressed the chief complaint, medical and dental history of the patient. The clinical evaluation comprised tests, such as visual examination of the intraoral hard and soft tissues, tooth percussion, palpation, probing, pulp sensitivity test and radiographic examination. The diagnosis and treatment for each case were established based on the case history and clinical tests. Results There was predominance of female gender (59.17%) and patients aged 20 to 39 years (49.67%). Most procedures were performed to solve endodontic emergencies (37.5%), followed by placement of dressings (10.6%), tooth extraction (8.9%), periodontal problems (4.6%) and cementation of provisional crowns or definitive dentures (4.5%). Conclusion Dental caries and its consequences were the main factors involved in the emergency attendances. There is a constant need of health promotion, considering that the patients searched for restorative treatments without the necessary emphasis on prevention. Additional studies are needed to determine strategies for decreasing the use of emergency services for nonemergency dental problems. Clinical relevance The diagnosis and treatment of dental emergencies are challenging. If inadequately performed, they may cause difficulties or even failures in pain relief, worsening or delaying the continuation of treatment planning and accomplishment. How to cite this article Tiradentes N, dos Santos ISS, de Vasconcelos RA, Balducci I, Kubo CH, Torres CRG, Almeida JD, Gomes APM. Patient Attendance for Emergency Care in a Brazilian Dental School. World J Dent 2012;3(1):11-17. Note This study was revised and approved by Local Ethics Committee (070/2006-PH/CEP).