A report on the feasibility of establishing a paediatric emergency dental service at Glasgow Dental Hospital.
A six-month pilot emergency service for children was established at Glasgow Dental Hospital to provide care for patients in pain, offer preventive advice and ensure ongoing dental care. The service was staffed by experienced community dental officers. In the main study period 2965 patients were seen. The majority (54 per cent) were referred from general dental practitioners; however, 27 per cent came directly to the hospital without seeking dental advice in their locality. The most common problems were toothache (55 per cent), occasional pain (28 per cent) and swelling (14 per cent). Eighty per cent of the patients were directed to oral surgery for extractions under general anaesthesia and six per cent for extractions under local anaesthesia. Dental caries still causes pain and distress to a large number of Glasgow school children. Clearly water fluoridation would greatly improve dental health and in so doing reduce the proportion of children requiring extractions under a general anaesthetic. The emergency service is currently being reorganised so as to place more emphasis on following up those patients who do not have a dentist, or who presented for care without a referral letter.
Blinkhorn
A S
AS
Child Dental Health Unit, Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, UK.
Attwood
D
D
Kippen
A M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004497:Education, Dental; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control