title: Nontraumatic dental emergencies in a pediatric emergency department.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to describe nontraumatic dental emergencies among children treated in a pediatric emergency department. The children studied received emergency treatment for a nontraumatic dental problem from December 1992 through November 1993. Among the 1,459 children treated for dental emergencies, 949 had a nontraumatic emergency (65%) and were enrolled in this study. Patients ranged in age from 1 month to 19 years, with a mean age of 6.9 years. Fifty-two percent of patients were male. The teeth were involved in 99% of cases. An abscess was present in 33% of patients; and among these patients, 26% also had a fistula. Pericoronitis was seen in 4% of patients, primary viral stomatitis in 1%, and an eruption hematoma in 0.5%. Caries is the etiology of the problem prompting the emergency department visit in 73% of patients, and baby bottle caries accounted for 18% of all cases of caries. Other etiologies included the late effects of trauma (8%), iatrogenic (7%), idiopathic (3%), and periodontal processes (2%). Tooth extraction was performed in 45% of patients. Findings of this large consecutive series provide a better understanding of this type of visit to the pediatric emergency department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Ohio State University School of Dentistry, Columbus Children's Hospital, 43205, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Preisch
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Casamassimo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*