title: Continued care of children seen in an emergency department for dental trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the rate of continuing care for dental trauma patients seen after-hours in a hospital emergency department (ED) and identify predictors for and barriers to seeking continuing care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 856  patients treated at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) ED for dental trauma between September 2003 and December 2007, were screened for avulsion, luxation, and intrusion injuries. A qualifying cohort (QC) of 175 patients was included based on injury and root development. A quality assurance  survey was conducted with 96 parents of these patients to determine barriers and predictors for follow-up treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients averaged 2.5 follow-up visits at NCH. The most commonly reported barriers to receiving treatment were: having to miss school (21%), taking time off  of work (17%), and costs associated with dental care (13%). No statistical significance (P=.22) was found between number of follow-up visits and the patient retaining the injured tooth. The number of follow-up visits was not significantly different between patients with private and public  insurance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School, work, and costs associated with ongoing trauma management affect follow-up compliance irrespective of payment source.
authors: Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, the College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Gustafson
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: McTigue
authors: Sarat
authors: S
authors: Thikkurissy
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Casamassimo
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Nusstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D010290:Parents; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011670:Pulpectomy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012389:Root Canal Obturation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000628:therapy*