title: Dental emergencies in a university pediatric dentistry clinic: a retrospective study.
abstract: A significant number of children visit a dentist for the first time due to emergency situations. However, little is known regarding the prevalence, etiology, and treatment provided for children at emergency dental visits. This study aimed to evaluate the profile of children attending a dental school emergency clinic, the reasons for seeking dental care, and the treatment provided. Records of 270 patients who attended an emergency clinic during 2010 were analyzed, and 253 were selected. Demographic, diagnostic, and procedural information was collected. The mean child age was 7.8 years. For 208 children (82%), pain was the main reason for the emergency visit. Nearly 79% of the visits were due to caries, and the most frequently required treatment was endodontic intervention (31.22%). Of the decayed teeth, 61.70% were primary posterior teeth and 31.9% permanent posterior teeth. Pain caused by dental decay was the most frequent chief complaint. A large number of children were brought to the dentist with complaints that had started long before, for which over-the-counter medications had been used.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ayah Qassem
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Shqair
authors.forename: Genara Brum
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Adauê
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Marília Leão
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Goettems
authors.forename: Ana Regina
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Lisandrea Rocha
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Schardozim
authors.forename: Maria Laura Menezes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bonow
authors.forename: Dione Dias
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Torriani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*