title: Time delays in treating dental trauma at a children's hospital and private pediatric dental practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the time interval between a child sustaining a dental injury and the rendering of treatment in a hospital setting and a private pediatric dental practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from the patient records of children treated for dental trauma at a children's hospital emergency department, a children's hospital dental clinic, and a private pediatric dental practice. Data included demographics and the time, date, type of injury, and its treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Injuries were more severe, treatment was more complex, and the time interval between injury and treatment was longer for those children treated in the hospital setting versus private practice, regardless of distance traveled. Children treated at their dental home experienced fewer treatment delays. Insurance status, medical complexity, and associated injuries were not related to treatment delays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children who seek emergency care for traumatic dental injuries in a hospital setting experience greater delays in treatment compared to those seeking care in a private practice setting. These findings might not be generalizable to other hospital settings or private practices due to the inherently unique characteristics of the sites used in this study.
authors: Thousand Oaks Children's Dental group, Thousand Oaks, Calif., USA.
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Wagle
authors: Children's Hospital, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Mass., USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Mass., USA.
authors: Elizabeth N
authors: EN
authors: Allred
authors: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Mass., USA; Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Mass., USA. hneedleman@post.harvard.edu.
authors: Howard L
authors: HL
authors: Needleman
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000293:injuries; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011331:Private Practice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014084:Tooth Avulsion / Q000628:therapy; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000293:injuries; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000293:injuries; D014186:Transportation