After-Hours Versus Office-Hours Dental Injuries in Children: Does Timing Influence Outcome?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes and factors associated with after-hours dental trauma.


METHODS
Study sample consisted of 1762 permanent teeth injuries in children, gender and age matched with office-hours injuries. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from 4 university dental trauma centers.


RESULTS
During median follow-up time of 4.3 years, complications have occurred in 14.5% of injured teeth. Age, type, and degree of tissue injury and after-hours time of injury were significantly associated with complications. Unfavorable outcomes were 34% more likely in the after-hours group compared with office-hours. Urgent treatment was significantly delayed in after-hours group with a delay of more than 3 hours in 90.5% versus 38.9% in the office-hours group. Multivariate regression model showed that after-hours time of injury was significant predictor of complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Delayed urgent treatment was one of the main factors associated with unfavorable outcome of after-hours injuries.
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia ana.vukovic@stomf.bg.ac.rs.
Ana
A
Vukovic
Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia "Dr Vukan Cupic," Belgrade, Serbia.
Rade
R
Vukovic
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Dejan
D
Markovic
Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Ivan
I
Soldatovic
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Zoran
Z
Mandinic
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Milos
M
Beloica
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
George
G
Stojan
D000293:Adolescent; D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014193:Trauma Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
after-hours; pediatric dentistry; traumatic dental injuries; treatment outcome