314 - Dental Emergencies at NCH: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Continuity of Care

Purpose: To examine the prevalence of dental emergency visits at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (NCH) and assess patterns of continuity of care.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of children receiving dental services at the NCH’s Emergency Department (ED) between 2023-2024 was conducted. Continuity of care was assessed using NCH’s Electronic Health Record and insurance companies’ portals.

Results: A total of 369 children 5 month to 18 years old (mean age: 8.94 years old) were treated at the NCH-ED. Most patients were male (64.2%, P < .001), not NCH patients of record (84.3%), and primarily covered by Medicaid (57.7%) or self-payers (32.5%). Most visits occurred between 12:01 p.m. and midnight (75.6%), and 55% occurred after clinical hours (P=0.004), and primarily on weekdays (64.8%, P < 0.001). The most common emergencies were dental trauma (70.5%), caries associated with pain (17.3%). The most common emergency interventions included extractions (20.3%), splints (15.9%), and sedative fillings (9.5%). Continuity of care was found for 56.6% of the cases and was more frequent for patients covered by Medicaid (P < .001), patients of record (P < .001), patients who sought care for trauma or caries associated pain (P=0.378) or received splints (P=0.132).

Conclusion: NCH’s ED serves as the provider of choice for after-hours dental emergencies. Continuity of care was influenced by insurance type, prior to appointment at the same health system, nature of the emergency and type of treatment provided. These factors ought to be considered to ensure access to emergency services, continuity of care, and assess the need for case management.