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35 - Cross Sectional Study of Pediatric Dental Emergencies during Business Hours

Friday, May 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM PST
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • DF

    Danielle Frank, DDS

    Resident
    Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
    Children's National Hospital Dentistry
    Ellicott City, Maryland, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • JC

    Jennifer L. Cully, DMD, MEd, DMD, MEd

    Chief of Dentistry
    Children's National Hospital
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

  • Anupama Rao Tate, DMD, MPH, DMD MPH

    Oral Health Advocacy Director, Associate Professor of Pediatrics (George Washington Medical School)
    Children's National Hospital
    The George Washington Univeristy School of Medicine
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

  • JB

    Jonathan Bacon, DDS

    Children's National Hospital

    • Research Mentor(s)

  • JC

    Jennifer L. Cully, DMD, MEd, DMD, MEd

    Chief of Dentistry
    Children's National Hospital
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    • Program Director(s)

  • MC

    Mudrika Chhabra, BDS, DMD, MSD

    Program Director
    Children's National Hospital
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Abstract:

Purpose: To review the demographics of walk-in emergency patients and identify barriers in accessing emergency dental treatment during normal business hours

Methods: Accompanying adults of pediatric emergency patients completed a questionnaire detailing: date of birth, accompanying adult, legal guardian status, pain status, if referred, the nature of their dental emergency, whether the patient’s dentist was contacted, if they visited the emergency department (ED), and why they chose to come to CNH dental. Dental providers recorded the diagnosis after the examination. Descriptive statistics were completed.

Results: Two hundred and six questionnaires were completed. The most common reported reason for an emergency appointment was cavities (76/206, 37%), while the second most common was abscesses (41/206, 20%). Seventy-four percent (153/206) of patients reported they were in pain. Twenty-nine percent (59/206) of patients presented to the ED first. Thirty-two percent of patients (66/206) identified the dental clinic as their dental home. Other common reasons for presenting to the dental clinic for an emergency included: no available appointments at their dental home (40/206, 19%) or referral to dental clinic by their dentist (39/206, 19%). The two most frequent diagnoses recorded by providers were caries (128/206, 62%) and trauma (25/206, 12%).

Conclusion: This study highlights the barriers to accessing emergency dental treatment in the community. Informing the dental community of this need may encourage private practices to accept emergency patients and keep dental patients out of the emergency department.

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