Cross-sectional Analysis of Emergency Dental Pediatric Patients and Proposal of Guidance for Clinical Management

Abstract

Aim: This study aims primarily to investigate the characteristics of pediatric patients seeking emergency dental care and the according treatment in a specialized dental service and secondly to propose a data-based guidance for the management of dental emergencies in children. Materials and Methods: Records of the demographic and clinical characteristics of 332 children who attended specialized dental clinics seeking emergency dental care were collected. Statistical analysis was carried out. Based on the data, a proposal for management of emergency/pain patients was introduced. Results: Pain patients were high caries risk children (mean: 4.59 ± 3.65 dmft, 1.65 ± 2.73 DMFT). The main clinical diagnoses of pain patients in all different age groups were dental caries (63.6%). In general, the most frequent treatment was extraction (41.0%), and the most of these extractions needed to be performed under sedation (57.3%). Based on the analyzed data, a proposal for the management of emergency/pain patients was formulated. Conclusion: Dental caries was the main cause of emergency or pain-related dental visits among children, with tooth extraction under sedation being the common treatment. It is essential for general practitioners and specialized pedodontists to construct a treatment plan that not only manages the patient’s pain but also considers the long-term effects of the treatment on the patient’s future cooperation.