Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: This retrospective study evaluated the demographic profile of patients and the clinical characteristics of dental emergencies in a brazilian university outpatient clinic. Methods: During the period from June 2013 to May 2014, data were collected from 1.345 clinical records. Chief complaint, gender, age, systemic alteration, clinical inspection of the affected tooth, pulp and periapical diagnosis, the type of procedure performed and whether there was the need for post-operative systemic medication. Data were analyzed using the SAS software and chi-square test was used to verify the presence or absence of statistical significance at a level of 5%. Results: Dental pain (53.3%) was the main reason why people attended the emergency service, that is, female patients (63.1%), aged 29-48 years old (42%), patients without systemic conditions (75%), and patients with decayed teeth (25%). In addition, involvement of lower molars (29.81%) and diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis (30.42%) were the most frequent findings. Emergency endodontic treatment (45.8%) was the most performed procedure. Irreversible pulpitis (30.4%) and pulp necrosis associated with acute apical periodontitis (21.9%) were the most frequent conditions requiring emergency endodontic treatment, and in most cases, there was no need for post-operative systemic medications (95.7%). Conclusion: The prevalence of endodontic emergencies during the period of one year emphasizes the need for more accurate diagnosis and the importance of providing this service to the population.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic profile of patients and clinical characteristics of dental emergencies at the outpatient clinic of the State University of Campinas – Piracicaba Dental School (FOPUNICAMP; Piracicaba, SP, Brazil) in order to determinate the prevalence and necessities of this population
Dental pain is the chief complaint reported by most patients, corresponding to 717 cases, which is corroborated by Munerato et al [16], Estrela et al [17] and De-Paula et al [18], other studies have reported dental traumas and dental abscesses as the reasons for seeking emergency services [19,20]
With regard to the procedures performed, it was noted that the most prevalent one was that related to endodontic emergency, corresponding to 462 cases, with diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis, pulp necrosis associated with acute apical periodontitis, pulpless teeth and acute apical abscess
Summary
People use dental emergency services to resolve their complaints immediately, such as alveolar bone fractures, avulsed or displaced teeth, fractured teeth with pulp exposure, lacerations of the oral mucosa, acute dental pain, acute alveolar abscess, infection and uncontrolled bleeding [1,2,3,4,5,6,7].Pain is the primary cause for the demand for emergency care [8,9,10,11,12] and approximately 90% of the dental emergencies are of pulp or periapical origin [13]. People use dental emergency services to resolve their complaints immediately, such as alveolar bone fractures, avulsed or displaced teeth, fractured teeth with pulp exposure, lacerations of the oral mucosa, acute dental pain, acute alveolar abscess, infection and uncontrolled bleeding [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Dental emergencies comprise a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, which include irreversible pulpitis, acute alveolar abscess, lost restorations and dental bleeding [14]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic profile of patients and clinical characteristics of dental emergencies at the outpatient clinic of the State University of Campinas – Piracicaba Dental School (FOPUNICAMP; Piracicaba, SP, Brazil) in order to determinate the prevalence and necessities of this population
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