Emergency Dental Clinic Research Articles

Swelling Misattributed to an Infected Tooth Socket

This is a case report of a patient seen on the dental emergency clinic that describes ophthalmic shingles reactivation soon after a tooth extraction with the potential to have led to a misdiagnosis of the condition. This can potentially have serious consequences, including effects on vision. This case report emphasizes the importance of a thorough history and careful examination when a patient presents in an urgent setting. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The importance of a thorough history and careful examination is highlighted.

Dental Services of the International Summer Camp Event: Experiences from the 25th World Scout Jamboree, South Korea

This study aims to analyze dental care at the 25<sup>th</sup> World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) using a predesigned standardized dental chart to provide a reference for the operation of dental emergency clinics at future large-scale youth events. The dental charts of all patients treated at the 25<sup>th</sup> WSJ emergency dental clinic were examined. Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyze the differences between youth scouts and adult leaders. Eighty visits of 71 patients were included in the study. The largest number of patients was from Asia-Pacific (49.3%), followed by patients from Europe (40.8%). In terms of chief complaints, oral ulcers (19.7%), lesions of the lips (18.3%), and orthodontic discomfort (15.5%) were the most prevalent. The analysis showed a significant difference (<i>p</i> = 0.0023) between youth scouts and adult leaders in the distribution of patients in the first half (July 30<sup>th</sup> - August 3<sup>rd</sup>) and second half (August 4<sup>th</sup> - August 8<sup>th</sup>) of the event. There was a higher incidence of dental conditions associated with hot and humid environments, unlike typical emergency dental settings. Therefore, despite adequate preparation, unexpected dental visits may occur, and it is recommended that operations be conducted in community-based dental hospitals to allow for immediate and efficient responses in international camps.

Traumatic dental injuries among children attending the public after-hours emergency dental clinic in Bergen, Norway.

To investigate traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among children who for 1 year attended a Norwegian public after-hours emergency public dental (EPD) clinic. The study included 7-18-year-olds (n = 312) who presented at the EPD clinic, underwent a clinical dental examination, and consented to the disclosure of clinical information. Recording of TDIs was restricted to anterior permanent teeth. Potential TDI predictors were also analysed. Almost half (n = 148) of the children were assessed with TDIs in permanent teeth, showing a mean age of 11.0 (standard deviation [SD]: 3.5) years. Males constituted 54.7%. The children experienced TDIs often outside school hours (43.9%), and the majority (58.1%) were caused by falls/accidents. Sixty of them experienced only one TDI. The most common location was the maxillary central incisors. Assessment of TDIs according to severity, could only be done in 131 individuals, involving 253 TDIs. Of these, 81.8% were mild. The odds of visiting the emergency clinic for a TDI were higher (odds ratio [OR] = 2.64, confidence interval [CI]: 1.61-4.31) among children with previous TDIs and lower (OR = 0.28, CI: 0.12-0.68) among those with poor dental attendance. Traumatic dental injuries were a common reason for seeking emergency care. Milder injuries dominated and involved mostly one maxillary central incisor. Previous episodes of TDIs and attendance patterns seemed to be associated with seeking care for TDIs.

Medical history complexity of patients attending dental student restorative treatment clinics compared with dental emergency clinics.

Dental students should graduate from undergraduate programmes with the knowledge and skills to safely manage patients. This requires exposure to patients with a range of medical needs, which may impact the planning and delivery of care. We wished to establish the medical history complexity of patients presenting to student restorative clinics and compare them to patients attending a dental emergency clinic. We recorded the medical history data of 200 anonymised patients attending student restorative clinics and compared them to previously collected data from 200 dental emergency clinic patients. We collected basic demographic data (age/gender) and noted the number of medical disorders, amount of comorbidity and the number and types of medications for each patient. The age and medical complexity of patients were different, with fewer young patients seen in the dental restorative clinics. Patients attending restorative clinics were more likely to have multiple comorbidities and took greater numbers and types of medications than those seen in dental emergency clinics. For patients seen in student restorative clinics, medical histories are taken once at the beginning of care and the subsequent treatment plan is delivered over many appointments accounting for that medical history. Emergency clinic patients attend for single treatment episodes and their medical complexity is immediately relevant to the treatment offered. Students have multiple, single encounters with patients in emergency clinics. In both clinics, dental treatment plans need to be adjusted to account for patients' drugs and diseases, providing opportunities to consolidate human disease learning.

Emergency Department and Dental Clinic Perceptions of Appropriate, and Preventable, Use of the ED for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Hot-Spot Counties: A Mixed Methods Study.

Frequency of emergency department (ED) use for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDC) is a well-researched community health concern. However, research predominately relies on ambulatory ED discharge records. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study reviewed NTDC ED use in hot-spot counties and assessed perceptions around preventable and appropriate use among EDs and dental clinics. Tooth pain data (2015-2021) were drawn from State Medicaid, and the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE). NTDC data were compiled using International Classification of Disease, Ninth and Tenth Revisions. Employing extreme case sampling, providers in counties with the highest per-capita NTDC ED use were interviewed. North Dakota experienced a decline in NTDC ED visits between 2017 and 2020, though the rate is now increasing. The greatest proportion of NTDC ED visits were among persons ages 20 to 34 and 35 to 44. ED and dental care staff have misconceptions around each other's roles in reducing NTDC ED visits, but unanimously suggest community-level prevention as a solution. NTDC ED use was perceived as "appropriate" care. However, there is consensus that improved access to, and utilization of, affordable and quality preventative dental care would reduce NTDC ED visits and improve overall community health, especially among populations experiencing greater inequities.

Impact of COVID-19 on emergency oral health care in New Jersey

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to reduced services of private dental practices. The public emergency clinic of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) (Newark, NJ) faced changing demands during various periods of the pandemic. MethodsRecords of patients visiting the emergency clinic at RSDM during 3 distinct periods (prelockdown, lockdown, teledentistry) from January 10, 2020, through June 30, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. Qualitative and quantitative attributes pertaining to patient encounters were reviewed and analyzed. ResultsA total of 1,799 records were included in this study. Patient visits increased during the early lockdown but were reduced after the implementation of teledentistry. Trends were noted in patient volume, reasons for visits, treatment needs, symptoms, diagnostic methodology, prescription use, and final disposition of patients. ConclusionsThe lockdown affected emergency dental clinic services at RSDM. Teledentistry visits played a key role in screening patients and in facilitating the delivery of oral health care and timely follow-ups to patients who needed urgent in-person emergency visits. Practical ImplicationsData gathered will lead to a better understanding of patients seen in the emergency clinic and can help with long-term planning for both institutional and smaller outpatient clinics during public health emergencies.

Antibiotic prescribing for children referred to an emergency dental clinic during the COVID-19 lockdown

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, antibiotics for dental infections have been prescribed more frequently owing to reduced access to face-to-face appointments. Updated guidance emphasised antimicrobial prescribing for children. This study assessed whether the correct dose of antibiotics had been prescribed for children who were triaged by telephone at a dental emergency clinic in a London teaching hospital during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods Data were collected for a retrospective service evaluation from the case notes of children whose parents had contacted the triage telephone line between May and September 2020. A proforma was used to extract information including the type of antibiotics that had been prescribed, the prescriber and the dose. Results Of the 815 children who were triaged via the telephone emergency clinic, 229 (28%) had received antibiotics. Three-quarters (n = 175, 76%) had been prescribed amoxicillin. Half of these (n = 88, 50%) had been prescribed a lower than recommended dose of amoxicillin; all incorrect dosages were prescribed by dentists in primary care. Patients aged 5–11 years were most affected by this (65%). Conclusions Incorrect antibiotic dose prescribing is a likely contributor to antimicrobial resistance as these patients often required further antimicrobial treatment. Our service evaluation highlights the importance of prescribing in line with the latest guidelines and literature.

Referral patterns to the Paediatric Dental Emergency Clinic at The University of the West Indies, School of Dentistry, Trinidad and Tobago

Referral patterns to the Paediatric Dental Emergency Clinic at The University of the West Indies, School of Dentistry, Trinidad and Tobago

Dentists' Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Emergency Dental Services in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This cross-sectional study intends to evaluate dentists' perceptions of COVID-19's effects on the use of emergency dental care both during and after Kuwait's lockdown periods. A convenience sample of dentists employed by the Ministry of Health's various emergency dental clinics and School Oral Health Programs (SOHP) throughout Kuwait's six governorates were invited to take part in this study. To determine the impact of various demographic and occupational characteristics on the mean perception score of the dentist, a multi-variable model was developed. The study was conducted between June-September 2021, and a total of 268 dentists (61% males and 39% females) participated in this study. When compared to pre-lockdown periods, the overall number of patients seen by dentists had significantly decreased after the lockdown period. After lockdown, there were significantly more cases of acute pulpitis with apical periodontitis, abscesses, and pericoronitis than there were before lockdown (p < 0.05). After the lockdown, a significantly higher percentage of dentists (p < 0.05) reported using fewer droplets-generating procedures to manage patients with dental emergencies. After correcting for the other variables in the model, female dentists (β = 0.146; 95% CI = 0.071 to 1.451) and non-Kuwaiti dentist (β = 0.012; 95% CI = 0.234 to 1.854) had a significantly (p < 0.05) more positive perception of the utilization of dental services than others after adjusting for the other variables in the model. The majority of dentists perceive that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on Kuwait's use of emergency dental services.

The financial and quality of life impact of urgent dental presentations: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to: (i) calculate personal financial costs associated with urgent dental attendance; and (ii) investigate the pain-related disability and quality of life impact of dental conditions which result in urgent dental attendance. Data were collected from those presenting with urgent dental conditions to an out-of-hours dental service, a dental emergency clinic (DEC) and five primary care general dental practices across North-East England. A pre-operative questionnaire explored the impact of urgent dental conditions on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and a modified Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS). OHIP-14 yields a maximum score of 56, with a higher score indicating a lower OHRQoL. Personal financial costs were summed to provide a total. These included travel, appointment fees, childcare costs, medication use and time away from work. Data were analysed using one-way anova and multivariable modelling. In total, 714 participants were recruited. The mean OHIP-14 score was 25.73; 95% CI [24.67, 26.79], GCPS CPI was 71.69; 95% CI [70.09, 73.28] and GCPS interference was 49.56; 95% CI [47.24, 51.87]. Symptomatic irreversible pulpitis was the most frequently managed dental emergency and was associated with the highest mean OHIP-14 score (31.67; 95% CI [30.20, 33.15]). The mean personal financial cost of urgent dental care (UDC) was £85.81; 95% CI [73.29, 98.33]. Differences in travel time (F[2, 691] = 10.24, p < .001), transport costs (F[2, 698] = 4.92, p = .004), and appointment time (F[2, 74] = 9.40, p < .001) were significant between patients attending an out-of-hours dental service, DEC and dental practices for emergency care, with a DEC being associated with the highest costs and dental practices the lowest. Diseases of the pulp and associated periapical disease were the most common reason for patients to present for UDC and were the most impactful in terms of OHRQoL and pain in the present sample. Personal financial costs are significant from urgent dental conditions, with centralized services increasing the burden to patients of attending appointments.

Emergency dental clinics: providing a service to the community and invaluable experience to dental students.

Emergency dental clinics: providing a service to the community and invaluable experience to dental students.

Risk Factors Associated with Children Receiving Treatment at Emergency Dental Clinics: A Case-Control Study.

(1) Background: The process of managing children at the emergency dental clinic (ER-C) is a difficult challenge. This matched case-control study assessed risk factors associated with children visiting the ER-C compared to visits at the regular dental clinic (RD-C). (2) Methods: The participants included 421 children aged three to 12 years who were recruited at the ER-C (cases) and RD-C (controls) at King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital, with each group matched for gender and age. A data-collection form was developed and validated in both Arabic and English, containing the following four sections: DMFT/dmft index, Frankl’s behaviour rating scale, Dental Neglect Scale, and Dental Care Barriers questionnaire. (3) Results: The ER-C (vs RD-C) group showed significantly more uncooperative behaviour (p = 0.002), a higher total mean dental neglect score (p = 0.003), and a higher dental barrier score (p < 0.001). Binary regression analysis showed that those making their first visit (AOR: 2.65, p < 0.001) and with higher dental barriers (AOR: 1.121, p < 0.001) were statistically significantly more associated with ER-C visitation. (4) Conclusion: These findings suggest that children who visit the ER-C are more prone to dental care barriers, uncooperative behaviour, and dental neglect, thus highlighting the importance of encouraging and planning their attendance to ensure optimal dental care.

Emergency referrals to a paediatric dental A&amp;E service in London: where do we stand post-pandemic?

Introduction The paediatric dentistry department at St Thomas’ Hospital transformed its walk-in emergency service to an urgent dental centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, accepting referrals via the NHS 111 service. There are conflicting ethical duties for tertiary care clinicians managing paediatric dental patients. This study measured the current activity levels of the dental emergency service at St Thomas’ Hospital, the appropriateness of NHS 111 referrals, the proportion of referrals accepted for care and the outcomes of those accepted referrals. Methods A retrospective service evaluation was undertaken including 125 patients referred by the NHS 111 service to the dental emergency clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital between 1 September and 29 October 2021. Results Half (50%) of the patients seen were aged between 0 and 5 years. A quarter (24%) of referrals were true dental emergencies. Patients were referred for isolated dental pain (58%), facial swelling (25%), trauma (13%), broken fillings (3%) and other conditions (2%). Three-quarters (74%) were accepted for treatment. Most accepted patients were added to waiting lists for treatment under general anaesthesia (66%), local anaesthesia (5%) or inhalation sedation (4%). Two-thirds of accepted patients (67%) were not registered with a dentist while over three-quarters of rejected patients (79%) had their own dentist in primary care. Conclusions Following the pandemic, paediatric dental emergency services continue to be overwhelmed by children requiring non-urgent dental care. Solutions to deteriorating patient access are crucial, ensuring that provision of care remains ethical and that those who require urgent dental care are prioritised.

Consolidating human disease learning in the Dental Emergency Clinic.

Dental undergraduates typically learn and are assessed on aspects of human disease (HD) in the early part of their programme, but it is not until later in the programme that their HD knowledge is put into practice when they provide courses of treatment for numerous patients over multiple visits. The teaching of HD provides core knowledge on medical conditions and medications and is therefore essential in allowing newly graduated dentists to provide safe treatment for medically compromised patients or those taking medications. We wanted to examine the medical complexity of patients attending a university hospital dental emergency clinic to determine whether this was a suitable group that would help students to consolidate their HD learning in the context of a single visit where treatment was also provided. We examined the medical history of 200 patients attending the dental emergency clinic in the University Dental Hospital, Cardiff, using a previous study as a benchmark. Anonymous data were collected using the medical history proforma, and included age, gender, medications, types and number of medical conditions/disorders. Patients attending the clinic were more medically complex than those in the comparator study and the demographics reflect wider population data showing increasing numbers of older patients with greater medical morbidity. The emergency dental clinic is the place where most patients are new to the hospital, have a dental history, medical history, investigations, diagnosis and treatment in a single visit, and offers excellent opportunities for consolidating HD learning in a one-stop clinical treatment episode, guided by suitable instructors.

Antibiotic utilization in emergency dental care in Stockholm 2016: a cross sectional study

Objectives To investigate systemic antibiotics utilization in emergency dental care and to determine the most common treatment measures performed during emergency visits in public versus private emergency care in Sweden. Material and methods Two questionnaires were answered by dentists at one large public and one large private emergency dental clinic in Stockholm, Sweden. The first questionnaire pertained to the emergency care provided to patients (n = 1023) and the second concerned the dentists’ (n = 13) own knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic treatment and oral infections. The results of the questionnaires were tested using a Chi-square test. Results Sixteen percent of all patients seeking emergency dental treatment received antibiotics. The most common overall reason for visiting an emergency clinic was pain (52%, n = 519). The most common diagnoses made by the participating dentists in the public clinic were tooth/filling fracture (17%, n = 91) and gingivitis (14%, n = 76), while in the private clinic they were tooth fracture (29%, n = 146) and symptomatic apical periodontitis (15%, n = 72). Although the number of patients with infection was higher in the public care clinic, there was no significant difference in total number of antibiotic prescriptions between the two clinics. The rate of patients receiving antibiotic prescription as sole treatment was 41% (n = 34) in private care and 31% (n = 18) in public care. Thirty-one percent (n = 4) of dentists prescribed antibiotics for patients with diagnoses normally not requiring antibiotics, citing reasons such as time limitation, patient request, patient travel, patient safety, and follow-up not possible. Conclusion Although antibiotic prescription frequency among the Swedish emergency care dentists participating in this study was low, areas for improvement could include providing education to improve dentists’ knowledge on both antibiotic prescription in emergency dental care and treatment of acute oral infections.

Oral Health–Related Quality of Life of Refugees in Settlements in Greece

IntroductionThe objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the oral health–related quality of life (OHQoL) amongst refugees at emergency dental clinics in settlements in Northern Greece. MethodsA self-reported survey was undertaken in 7 settlements. The American Dental Association questionnaire on oral health (OH) was adapted and distributed to adults attending a mobile dental clinic between July and August 2017. Data were collected on sociodemographics, length of stay in settlement, utilisation of dental service, and OHQoL. Statistical analysis included descriptive analysis and Chi-square tests of associations. ResultsOf 156 participants, the majority were male (73%), were aged 18 to 34 (59%), and had education up to high school (48%). Most of the participants rated OH as fair or poor (76%) and had spent more than 6 months in the settlements (45%). A majority of the participants (85%) had no access to dental care without the mobile clinic.Negative impact on OHQoL was significantly (P < .05) related to settlement location and time spent, smoking status, frequency of cleaning teeth and use of fluoridated toothpaste, perceived OH, and time since last dental visit. Those who spent less than 1 month in the settlement reported a higher negative OHQoL impact related to chewing, anxiety, smiling, daily activity, and sleeping (range, 48%-73%) compared to those who had spent more than 6 months (range, 17%-41%) (P < .05). ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first cross-sectional study assessing the OHQoL of refugees seeking emergency dental care in settlements in Greece. There is evidence that the refugees who were new arrivals to the settlements when provided with access to dental care reported a negative impact on their OHQoL. There is an urgent need for further research to understand the OH needs of refugees in Europe in order to design and deliver targeted and effective interventions.

Evaluation of dental intern's satisfaction and self-competence in treating emergency cases during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic

Background: The study aimed to identify the level of satisfaction and confidence of dental intern students in emergency care emergency room (ER) during COVID-19 Pandemic in order to determine factors that influence their satisfaction such as patient's age, gender, and ethnicity. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted at Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah-Taibah University Dental-College and Hospital. The overall sample included in analysis was 105 dental interns with an average age of 24.7 years who were treating patients between July 2019 and August 2020 in emergency dental clinics at TUCDH. Results: The survey response rate was 100% and 51.4% of the participants felt comfortable and 80% felt confident on emergency days. However, male interns were significantly more comfortable and confident than females (P = 0.001 and 0.022 respectively). Endo-emergency constituted 77% of dental emergencies followed by surgery. 81.9% believe that age is the most challenging factor affecting their ER work, and most of them do not believe that patient's gender and ethnicity affect their performance. Stock shortages were the biggest challenge for their supervisor-led management. Conclusion: Majority of interns feel satisfied with their management of emergency cases during COVID-19 Pandemic with superior male significant meaning. More emergency training programs should be established in the educational dental curriculum to improve their satisfaction and confidence rate, especially for females during pandemics.

Clinical Response to COVID-19 and Utilization of an Emergency Dental Clinic in an Academic Institution

IntroductionThe spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the spring of 2020 resulted in the temporary suspension of elective dental procedures and clinical dental education in academic institutions. This study describes the use of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine emergency dental clinic during the peak surge in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, highlighting the number of endodontic emergencies. MethodsAggregate data from clinical encounters and call records to an emergency triage phone line from March 30 through May 8, 2020, were used to describe the characteristics of dental emergencies, clinical encounters, and procedures performed. ResultsA total of 466 patient interactions occurred during this period, resulting in 199 patients advised by phone and 267 clinical encounters. The most common dental emergencies were severe dental pain from pulpal inflammation (27.7% of clinical encounters) followed by a surgical postoperative visit (13.1%). The most frequent procedures were extractions (13.9% of clinical encounters) and surgical follow-up (13.5%); 50.2% of the clinical encounters were categorized as aerosol generating, and 86.1% of encounters would have required treatment in a hospital emergency department if dental care was not available. There were no known transmissions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 among clinic providers, patients, or staff during this period. ConclusionsThese results highlight the importance of endodontic diagnosis and treatment in the provision of emergency dental care during a pandemic and demonstrate that dental treatment can be provided in a manner that minimizes the risk of viral transmission, maintaining continuity of care for a large patient population.

Opioid prescribing trends in a Veterans Affairs emergency department and dental clinic before and after implementation of opioid-prescribing guidelines.

IntroductionOpioid overdose is highly prevalent among veterans. The Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued prescribing guidelines for managing chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the 2013 OSI and 2016 CDC guidelines on opioid-prescribing trends in the emergency department and dental clinic within the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System.MethodsIn this retrospective, cohort study, opioid prescriptions were queried from January 1, 2013, through March 31, 2017, and separated into 3 groups: pre-OSI, post-OSI, and post-CDC. The primary outcome was to determine a decrease in opioid prescribing. Secondary outcomes included changes in concurrent benzodiazepine and naloxone prescriptions and prescriber status. Analysis of variance was used to determine a difference between study periods.ResultsThere were 7339 opioid prescriptions identified. A statistically significant difference was found between the 3 groups in average number of opioids prescribed, morphine milligram equivalents per prescription, days' supplied, and medication quantity per prescription (P < .01). There was no significant difference between the 3 groups regarding morphine milligram equivalents per day (P = .24). Benzodiazepine prescribing remained the same. Concurrent naloxone prescriptions increased.DiscussionThe results demonstrate that days' supply, quantity, and morphine milligram equivalent per day in the post-CDC group were consistent with guideline recommendations. Concurrent naloxone prescribing increased throughout all time periods. Implementation of guidelines impacted opioid-prescribing trends, ultimately lessening potential for misuse and abuse. However, there is still need for improvement with reducing concurrent benzodiazepine prescriptions.

Covid-19 and dental emergencies: reflections on teledentistry

Early in 2020, the COVID-19 virus spread throughout the world. On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic due to the level of spread and the severity of the disease. In efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of new infections and deaths, people around the world took steps that had not been taken in modern history. As countries and locales issued “shelter in place edicts” the economic and social impact on businesses and professions was dramatic. The field of dentistry was similarly affected as edicts were made by governmental officials that elective dental procedures be stopped. In the state of Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation mandating that effective March 27, 2020 all dentists and their staff refrain from performing “elective dental procedures and nonessential or elective surgeries”. With this turn of events, dental practices across the state were effectively shut down, only being allowed to treat emergency patients. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Dental Board, Delta Dental of Iowa, and the University of Iowa College of Dentistry shared an interest in exploring telehealth as a means of improving access to dental care for vulnerable populations. While steady progress was being made prior to the Pandemic, once the practice of dentistry in Iowa was restricted, the interest in telehealth, or “Teledentistry” soared. At the University Of Iowa College Of Dentistry, procedures were put in place to allow all emergency patients to be triaged through Teledentistry prior to being appointed in the Clinic. Using synchronous Teledentistry systems, “e-visits” prior to emergency care became the “new normal”. Patients calling in for an emergency appointment were offered a menu of options for these e-visits including: 1) phone call; 2) phone call and sharing of images; or 3) a ZOOM meeting. All e-visits were provided by Dental faculty members at the University of Iowa with experience overseeing patient care in the Dental Emergency Clinic ranging from three to ten years. Final decisions on appointing patients were made by the provider based on existing records (when available), subjective symptoms (pain), objective findings (visible swelling), patients distress level, expectations and availability. During the initial 8-weeks following closure of our dental clinics (March 16-May 15), a total of 491 patients were seen in our dental emergency clinics, all of whom had been triaged by phone calls or e-visits. Most Patients reported overall satisfaction about the procedure. Based on our experience, Teledentistry (e-visits) are a useful tool to help in prioritizing dental emergencies.KeywordsTeledentistry; E-visits; Zoom visits.