Emergency department visits for nontraumatic dental problems: A mixed-methods study

B.C. Sun, D.L. Chi, E. Schwarz, P. Milgrom, A. Yagapen, S. Malveau, Z. Chen, B. Chan, S. Danner, E. Owen, V. Morton and R.A. Lowe

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 5, 947-955

Abstract: Objectives: We documented emergency department (ED) visits for nontraumatic dental problems and identified strategies to reduce ED dental visits. Methods. We used mixed methods to analyze claims in 2010 from a purposive sample of 25 Oregon hospitals and Oregon's All Payer All Claims data set and interviewed 51 ED dental visitors and stakeholders from 6 communities. Results: Dental visits accounted for 2.5% of ED visits and represented the second-most-common discharge diagnosis in adults aged 20 to 39 years, were associated with being uninsured (odds ratio [OR] = 5.2 [reference: commercial insurance]; 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.8, 5.5) or having Medicaid insurance (OR=4.0; 95% CI=3.7, 4.2), resulted in opioid (56%) and antibiotic (56%) prescriptions, and generated $402 (95% CI= $396, $408) in hospital costs per visit. Interviews revealed health system, community, provider, and patient contributors to ED dental visits. Potential solutions provided by interviewees included Medicaid benefit expansion, care coordination, water fluoridation, and patient education. Conclusions: Emergency department dental visits are a significant and costly public health problem for vulnerable individuals. Future efforts should focus on implementing multilevel interventions to reduce ED dental visits.

Keywords: antiinfective agent; narcotic analgesic agent, adolescent; adult; aged; child; dental procedure; economics; emergency health service; female; health care survey; human; infant; insurance; male; medicaid; medically uninsured; middle aged; Oregon; preschool child; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; United States; utilization; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Analgesics, Opioid; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Care; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Health Care Surveys; Humans; Infant; Insurance Claim Review; Male; Medicaid; Medically Uninsured; Middle Aged; Oregon; Socioeconomic Factors; United States; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.302398_3

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302398

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