Emergency care in pediatric dentistry.

The emergency room records of 1,456 children who were treated at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh with any oral complaint, during a single calendar year, were reviewed with the data entered into a computer. The data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Trauma (676 visits) was responsible for 46 percent of the total visits, with boys representing a significantly higher percentage of trauma visits than girls (440 vs 236). The total number of trauma visits was also significantly higher for the youngest age-group (birth to three years). Soft-tissue injuries represented a substantially higher percentage of trauma cases (58 percent), compared with dental injuries (35 percent) and bony injuries (3 percent). Emergency dental services are a viable part of emergency services in major population centers; emergency care is an essential component of overall dental services.