A prospective survey of hospital ambulatory dental emergencies. Part 1: Patient and emergency characteristics.

Part 1 of this study describes the dental disorders and patient characteristics of 253 patients who presented as dental emergencies to the University Hospital dental clinic, Vancouver, BC, during a three-month period. Most patients had a true perception of what constitutes a dental emergency. Dental pain was the predominant reason for seeking help, and the pain existed for more than seven days prior to contact in more than 50% of patients. Patients were not always able to identify the number and location of painful teeth, and a perceived low cost for treatment was a major reason for contacting the hospital. Reliability of emergency patients in keeping scheduled appointments was very high. Almost 69% of patients did not see a dentist regularly. Referrals to the hospital dental service were most numerous in the summer months. Diagnosis of the complaints revealed infection to be the cause of pain in 76.7% of patients.