Title

Preventable Emergency Department Visits For Nontraumatic Dental Conditions: Trends And Disparities In Nevada, 2009-2015

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Publication Title

American Journal of Public Health

Publisher

American Public Health Association Inc.

Volume

108

Issue

3

First page number:

369

Last page number:

371

Abstract

Objectives. To examine trends and socioeconomic disparities for preventable dental-related emergency department (ED) visits in Nevada. Methods. We pooled retrospective data containing 66 267 ED visits involving dental conditions from Nevada hospital ED databases from 2009 to 2015. The dependent variable was nontraumatic dental conditions identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes; 3 independent variables included treatment year, health insurance status, and race/ethnicity. Results. Odds of ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions increased 16% annually from 2009 to 2015 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 1.19). Medicaid (OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.96, 2.39) and uninsured patients (OR = 2.75; 95% CI = 2.52, 3.00) presenting with nontraumatic dental conditions were 1 to 2 times more likely than those with private dental insurance to seek ED treatment. Black patients were more likely than White patients to seek ED treatment (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.24). Conclusions. Socioeconomic and demographic factors were significantly associated with ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions, with a steady increase in trends and a widening of socioeconomic disparities in recent years.

Language

English

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