Continued care of children seen in an emergency department for dental trauma.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the rate of continuing care for dental trauma patients seen after-hours in a hospital emergency department (ED) and identify predictors for and barriers to seeking continuing care.

Methods: Records of 856 patients treated at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) ED for dental trauma between September 2003 and December 2007, were screened for avulsion, luxation, and intrusion injuries. A qualifying cohort (QC) of 175 patients was included based on injury and root development. A quality assurance survey was conducted with 96 parents of these patients to determine barriers and predictors for follow-up treatment.

Results: Patients averaged 2.5 follow-up visits at NCH. The most commonly reported barriers to receiving treatment were: having to miss school (21%), taking time off of work (17%), and costs associated with dental care (13%). No statistical significance (P=.22) was found between number of follow-up visits and the patient retaining the injured tooth. The number of follow-up visits was not significantly different between patients with private and public insurance.

Conclusions: School, work, and costs associated with ongoing trauma management affect follow-up compliance irrespective of payment source.