Emergency dental care: a cross-secional study

Abstract

Objective: Investigate dental emergencies among adults over 18 seeking unscheduled care at Dental Emergency Internship Clinics of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (FO-UFJF), examining demographic and socioeconomic factors and outlining care profiles, resolutions, and demand characteristics. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 250 patients over six months. Participants completed a structured questionnaire post-emergency consultation, covering demographic, socioeconomic, and dental history details, as well as care specifics like consultation reasons and follow-up needs. Descriptive analysis and statistical tests (Pearson's chi-square, Fisher's exact, and linear trend) assessed associations between patient demographics/socioeconomics, consultation reasons, and outcomes (resolution, medication, radiography, referral). The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: Patients aged18-84 years (58% female) and were from low socioeconomic backgrounds (less than a minimum wage). Primary reasons for seeking care included restorative, prosthetic, or endodontic needs, often for first-time visitors (60.8%). Prosthetic requests were notably higher among those over 56 years (p=0.05), while restorative cases saw higher resolution rates (p=0.013). Endodontic cases frequently required radiographic examination (p=0.017). Conclusion: Users were mostly women with an average age of 50 years and low socioeconomic status. Most sought the service for the first time, with complaints resolved in most cases, and were referred for continued dental treatment.