Dentists, Preventive Services and Emergency Care

In a recent study completed by the Dental Quality Foundation, it was determined that emergency dental care is more expensive than routine dental visits. Surprisingly, the study found that the increase in dental emergencies was not because of increased number of people needing dental care but rather the change in dental practices. In other words, the number of patients requiring emergency treatment for tooth decay or other oral problems had significantly decreased. Emergency dental care is considered a specialty and many dentists are trained to treat these cases only.

After the CO VID-19 epidemic, 17 percent fewer dental patients had dental emergency services in a typical hospital emergency department relative to the previous year. There were no notable differences in the diagnoses and problems of patients from both years. However, after the CO VID 19 outbreak, the proportion of dental patients reporting dental emergencies who required dental surgery had increased significantly and was now almost twice as high as the proportion of people requiring dental surgeries.

Dental costs are expected to continue to rise given the projected aging of the baby boomers and an increase in chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The increase in people having an emergency department visit for tooth decay is concerning health officials. "We are concerned about the fact that this epidemic may lead to more young adults requiring extended hospital stays for care," says Dr. Peter J. Bach, director of the Office of the Maryland State Medical Board. The costs associated with CO VID 19 also included additional benefits paid to patients, such as extended stay in the hospital, x-ray and CAT scans, medications, and cosmetic surgery. The Maryland State Medical Board says it will study any recommendations made by the Medicaid program, which oversees long-term residential care in the state.

According to Bach, the Maryland State Medical Board has identified several areas of concern, including potential adverse outcomes of extending current CO VID benefits to a larger population. It has also expressed concern about the lack of information regarding the impact of extending CO VID benefits to an expanded population on current dental care needs. "The last thing that anyone wants to do is to cause harm to their patient through increased costs and reduced services," says Bach. In addition to concerns expressed by the Maryland State Medical Board, several other organizations have also raised questions regarding the future impact of extending CO VID benefits to an expanded population.

Concerns have been raised in the UK concerning the future impact of the CO VID 19 pandemic on current dental services. On the first day of the new year, a group of medical researchers released a statement claiming that the virus could result in life-threatening conditions for children with congenital heart disease. An additional group of researchers stated that they "found evidence that this disease may be carried by mosquitoes, which may then pass it on to individuals." According to The BMJ, there is a possibility that the virus could also be passed on through infected milk intended for infants or toddlers. The findings from both groups of researchers are preliminary and have not been confirmed by other research institutions or by governmental health agencies. Neither is it clear what impact the current outbreak might have on the extent of CO Vid coverage for pregnant women in the United Kingdom.

Dental emergencies are commonly caused by non-traumatic injuries that require hospitalization. According to Bach, "Dental emergencies are classified as any injury causing harm to the teeth or to the pulp of teeth. If it is non-traumatic, it means that it is not caused by direct harm to the tooth or by some sort of direct attack on the tooth's structures or organs." According to the American Dental Association's (ADA's) website, a major part of emergency or dental care takes place in an emergency or when one of the following occurs: Dental illness, an accident or trauma to the mouth, or a complication of a dental procedure.