Dental emergencies at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views | PDF/EPUB Downloads: 0 / 0 / 0
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Dental emergencies represent a significant burden in both developed and developing countries, often requiring immediate intervention to manage pain, infection, trauma, or life-threatening complications.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the spectrum, frequency, and demographic distribution of dental emergencies presenting at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
Methods: A retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional analysis was conducted on all dental emergencies presenting to UPTH’s Dental Out-Patient Clinic and Emergency Department from January 2023 to December 2024. Data were collected from clinical records and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.
Results: A total of 1,598 cases were recorded, with the majority (94.1%) presenting at the dental out-patient clinic. The mean age of the patients was 33.2 ± 16.8 years, and females accounted for 59.0% of the cases. Odontogenic infections were the most common emergencies (86.5%), particularly acute apical periodontitis (61.5%). Traumatic dental injuries constituted 6.4%, while jaw and soft tissue trauma accounted for 3.9%. Significant associations were found between type of emergency and age, gender, and route of presentation (p < 0.001). Trauma-related cases were predominantly seen in males and presented more frequently at the emergency unit.
Conclusion: Dental emergencies at UPTH were predominantly odontogenic infections presenting at the out-patient clinic, while trauma-related cases were more likely to present through the emergency department.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The journal grants the right to make small numbers of printed copies for their personal non-commercial use under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
References
1. Andersson L, Petti S, Day P, Kenny K, Glendor U, Andreasen JO. Classification, epidemiology and etiology. In: Andreasen JO, Andreasen FM, Andersson L (Eds). Textbook and color atlas of traumatic injuries to the teeth, 5th ed. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell, 2018; 252-258.
2. American Dental Association. [Internet]. What constitutes a dental emergency? Available from: https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/coronavirus/covid-19-practice-resources/ada_covid19_dental_emergency_dds.pdf. Accessed 4th May 2025.
3. Loureiro RM, Naves EA, Zanello RF, Sumi DV, Gomes RLE, Daniel MM. Dental emergencies: a practical guide. Radiographics 2019;39(6):1782–1795.
4. Edwards D, Rasaiah S, Hamzah Ahmed S, Breckons M, Stone SJ, Currie CC, et al. The financial and quality of life impact of urgent dental presentations: a cross‐sectional study. Int Endod J 2023;56(6):697-709.
5. Petersen PE, Bourgeois D, Ogawa H, Estupinan-Day S, Ndiaye C. The global burden of oral diseases and risks to oral health. Bull World Health Organ 2005;83(9):661–669.
6. Owens PL, Manski RJ, Weiss AJ. Emergency Department Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs #280. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US), 2021.
7. Peres MA, Macpherson LMD, Weyant RJ, Daly B, Venturelli R, Mathur MR, et al. Oral diseases: a global public health challenge. Lancet 2019;394(10194):249–260.
8. Glendor U. Aetiology and risk factors related to traumatic dental injuries—a review of the literature. Dent Traumatol 2009;25(1):19–31.
9. Olajide M, Babalogbon S, Ladeji A, Fasasi O, Abah A, Akinleye A. Pattern and distribution of patients’ dental attendance in a Nigerian tertiary centre. Saudi J Oral Dent Res 2021;6(6):251-260.
10. Akaji EA, Chukwuneke FN, Okeke UF. Attendance pattern amongst patients at the Dental Clinic of the University of Nigeria. Niger J Med 2012;21(1):74–77.
11. Owotade FJ, Fatusi OA, Ojo MA. Call hour maxillofacial emergencies presenting to a Nigerian teaching hospital. Afr J Oral Health 2004;1(1):17-24.
12. Denloye OO, Fasola AO, Arotiba JT. Dental emergencies in children seen at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria-5-year review. Afr J Med Med Sci 1998; 28(3-4):197-199.
13. Okechi UC, Obi DI, Aniagor CJ. Trends in emergency room visits of oral and maxillofacial surgery patients in a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria. Int J Med Health Dev 2023;28(3):251–255.
14. Neal TW, Schlieve T. (2022). Complications of severe odontogenic infections: a review. Biology (Basel) 2022; 11(12): 1784.
15. Davis EE, Deinard AS, Maïga EW. Doctor, my tooth hurts: the costs of incomplete dental care in the emergency room. J Public Health Dent 2010;70(3):205–210.
16. VanMalsen JR, Figueiredo R, Rabie H, Compton SM. Factors associated with emergency department use for non-traumatic dental problems: scoping review. J Can Dent Assoc 2019;84:j3.
17. Verma S, Chambers I. Dental emergencies presenting to a general hospital emergency department in Hobart, Australia. Aust Dent J 2014 ;59(3):329-333.
18. Adeyemo WL, Ladeinde AL, Ogunlewe MO, James O. Trends and characteristics of oral and maxillofacial injuries in Nigeria: a review of the literature. Head Face Med 2005;1:7.
19. Omitola OG, Arigbede AO. Prevalence and pattern of pain presentation among patients attending a tertiary dental center in a southern region of Nigeria. J Dent Res Dent Clin Dent Prospects 2010 ;4(2):42 - 46.
20. Bertakis KD, Azari R, Helms LJ, Callahan EJ, Robbins JA. Gender differences in the utilization of health care services. J Fam Pract 2000 ;49(2): 147-152.
21. Kassebaum NJ, Bernabé E, Dahiya M, Bhandari B, Murray CJL, Marcenes W. Global burden of untreated caries: a systematic review and metaregression. J Dent Res 2015;94(5):650-658.
22. Uguru N, Onwujekwe O, Uguru C, Ogu U, Okwuosa C, Okeke C. Oral health-seeking behavior among different population groups in Enugu Nigeria. PLoS One 2021;16(2):e0246164.
23. Mwanza LE, Fisa R, Birkland B. Factors influencing oral health-seeking behaviour among adult dental patients at the Dental Training School, in the Lusaka District of Zambia. Int J Oral Dent Health 2023; 9:152.
24. Al‐Jundi SH. Dental emergencies presenting to a dental teaching hospital due to complications from traumatic dental injuries. Dent Traumatol 2002;18(4):181-185.
25. Jadaan K, Al-Braizat E, Al-Rafayah S, Gammoh H, Abukahlil Y. Traffic safety in developed and developing countries: A comparative analysis. Journal of Traffic and Logistics Engineering 2018;6(1):1-5.
26. Prasad M, Manjunath C, Murthy AK, Sampath A, Jaiswal S, Mohapatra A. Integration of oral health into primary health care: a systematic review. J Family Med Prim Care 2019 ;8(6):1838-1845.