Experiences in a dental emergency clinic

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The Royal London Dental Hospital's Dental Emergency Clinic serves a diverse population.
• Understanding patient demographics and service utilization is crucial for effective healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe patient demographics and treatment patterns at the Dental Emergency Clinic.
• To analyze trends in patient attendance and treatment provided.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive analysis of patient data collected over six months (January-July 2001).
• Data included patient demographics, referral source, reason for attendance, and treatment provided.
• Statistical analysis was performed to identify trends and significance.

Main Results:

• 6299 patients presented; 73% were treated, 27% turned away.
• The majority of patients were White (39.1%), aged 20-39, and from the local East London and City health authority.
• Dental pain was the primary reason for attendance (73%); 8.4% increase in treatment items post-reorganization.

Conclusions:

• The Dental Emergency Clinic primarily serves the local indigenous population, despite its location in a diverse area.
• Clinic reorganization led to an increase in treatment items provided per patient.
• Further analysis is needed to understand the implications of these findings for service provision.