Missed preoperative nursing care in dentistry

Missed preoperative nursing care in dentistry is a critical but overlooked public health issue in many low-resource settings worldwide, including regions across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. In numerous low and middle-income countries, dental emergencies are managed almost exclusively by dentists, with minimal structured nursing support. This gap in care contributes to delayed interventions, preventable morbidity and mortality, and rising healthcare costs. A systemic approach is urgently needed to integrate nursing into dental emergency management. This includes expanding nursing education to cover oral health, developing standardized nursing protocols for dental infections and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration between the nursing and dental professionals. While successful models from high-income countries offer promising frameworks, their adaptation requires careful consideration of local health system capacities and cultural contexts. Although empirical data on the economic and clinical impact of missed dental nursing care remain limited, addressing this gap is a pressing public health priority. Doing so offers a cost-effective opportunity to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations in underserved regions.