Oral health reception and risk classification protocol: development and validation in a dental emergency service

This study aimed to develop and validate an Oral Health Reception and Risk Classification Protocol for dental emergencies to optimize care and organize service demands. This methodological study was conducted in four stages: literature review to identify existing models, protocol development, content validation by expert judges, and a pilot study to analyze reliability. The protocol, based on the Manchester Triage System and the Oral Health Network Guidelines of Paraná, was structured in nine items: personal data, history of the current condition, pain, pain classification, vital signs, need for medication, medical history, priority, and risk classification. The pilot study included 80 patients treated at the Dental Emergency Service of the School of Dentistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (PSO-HOUFU). A total of 93.75% of patients reported pain, predominantly spontaneous and intense. The most frequent classifications were yellow risk (50%) and green risk (45%). The average time between arrival and treatment was 1 h 33 min, with a dropout rate of 2.5%. Ten on-call professionals participated in the validation using the Content Validity Index. The Kappa coefficient indicated a 97% agreement. The protocol was considered valid in terms of appearance, clarity, and relevance. It can be safely used by health professionals in dental emergency triage.