EB Medicine - May 2003
"Sound familiar? Complaints pertaining to teeth are common, and patients frequently present to the ED for initial care. Many patients realize that definitive care must be provided by a dentist or oral surgeon, but either pain, trauma, inability to contact their dentist, or the lack of financial resources leads patients to our EDs. While treating dental emergencies in the ED can be challenging and frustrating, it can also be immensely satisfying. There is no more appreciative patient than one relieved of severe dental pain. Many emergency physicians are unable to recognize and treat acute dental problems because of a lack of specific training, yet proper initial care will limit morbidity such as tooth loss, pain, infection, and, potentially, craniofacial abnormality. Moreoever, while “dental patients” are often triaged as non-emergent, some of these patients deserve ICU-level care from the moment that they come into the ED."