Epidemiology and Outcomes of Hospital-based Emergency Department Visits with Tooth Fractures

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of hospital-based emergency department (ED) visits for tooth fracture and subsequent dentally related hospital admissions. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for the years 2008 to 2010. All children up to 21 years old, with a diagnosis of tooth fracture due to trauma, were selected. Hospital ED charges, occurrence of concurrent injuries, and hospitalization following ED visits were examined. Results: A total of 199,061 ED visits were attributed to broken or fractured teeth; males comprised 63 percent of ED visits. Skull and facial fractures were present in seven percent and intracranial injuries in four percent of ED visits. The most frequent causes for ED visits and for subsequent hospitalization, respectively, were falls and motor vehicle accidents. The mean charge for each ED visit was $1,441. Total charges for the entire United States were $241.8 million. Following an ED visit, 7,233 patients were admitted as inpatients. Conclusions: Males comprised a majority of these emergency department visits. Occurrence of concomitant bodily injuries appears to be common and is a significant predictor of hospitalization and hospital ED charges.