Epidemiology of Traumatic Dental Injuries Among Pediatric Patients in the United States: Estimates From the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

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Abstract
Introduction: Pediatric traumatic dental injuries are serious conditions that require extensive care for the best emotional and physical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to provide updated national estimates on traumatic dental injuries in the pediatric population presenting to hospital‐based emergency department (ED) during the years 2021–2022. Methods: This study utilized the Nationwide Emergency Department database (NEDS) for the years 2021 and 2022. All ED visits with a diagnosis (primary or secondary) of traumatic dental injuries were included. Nationally representative estimates were computed. Results: There were 64,631 ED visits attributed to traumatic dental injuries in the pediatric population in the years 2021 and 2022. The majority were male (60.8%) and the predominant ethnicity white (46.0%). The most common external cause of injuries were falls (36.4%) with the most frequent age group being 2 years old (9.9%). The mean hospital ED charge per visit was $3988 (SE 192.86) and the total hospital ED charges across the entire United States was $252,287,648 during this time period. Conclusions: The study found that hospital ED charges have increased compared to past years. The frequency of traumatic dental injuries present in the ED for the pediatric population has remained high. It is important to highlight the use of the ED for these injuries since the ED provides less comprehensive care at a higher cost.

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