Analysis of adult dental emergencies at a medical center in southern Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The need for dental emergency (DE) services has increased in recent years. This study therefore investigated the characteristics of patients presenting with DEs in a medical center in southern Taiwan. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study of 1964 adult patients who presented with a DE at the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in 2018. Medical records providing age, sex, time, day, past visit history, chief complaint, diagnosis, and treatment were collected and analyzed. Results: The results revealed that men constituted 52.4% of the patients with DEs, the average age was 45.6 years, and the age distribution peak was 20-29 years (26.5%). The peak period for the DE visit was between 17:00 and 24:00 (42.1%), and the peak day of the week was Sunday (27.4%), followed by Saturday (18.0%). The most common chief complaint was pain (49.8%), and the diagnoses were as follows: pulp-related problems (36.7%), periodontal-related problems (22.9%), trauma (22.2%), odontogenic infection (15.3%), postoperative complications (9.2%), and temporomandibular disorders (3.7%). Dental treatment and medication were prescribed for 51.9% of the patients with DE. The rate of patients recommended for further dental treatment was 86.8%, and the actual return rate was 40.1%. Conclusion: This study revealed that the top three reasons for adult DE visits were pulp-related problems, periodontal-related problems, and trauma. These results may be used as a reference for dentists who provide DE services.