What happens when 10% of ER cases are related to dental issues?

We came across an interesting report on CNN.com – one showing that “nationally, more than 2.1 million people, the vast majority of them adults, showed up in ERs with dental pain in 2010, double the number just a decade prior, according to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.”

According to the CNN report, “Those ER visits for largely preventable issues cost the health system more than $2 billion that year. And the majority of dental ER visits, nearly 80%, were for common and preventable conditions like abscesses and cavities.

The reason for this? The percentage of working-age adults — particularly young adults — with private dental benefits continues to decline. And more than half of lower-income adults say they haven’t seen a dentist in a year or longer. So patients go without proper cleaning and examinations and end up at the ER when a problem strikes.”

Read the full report here at CNN.com….

Many of the issues contributing to these ER visits could be solved by simple prevention – regular cleaning and checkups. This simple preventative approaches could also reduce a need for the periodontal services that we provide here at the Broward Center for Laser Periodontics and Implants.

While the CNN report focuses on patients who quite often could not afford to see a dental professional, it is a reminder that letting your personal dental care get away from you can results in emergency procedures or procedures that are more invasive than one would think.

Find Out More About Your Oral Health – Talk with a Periodontist Today!

If you have questions for a periodontist – what we do, how we can help your smile – please contact our offices. We’d be happy to talk more with you!

Deerfield Beach office: (954) 427-5700