EDs grapple with surging demand from patients with dental problems

摘要

With surging demand from patients with both medical and mental health needs, and continuing pressure to reduce costs, ED managers have a full plate of concerns to contend with. But on top of all these issues, new reports suggest that an increasing number of patients are visiting the ED with dental problems. In a new report, A Costly Dental Destination: Hospital Care Means States Pay Dearly, The Pew Center on the States in Washington, DC, reports that ED visits for dental problems increased by 16% between 2006 and 2009, and analysts say this trend is continuing.In fact, most ED managers who work in large, urban settings are well aware of the issue because they contend with it every day. Hany Attallah, MD, the assistant medical director in the ED at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA, estimates that out of the 300-350 patients who present for care every day, 20-25 of them have dental issues that should really be dealt with by a dentist.