An investigation of dental-related emergency department presentations and patient characteristics in Victoria, Australia

Describe the profile of consumers utilising Emergency Departments (ED) across Victorian hospitals for dental conditions between financial year 2018-19 to 2022-23.

Methods

Dental conditions were grouped according to the diagnosis categories using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM). Presentations for non-dental conditions were classified as “Other”. Dependent variables included age, sex, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) background, language other than English, interpreter required, remoteness, and socio-economic disadvantage according to the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD).

The primary outcome evaluated is the relative risk ratio (RRR) of having a hospital ED presentation for a dental condition compared to a non-dental condition and age-specific rates per 100,000 population. Multinomial logistic regression was performed following the backwards elimination method.

Results

Over the years 2018-19 to 2022-23, 0.55% (n=44,382) of ED presentations across Victorian hospitals by Victorian residents were due to dental conditions. Patients aged 20-44 years have the highest RRR compared to other age groups for dental-related ED presentations. Patients experiencing social inequity in terms of demographic factors such as Aboriginal background, requiring an interpreter, not living in a major city and living in areas of greater disadvantage (IRSD) have statistically significant increased RRR for dental-related ED presentations.

Conclusion

Patient characteristics were useful for identifying the relative risk of dental-related ED presentations between socio-economic and demographic groups to inform relevant public policy design focus on preventing dental-related ED.