Dental Emergencies: Management Strategies That Improve Outcomes -

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Authors

 

Ryan Anthony Pedigo, MD

Director of Undergraduate Medical Education, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA; Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

 

 

Marlaina M. Norris, MD, MBA

Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

 

 

Abstract

 

Acute dental emergencies are a common chief complaint presenting to emergency departments, and they are increasing substantially in frequency. The diagnosis and management of dental emergencies is a core competency of the emergency clinician, and proper therapeutic strategies can significantly improve cosmetic and functional outcomes for patients. This issue provides a systematic review of the literature on common acute traumatic and atraumatic dental emergencies with a focus on the historical and physical examination findings that must be understood to identify life-threatening infections, relieve pain, salvage natural teeth, and communicate with specialists in the further management of patients after emergency treatment.

 

Excerpt From This Issue

 

Your first patient of the shift is a 20-year-old man who was involved in an altercation. On physical examination, you note that he is missing 2 teeth and has chipped another. EMS found 1 of the teeth on the scene and has stored it in milk. You wonder, “Was milk the best storage medium? Do I need to worry about the missing tooth or other injuries? How do I replant a tooth? Does the chipped tooth need any specific intervention?”