Dental office closures during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with increased burden on emergency rooms, according to a new study from the New York University College of Dentistry in New York City.
Researchers at NYU examined Medicaid claims data for children in New York to determine if there were any differences in ER visits for dental concerns before the pandemic versus in 2020.
Five notes from the study:
1. The study found that practice closures that took place to align with public health measures between March and May 2020 led to more children with dental health issues visiting ERs.
2. Specifically, these closures were associated with a 62% increase in the share of emergency room visits from toothaches, abscesses and other dental issues among children covered by Medicaid.
3. This increase in ER visits was the most pronounced among children ages 9 and younger.
4. Researchers also found that this trend continued even after dentists reopened their offices in May 2020, although it was not as prevalent.
5. Researchers recommended that health systems consider options for emergency dental care that can keep patients out of emergency rooms, such as offering limited dental services or establishing urgent dental care clinics.