I stumbled upon a very interesting article about an increasing and worrying trend that is emerging in the United States. That is, that Americans are visiting the emergency room in hospitals more frequently than ever for dental treatment.
I too have seen an increasing number of patients who have been referred from hospitals needing dental treatment. So how does one’s tooth become so bad that we require admission into the Emergency Department?
A number of factors include the lack of financial assistance from the Government on dental treatment, as well as a lack of proper oral hygiene practices on the individual’s part. To minimise these dental emergencies from happening, good oral hygiene practices need to be maintained at home!
The diagram below lists data for the USA. The proportion of Australians without health insurance is similar, and the costs of treatment are similar also. Do yourself a favour… and get your teeth regularly checked!