Hospital usage for oral and dental conditions in Hawaii: A cross-sectional study using the 2021 Hawaii statewide hospital data

Objective

To investigate the frequency of emergency department (ED) usage primarily for oral/dental conditions in Hawaii and to examine social-demographic factors associated with the identified ED visits.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of the 2021 Hawaii Statewide Hospital data. We identified records indicating ED usage and a primary diagnosis of non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDC) and other oral dental conditions (OODC). Descriptive analyses of ED visits for NTDC and OODC were performed to identify vulnerable individuals based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, primary source of payment, county of residence, and total charges per hospital record. A multivariable negative binomial regression model included age, sex, and county of residence was used to obtain adjusted rate ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of ED visits for NTDC.

Results

Among hospital records with diagnoses for oral or dental conditions (n = 12,336), 97% indicated ED, of which half had an NTDC diagnosis, and the remaining half had an OODC diagnosis. Distinct differences in the characteristics of ED visits were observed between NTDC and OODC. The median total charges per record indicating ED for NTDC and OODC were $1439 and $2439, respectively. A higher rate of ED visits for NTDC was found for those aged 21–44 (aRR [95%CI] = 3.02 [2.41, 3.80], reference: 0–9 years) and those living in a less populous county (Hawaii: 1.73 [1.43, 2.07]; Kauai: 1.78 [1.45, 2.19], reference: Honolulu).

Conclusions

Continued effort to improve dental health is required to reduce ED visits for oral and dental conditions among Hawaii residents, especially for vulnerable individuals.