Identifying Risk Factors for Dental Emergency Visits in the US Army

ABSTRACT Introduction The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between subjects’ oral health characteristics and the incidence of a dental emergency over 1 year. Materials and Methods The Corporate Dental System (CDS) generated a limited data set for service members assigned for dental care at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Data extracted included demographics and oral health characteristics (dental readiness classification, caries risk, periodontal screening and recording values (PSR), and tobacco use). Subjects were grouped based on the presence of a dental emergency visit code in the past year. Results A total of 20,210 individuals were included in the sample; 8.5% of individuals sought emergency dental care during the period. Kruskal-Wallis tests found significant differences (P