Oral injuries in children: comparison of those children who visit and do not visit the after-hours clinic after telephone consultation

Pediatric patients who sustain oral and dental injuries during the evening or night require telephone consultation and/or examination at our regional medical center in the oral surgery clinic. Between April 1, 2001 and March 31, 2003, a total of 393 patients (1-15 years old) sought advice; 67.7% came for a visit and examination after telephone consultation (visited patients) and 32.3% received telephone advice, but did not need to come for a medical visit (non-visited patients). The busiest consulting time for both groups was the evening time band. Soft tissue injuries were the most frequent in both visited and non-visited patients, 66.9 and 85.0% respectively. Particularly in non-visited patients, the upper lip was the most significantly affected site (57.4%). The most common cause of injuries was falls (84.2% of visited and 77.2% of non-visited patients). Of non-visited patients, the most common reason not to visit was a minor injury that did not require examination (87.4%). We recommend that a personal telephone call from a dentist is important because telephone consultation can help triage patients and provide relief for the patient's guardians.