The Journal of the American Dental Association
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Comparative Study
Racial and ethnic variations in waiting times for emergency department visits related to nontraumatic dental conditions in the United States.
Researchers have documented an association between waiting times in emergency departments (EDs) and quality of care for medical conditions, but little is known about trends and factors associated with waiting times for ED visits related to nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs). The authors examined trends in waiting time and associated factors for NTDC-related ED visits in the United States. ⋯ Prolonged waiting times associated with NTDC-related ED visits reinforce the need for dental professionals to continue to advise patients regarding the need to implement oral health preventive strategies and to avoid the use of the ED for preventable common dental conditions.
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It is common to find published studies in which the authors claim to have found significant results. However, many times these results are only statistically significant with no meaningful impact in clinical settings. ⋯ Any benefit in terms of improved health outcomes must be both clinically and statistically significant. If there is no benefit at the threshold of both clinical and statistical improvement, then the intervention should not be used for that purpose.