Hospital ED staff dealing with difficult dental drill
Toothache has become a pain for hospital staff as cash-strapped patients turn up for treatment after hours.
In 2017 and 2018, 103 patients showed up at Blenheim’s Wairau Hospital’s emergency department for help with dental issues.
But doctors have warned that the hospital should not be the default option except for genuine emergencies.
Wairau Hospital emergency medicine specialist Dr Andrew Morgan said staff were limited in what they could do to help – and patients might have to wait hours until they could be seen, as more urgent cases were seen first.
‘‘Toothache can be absolute agony, and I suspect it may be money that leads people to us, or people are frightened of going to the dentist,’’ Morgan said.
‘‘We try to do our best, and while we can sometimes cover up the tooth, we can’t do extractions, and people should really be trying to see a dentist.’’
In March, 2018, the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) revealed that the average cost of a non-complicated, single amalgam filling in Nelson and Marlborough was $130. A single root canal, not including restoration work, would cost an average of $596. In Auckland, the costs rose to $170 for a filling and $693 for a root canal.
NZDA president Dr Bill O’Connor said people seeking help through emergency departments was a ‘‘nationwide issue’’, especially in smaller towns where other night-time options were not available.
‘‘A lot depends on the district health board’s attitudes and abilities to cope. People in pain is probably not indication enough that there is something serious going on. While pretty severe pain is horrendous, pain alone doesn’t kill you, it just feels like it might,’’ he said.
The Marlborough Dental Association typically organises a duty roster for emergency appointments on weekends and public holidays, when people’s dentists might not be available. But fear over costs has seen some people resort to other measures.
Hospital dental surgeon Donna Kennedy said the hospital was there to help with emergency services for trauma, severe infections and uncontrolled oral bleeding.
Pain relief treatment for Community Services Card holders was available by referral by a health professional but the Urgent Care Centre next to the hospital was the ‘‘go-to for concerns’’.
‘‘Hospital may provide emergency dental treatment, but this should be your last option. You may still have to follow up with a dentist later. If you have a serious injury affecting your mouth, teeth or gums, go to the emergency department at your hospital,’’ she said.