Endodontic emergencies at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital Center: Prevalence, epidemiological, and therapeutic aspects

Purpose: Endodontic emergencies constitute a substantial portion of dental emergencies. This study was carried out at the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital Center aimed to determine the different types of endodontic emergencies and their epidemiological and therapeutic aspects to better understand these events.
Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, involving patients who sought an emergency consultation. The collected variables were age, gender, the reason for consultation, diagnosis, and treatment.
Results: The number of included patients was 227, of whom 126 (56.8%) were female. Endodontic emergency consultations accounted for 51.54% of the dental emergencies. Pain was the main reason for the emergency consultation in 60% of cases. Irreversible pulpitis was the most common type of endodontic emergency, with a frequency of 44.8%. The most common (55.5%) emergency treatment was based on medication followed by a surgical treatment (22.47%) and medical-surgical treatment (22.03%).
Conclusion: This study showed that endodontic emergencies are the most common type of dental emergency. The lack of equipment and medical consumables limits the quality of care for such cases.