Estimation of nonpreventable dental emergencies in U.S. Marine Corps personnel.

Previous studies of military personnel have reported that 26% to 75% of dental emergencies cannot be prevented. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the percentage of dental emergencies for which causative conditions were not indicated for urgent treatment on the previous annual dental examination (nonpreventable dental emergency) and (2) to estimate the rate of dental emergencies that can be expected if all urgent treatment is completed. This retrospective cohort study of Marine Corps recruits revealed that 58.4% to 70.3% of conditions resulting in dental emergencies were nonpreventable. Therefore, the estimated range of dental emergencies that can be expected if all urgent treatment indicated on the previous dental examination is completed is 77 to 92 dental emergencies per 1,000 personnel per year. The rate of nonpreventable dental emergencies should be considered when staffing for level I care.