Background. This study aimed to identify the most common types of nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the variations in the most common NTDCs by patient age groups and rural or urban locations and the impact of COVID-19 Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective data analysis of ED data from the North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiology Collection Tool. The authors estimated the proportions of NTDCs of all ED visits in 2019 and 2021 and ranked the proportions of the major categories of NTDCs by age groups and rural or urban locations. They used a multiple logistic regression model to assess the impact of COVID-19 on NTDCs. Results. By the first diagnosis, the proportion of NTDCs dropped from 1.1% in 2019 to 0.99% in 2021 (P < .001). Caries was specified as the third most common NTDC. Oral infection was the top NTDC among young (<= 17 years) and older patients (>= 65 years). No significant differences were found in NTDCs between rural and urban areas (P = .68). Children younger than 2 years (adjusted odds ratio, 4.36) and adults aged 18 through 44 years (adjusted odds ratio, 4.54) were more likely to visit the ED for NTDCs than those 75 years and older. Conclusions. The proportion of NTDCs seen at the ED was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 than in 2019. The common NTDCs varied by age group but were similar in rural and urban areas. The most common NTDCs were related to toothache, oral infection, and caries. Practical Implications. More efforts are needed to reduce ED visits for NTDCs.

OBJECTIVE:To assess disparities in preventive dental service use in four major racial/ethnic groups and assess whether racial/ethnic and income-related disparities among children were reduced from 2016 to 2020.METHODS:Data were from the 2016 and 2020 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). The outcomes of interest were having dental sealants, fluoride treatment, and dental caries in the past 12 months. Racial/ethnic groups included non-Hispanic (NH) whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and others. Family income level was categorized as below or above the 200% federal poverty level (low-income vs. high-income). Children ages 2-17 were included (N = 161,539). All data were self-reported by parents/guardians. We estimated the trends of racial/ethnic disparities in having fluoride treatment, dental sealants, and dental caries from 2016 to 2020 and tested two 2-way interactions (i.e., year by race/ethnicity, year by income) and one 3-way interaction (year by income by race/ethnicity) to assess the change in disparities from 2016 to 2020.RESULTS:Overall, no significant trends in receipt of fluoride treatment, dental sealants, or having dental caries were found from 2016 to 2020 among the racial/ethnic groups, except for a decreasing trend in dental sealants for Asian American children (p = 0.03). Overall, NH white children were more likely to have received preventive dental services than children from minority groups (all p < 0.05); Asian American children (AOR = 1.31) were more likely to have dental caries than NH white children.CONCLUSION:Disparities in receipt of evidence-based preventive services by children persisted. Continuous efforts are needed to promote the use of preventive dental services among children of minority populations.