Hospitalizations primarily attributed to dental conditions in the United States in 2008.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide estimates of hospitalizations attributed to oral health related conditions in the United States (US).

STUDY DESIGN: The nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) for 2008 was used. Hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of dental/oral health-related conditions were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes.

RESULTS: A total of 50,658 hospital admissions were primarily attributed to oral health-related conditions in 2008. Total US hospitalization charges were $1.218 billion. Total US hospitalization days were 174,496 days.

CONCLUSIONS: The current study examines outcomes in patients hospitalized primarily for dental/oral health-related conditions. Of 39,885,120 hospitalizations that occurred in the US, a total of 50,658 (1.27%) were primarily attributed to dental-related conditions. Substantial resources are spent in treating dental-related conditions in hospital settings.