Soldiers' Dental Complaints Compared with Clinical Findings in the Military Hospital in Bologna, Italy

Abstract

There is no previous data published on the frequency and reasons for dental emergencies in the Italian Army. In this study, all the 329 soldiers who sought dental help during a 5-month period in the Military Hospital in Bologna were investigated. Prior to clinical examination, the soldiers filled out a questionnaire concerning their subjective perception about their dental treatment needs. Data from the questionnaire were then compared with the actual status findings. The results showed that endodontic problems comprised the majority of the cases (37.1%), followed by surgical problems as the second most frequent emergency (33.1%). The subjects' own perceptions showed good agreement with the clinical record in cases with endodontal or surgical problems, excluding problems related to wisdom teeth, while those related to caries and periodontal disease were less frequently correctly assessed by the soldiers.

Does Smoking Increase Risk for Caries? A Cross-Sectional Study in an Italian Military Academy

“…Few data are available: only 2 papers describe caries in the Military Forces in Italy [Calderara et al, 1992;Senna et al, 2005]; thus it is difficult to compare their results to those from the present survey. Furthermore, the second paper [Senna et al, 2005] reports oral status in a young adult population, describing quite high a caries experience.…”

Hospital Emergency Department Visits Attributed to Pulpal and Periapical Disease in the United States in 2006

“…A Greek study (2) of an emergency dental center found that 35% presented with pulpitis and 7% with cellulitis. An Italian study (3) conducted in a military hospital found that 37.1% of their dental emergencies were of a pulpal origin.…”