Why Hospitals Need a Dental Pathway
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National data shows the size of the gap. Your own data shows what it means for your hospital.
What national data shows
An estimated annual average of 1,944,000 U.S. emergency department visits involved tooth disorders, about 1.4% of all ED visits.
Medicaid was the primary expected payer at 55.4% of these visits.
Median hospital cost of a treat-and-release ED visit for adults 18–64: $158 for nontraumatic and $292 for traumatic dental conditions.
Hospital cost estimates, not patient bills, prices or savings.
These figures describe U.S. visits during the stated periods. They are not 2026 counts and are not Dentulu results.
Source details and definitionsWhy the ED is a hard place to resolve a dental problem
Many dental conditions need procedures such as drainage, fillings, root canal treatment or extraction. EDs can manage pain and screen for dangerous infection, but definitive dental treatment usually happens elsewhere. Without a clear next step, patients may return.
What a hospital dental pathway can add
- Access to dental expertise for clinicians assessing dental complaints
- A bridge from stabilization to definitive care, so the plan does not stop at discharge
- Discharge follow-up coordination for patients without a dentist
- Collaboration around medically complex patients, where dental and medical issues interact
- Clearer workflows so staff know whom to call and what happens next
- Structured measurement of the dental need your hospital already sees
Oral care is also an inpatient quality topic
CDC's oral health toolkit asks hospitals to build oral care into care for non-ventilated patients as part of preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia. That work is led by nursing and infection-prevention teams. Dental professionals can support it, but this page does not claim that Dentulu's services prevent pneumonia.
CDC encourages hospitals to build oral care into care for non-ventilated patients as part of preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia.
Does not show that any Dentulu service prevents pneumonia.
Outcomes to evaluate in a pilot
Improved efficiency, patient experience, appropriate prescribing and lower cost are reasonable goals. They are outcomes to measure, not results Dentulu has established.
Pilot measurementIs every hospital required to offer dental services?
No general rule requires every hospital to purchase dental services. Whether a dental pathway makes sense depends on your patient population, your existing resources and your goals.
Frequently asked questions
How many U.S. ED visits involve tooth disorders?
CDC estimates an annual average of 1,944,000 visits during 2020–2022, about 1.4% of all ED visits.
Are these 2026 figures?
No. The data period is 2020–2022; the report was published in June 2025.
Does the $158 figure mean a hospital saves $158 per visit?
No. It is a median hospital cost for one type of 2020 ED visit, not a saving or a price.
Why can't the ED simply treat the dental problem?
Many dental conditions need procedures that are usually done in a dental setting.
How would we know whether a dental pathway helps our hospital?
Run a pilot with measures agreed in advance, using your own data.
See what your hospital's dental volume suggests.
Please do not include patient information.