Pediatric dental residents’ on‐call experience

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives The Commission on Dental (CODA) requires that pediatric dentistry training programs provide residents with clinical experiences in oral‐facial injury and emergency care, as well as interprofessional patient care through hospital dentistry. These standards are often met through pediatric dental residents being on‐call for children's hospitals. The aim of this study was to describe the on‐call experience of pediatric dental residents at two urban children's hospitals. Methods This cross‐sectional descriptive study collected and analyzed data on the number, type, and time and date distributions of on‐call pages received by pediatric dental residents over a 36‐month study period. Results A total of 737 on‐call pages were received. Each pediatric dental resident responded to 70 pages on average during their training. The most common reason for pages being received was inpatient consultation and oral‐facial trauma. The mean number of pages received did not vary by year, month, or day of the week. There was a statically significant difference in the mean number of pages received by the hour of the day. Conclusion Having an on‐call pediatric dental service in pediatric dentistry training programs is a meaningful way of exposing pediatric dental residents to oral‐facial trauma, hospital dentistry, and interprofessional care.