Boston emergency departments are quietly becoming the backup dentist for a growing number of families, with a steady rise in patients coming in for tooth trouble. The spike is especially sharp among children under 15, and clinicians say it signals that families are losing access to regular preventive dental care. When small cavities or minor infections go untreated, they can turn into painful, sometimes dangerous problems that land kids in the ER instead of in a dental chair.
Local doctors say access problems, not bad habits, are to blame
Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent medicine at Mass General Brigham for Children, has been watching the trend up close and told local reporters that limited access to preventive dental care is the main factor…..