Pediatric dental emergencies can occur as a result of untreated dental caries, or can be caused by trauma or periodontal issues. The lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of centers authorized to deliver dental services in Romania, with only a small number of dentists delivering dental emergency treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic characteristics of children and adolescent patients who were treated in the dental emergency department of Oradea, Romania and to compare the patients who were treated in the dental emergency department in the pre-lockdown (2019), lockdown (2020) and post-lockdown year (2021). All patients who were treated in the dental emergency department were included in the study except for adults and medical files that did not contain all relevant information. Several variables were investigated (age, gender, living environment, location of affected teeth, type of emergency). In 2019, 257 children and adolescents were treated, in 2020, 198, and in 2021, 136. Most patients were aged 7–12 years in all investigated years (2019—47.9%; 2020—50.5%; 2021—43.4%), and the most affected teeth were located in the lower posterior arch (2019—53.3%; 2020—53%; 2021—48.5%). The most frequent emergencies were pulpitis (2019—40.5%; 2020—43.9%) and acute apical periodontitis (2021—42.6%). It was observed that in 2019, patients aged between 0 and 6 years were more frequently associated with trauma (p < 0.001), and in 2019 and 2020, patients aged between 7 and 12 years were more frequently associated with periodontal emergencies (p < 0.001). In 2020, patients from rural areas were more frequently associated with pulpitis (p = 0.025), and in 2021, patients from rural areas were more frequently associated with pulpitis or acute apical periodontitis, and patients from urban areas were associated more frequently with periodontal emergencies (p = 0.042). Pediatric patients with ages between 7 and 12 years old, who lived in an urban environment were most affected. Teeth located in the lower and upper posterior dental arches were most affected, and pulpitis or acute apical periodontitis were the most common pathologies.

Background/Objectives: Dental emergencies significantly impact public oral health, particularly in the post-COVID-19 context. This study aimed to analyze the patterns of dental emergencies presenting to the Emergency Dental Service in Bihor, Romania, during the years 2022 and 2023, focusing on demographic characteristics and the frequency of diagnoses. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records from the Emergency Dental Service at Oradea County Emergency Clinical Hospital was conducted. Inclusion criteria encompassed patients presenting with dental emergencies during the specified period. Data regarding demographics, diagnoses, and living environments were collected and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 4769 patients were analyzed, with acute pulpitis (39.2%, n = 1869) and acute apical periodontitis (37.5%, n = 1788) identified as the most common diagnoses. The study population included 52.3% males and 47.7% females, with a larger proportion residing in urban areas (58.0%) compared with rural areas (42.0%). Significant age-related patterns were evident: pulpitis was more common among patients aged 10–39 years, trauma was associated with patients aged 0–9 years, and gingival infections were prevalent in the 70–79 age group. Diagnoses also varied by dentition type, with abscesses, caries, trauma, and rhizolysis occurring more frequently in deciduous teeth, while pulpitis and post-extraction alveolitis were predominant in permanent teeth. However, no statistically significant differences were found in diagnosis frequency between genders or between rural and urban patients, indicating equitable access to emergency services across environments. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions in pediatric populations to address early childhood caries, which remains a significant burden. Enhanced public health strategies and preventive education are essential to mitigate the prevalence of dental emergencies, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.