The purpose of this study was to analyze data according to gender, age, cause, number of traumatized teeth, type of tooth and trauma, from the records of traumatized children (0-3 years) referred to the Ondokuz Mayis University, Dental Faculty, Department of Pedodontics in middle Black Sea region of Turkey. A total of 563 boys and girls participated in the study. Traumatic dental injuries were recorded using the classification of the World Health Organization modified slightly by Andreasen & Andreasen. Traumatic dental injuries were identified in 17.4% of the children. The largest percentage of injuries were in the 13-18 months old children with no significant gender differences (P > 0.05). Periodontal tissue injuries were the most common (84.7%) with no statistical difference between different ages or gender (P > 0.05). The main etiological factor of traumatic dental injury was falls (73.5%) and it was not different between age and gender (P > 0.05). The maxillary central incisors were involved in a higher percentage of traumatic injuries (98%), with no differences between the right and the left sides (P > 0.05). Treatment was sought for 37.4% of children within 1-7 days. It is suggested that parents should be informed about prevention of traumatic injuries and to contact a dentist immediately.

Dental students in Turkey are not sufficiently prepared for their role in diagnosing suspected cases of child abuse.

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and distribution of traumatic injuries in 247 children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were 7-16 years old and attended the Ondokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty (Department of Child Psychiatry, Samsun, Turkey). Each psychiatric diagnosis was based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Traumatic dental injuries were recorded using the classification of the World Health Organization, which was slightly modified by Andreasen and Andreasen (Textbook and color atlas of traumatic injuries, 3rd edn. Copenhagen, Denmark: Munksgaard; 1994. p. 151). Thirty-two percent (78/247) of the ADHD children presented 103 traumatized teeth. The frequency of dental injuries peaked in children who were 10-12 years of age, and showed no significant difference between subtypes of ADHD or gender. The maxillary central incisors were the most vulnerable to injury, and there were no differences between the right and the left sides in terms of susceptibility. Uncomplicated crown fracture (52.4%) and complicated crown fracture (16.6%) were the most commonly encountered types of injury. The main causes of dental injury were falls, collisions with objects, violence, and traffic accidents, and there was no difference in the frequencies of these causes between subtypes of ADHD, age, or gender. Only 5.1% (4/78) of the ADHD children sought treatment within the first 24 h of the injury. In conclusion, children with ADHD experience dental injuries more frequently than was previously described.

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