Males were affected more than females with a sex ratio of 2.2 : 1. Seventy-seven percent of the patients had one supernumerary tooth, 18.4% had double teeth, and 4.6% had three or more supernumeraries. Ninety percent of the supernumerary teeth occurred in the premaxilla, of which 92.8% were in the central incisor region and of these latter 25% were located in the midline. The other 10.4% of the supernumeraries were located in the premolar, canine, molar, and lower central incisor regions. Two cases were of non-syndrome supernumerary teeth. Seventy-five percent of the supernumeraries were conical, 83.1% were in the normal vertical position and 26.5% were erupted. Conical-shaped supernumerary teeth had a significantly higher rate of eruption compared to the tuberculate type.

Data pertaining to traumatic dental injuries of children seeking care at the teaching clinics of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Jordan over a period of 4 years were analyzed. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 14.2% from 2751 subjects. The peak incidence of injury was 10-12-year age group. Boys were more affected (18.3%) than girls (10.1%). Most injuries occurred at home (63.2%), and falls were the leading cause of injuries (49.9%). Most injuries involved one tooth (69.3%) and maxillary central incisors were the most affected teeth (90.4%). The commonest injury was uncomplicated crown fracture (62.5%), then complicated crown fracture (28.7%). Only 17.1% of children sought treatment the same day or the day after the injury. At the initial examination, cases seen after a long post-traumatic period required more complicated treatment than those presented within a short time period. Preventive educational program should be instituted in Jordan, directed at parents and school teachers to inform them about the importance of traumatic dental injuries and the benefit of immediate attendance for dental treatment. Furthermore, improving the knowledge of dental practitioners through continuing education would also help in minimizing sequelae of traumatic dental injuries.

The discrepancy between dental knowledge and attitudes of parents and oral health care practices indicate the need for oral health education. School-based oral health promotion programmes should be established in Jordan to influence the oral health behaviour of children and parents and to avoid further deterioration in their oral health.

Background:  Signs of physical abuse often present in the oro‐facial region and dentists are in a strategic position to recognise and report suspected cases. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, educational experiences and attitudes of Jordanian dentists towards child abuse and to assess their educational needs. Methods:  A cross‐sectional survey of a random sample of Jordanian dentists (n = 400) was conducted using an anonymous, self‐administered structured questionnaire. Results:  The response rate was 64%. Thirty‐four per cent (n = 88) of the respondents reported having formal training in recognising and reporting child abuse, and 42% (n = 106) had post‐qualification/continuing education training on the topic. Half of the dentists (127/256) suspected a case of child abuse in the past 5 years, but only 12% (31/256) reported their suspicions. The main reasons for not reporting suspicions of abuse were fear from anger of parents (43%), uncertainty about diagnosis (41%) and uncertainty about referral procedures (41%). Those dentists who had formal training in dental school (P = 0.0001) and post‐qualification courses in child abuse (P = 0.006) were significantly more likely to report suspicions. Conclusions:  A significant gap existed between recognising signs of physical child abuse and responding effectively. Improvements in child abuse education and continuing education courses are advised to provide dentists in Jordan with adequate knowledge of indicators of physical child abuse and to inform them on the protocol to follow when suspicions arise.

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