Prevalence and determining factors of traumatic injuries to primary teeth in preschool children

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of dental injuries and the influence of determining factors in preschool children from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examinations and the application of a questionnaire to the parents of 419 children aged 0 to 5 years attending preschool. The sample was stratified by region, type of institution and age. The eighteen preschools visited were chosen randomly. The prevalence of traumatic injury to primary teeth was 39.1%. Enamel fractures were the most common traumatic injury (49.7%). Boys were 1.62 times more likely to have dental injuries than girls. Children with inadequate lip coverage were 3.75 times more likely to have a traumatic dental injury than those with adequate lip coverage. Children attending state preschools had nearly two times greater chances of having dental trauma than children attending private preschools. It was concluded that the prevalence of dental injuries in preschool children is high in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and constitutes a public health problem.

Socioeconomic and clinical factors associated with traumatic dental injuries in Brazilian preschool children

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that there is a tendency for children with an incisal overjet > 3 mm and inadequate lip coverage to experience more dental injuries. [8][9] However, while the association between overjet, lip coverage, and TDI is well established, the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the occurrence of dental Declaration of Interests: The authors certify that they have no commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the manuscript. trauma among preschoolers is not clear.…”

“…[1][2][3][4] Although several recent studies have assessed the prevalence of TDI in primary teeth and its associations with socioeconomic indicators, the results have been inconsistent and conflicting. [5][6][7][8][9][10] In Brazil, the TDI prevalence in primary teeth ranges from 9.4% to 41.6%, [5][6] and there is evidence that TDI prevalence in deciduous teeth is increasing. 9 Moreover, it is well known that the majority of TDIs involve the anterior teeth, [6][7][8] and that their appearance and position have important psychological and social impacts on children's quality of life.…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10] In Brazil, the TDI prevalence in primary teeth ranges from 9.4% to 41.6%, [5][6] and there is evidence that TDI prevalence in deciduous teeth is increasing. 9 Moreover, it is well known that the majority of TDIs involve the anterior teeth, [6][7][8] and that their appearance and position have important psychological and social impacts on children's quality of life. [11][12][13] Predisposing factors to TDI include physical features such as increased overjet and lip coverage.…”

Dental trauma in contact sports

“…Many of the other studies also support the relationship between both risk factors and the presence of dental trauma [11][12][15][16] . Others mention that a relationship was not found or was not statistically significant in both cases 1,18 .…”

“…It was 38.3% (n = 23), which translates into a high prevalence. Various studies present wide-ranging values, from 4.15% to 44.2% 1,11,13,[15][16][17][18][19][20] . This rate varies considerably between studies, since the methodology employed in each differs significantly.…”