Traumatic anterior dental injuries in 7‐ to 12‐year‐old Brazilian children

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of dental trauma in the permanent anterior teeth of schoolchildren in Campina Grande, Brazil. A sample of 448 schoolchildren, 228 boys and 220 girls, aged 7-12 years, were randomly selected from 17 public schools in an urban area. The sample selection was carried out in two stages: first, schools were selected by simple sampling and then children were chosen using a proportionality coefficient. Data were collected through clinical examinations and interviews, after examiner calibration. Overjet (OJ) was considered a risk factor when it presented values higher than 3 mm, while lip coverage was classified as adequate or inadequate. Yates' chi-squared test verified the association between the variables and odds ratio. Significance level was set at 5%. The prevalence of dental injuries was 21%. Boys experienced more injuries than girls, 21.9% and 20%, respectively (P > 0.05). Falls and collisions were the main causes of dental trauma, 63.8% and 24.5%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and OJ (95% CI 0.22-0.63) (P < 0.001) and between TDI and inadequate lip coverage (95% CI 9.16-34.93) (P < 0.001). Data indicated that boys presenting an OJ size >3 mm and inadequate lip coverage were more likely to have TDI in Campina Grande, Brazil.

Dental trauma in contact sports

“…The dental traumas observed were found to occur predominantly in only one tooth (n = 12), in agreement with the literature 1,11,13,15,18,20 .…”

“…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 .…”

“…The occurrence of dental traumas tends to increase with age, probably due to the more frequent participation in sport, as well as training and competitions becoming more intense in older ages [14][15][20][21][22]26 .…”

“…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.…”

“…The majority of traumatic dental lesions occurred in the maxillary central incisors (primary and permanent) 1,[11][12][13][14][15][18][19][20][27][28] . However, the primary teeth, specifically the primary maxillary central incisors (right or left), were the most affected by trauma.…”