Traumatic Dental Injuries Research in Children at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil

Objectives: This epidemiological study aimed to assess the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in children treated in a trauma dental center at the school of dentistry of Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
Methods: This research protocol was approved by the research ethics committee of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). The records of a total of 163 children (aged 0 to 15 years) seen from 2016 to 2018 in the pediatric clinic were analysed comprising a total of 239 traumatized teeth. Socio-demographic data, previous dental experience, parents and/or caregivers report about the injuries, etiology, teeth involved, and the presence and type of clinical and radiographic sequelae in the first visit were collected from the dental records. Oral health education and immediate dental treatment were provided for all the individuals as well as their preservation. The data were registered in excel and analyzed by means of frequency and χ² test (p≤0.05).
Results: Subjects were 54% boys and 46% girls (ratio of 1.17:1), with mean age of 6.09±3.84 year-old. Trauma was more frequent during the first infancy (45.7%), and the most common etiological cause was falls (62%). Most trauma injuries (53.4%) occurred at home. The first dental assistance occurred during the first week following the incident in 68% of the sample, being the parents that looked for aids. Several patients (42.9%) soffered some kind of soft tissue injuries. The supporting tissues were the most observed in primary dentition (45%) with some kind of luxation. Forty-six percent just presented an affected tooth for the trauma. The most affected teeth were the central incisors (90.7%), and coronary fracture of the enamel and dentin without pulp exposure were the most common type of trauma in permanent teeth (52,3%).
Conclusions: In conclusion, traumatisms in this study was more prevalent in boys, and more frequent during the first infancy. The falls were the most common etiologic cause of traumatic dental injuries. The supporting tissues were the most observed in primary dentition while teeth fractures were most common in permanent.