Clinical investigation of traumatic injuries in Yeditepe University, Turkey during the last 3 years

Do orthodontic movements of traumatized teeth induce dental pulp necrosis? A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Usually, orthodontic movements encompass children and young adult patients, which are more susceptible to the occurrence of traumatic dental injuries. It is necessary to understand whether the effects of orthodontic movements on traumatized teeth could induce pulp necrosis. The aim of this study was to answer the following question: "Do orthodontic movements of traumatized teeth induce dental pulp necrosis?".

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Searches were performed for studies published up to May 11, 2023, in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, SciELO Citation Index, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Grey Literature Report databases, without restriction for language or year of publication. The revised Cochrane risk of bias tools for nonrandomized interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The overall quality of evidence was assessed through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool.

RESULTS

Of 2671 potentially relevant studies, five were included. Four were classified as having a moderate risk of bias and one as a serious risk of bias. It was reported a higher susceptibility to pulp necrosis in teeth subjected to orthodontic movements with history of trauma involving periodontal tissues. Additionally, orthodontic movements of traumatized teeth with total pulp obliteration had an increased risk of pulp necrosis. GRADE analysis presented a moderate certainty of evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

An increased risk for pulp necrosis when traumatized teeth are subjected to orthodontic movements was verified. However, this is based on evaluations performed with subjective tests. Further well-designed studies are necessary to confirm this trend.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Clinicians must be aware of the possibility of pulp necrosis. However, endodontic treatment is recommended when verified signs and symptoms of pulp necrosis.

Evaluation of Knowledge and Practice of Resident Dentists in Iasi, Romania in the Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dentists play an essential role in the treatment of dental and periodontal traumatic injuries by providing early and correct treatment. The purpose of the present study was to assess the level of knowledge of dental residents regarding dental trauma. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine within the "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, Romania on a sample of 366 residents in General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry and Periodontology. To assess their knowledge, a questionnaire was created containing 18 questions about the clinical signs and therapy of dental trauma, with a focus on tooth avulsion. A very low level of knowledge (<25%) was found only for the type of splinting required to maintain an avulsed tooth on the arch. The highest number of correct answers was provided by the residents in Periodontology. Physiological serum as storage medium was recognized by a percentage of 75.9-80% of the subjects, and 60-77% of them recognized pulp necrosis as complication of dental avulsion. The study underlines the need to introduce in the curriculum of all categories of residents additional information, not only in the already existent theoretical form, but also as possible scenarios of various clinical situations.

Oral and maxillofacial literature from Middle East: a bibliometric analysis and list of top-100 most cited articles

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this work is to perform a bibliometric analysis on Middle Eastern oral and maxillofacial surgery through years and to compare the data with previous studies. A list of the top 100 most cited articles was generated.

METHODS

A Pubmed bibliographic search for literature journals specialized in oral and maxillofacial surgery in the Middle East was performed. A graphic representation of authorship and keywords was created with VOSviewer. Mendeley and Microsoft Excel were used for tabulation and data visualization. A list of the top 100 most cited articles was created using Web of Science. Some statistical tests were performed with a 95% confidence interval, which was considered significant.

RESULTS

A total of 6,536 articles were retrieved in fifteen selected oral and maxillofacial journals. A moderate correlation between number of publications and total population (R = 0.6052), low correlation with area (R = 0.302291), and a negligible correlation with the Human Development Index (HDI) were found (R = 0.1747). A disparity can be seen in the number of publications by country, leaded by Turkey (46.30%), Israel and Iran (13.68% each). The more common studied topic was oral surgery (25.77%), maxillofacial trauma (16.13%) and oral pathology (10.25%).

CONCLUSIONS

A useful list of the top 100 most cited articles on oral and maxillofacial surgery from Middle East has been created. Middle East publications on oral and maxillofacial surgery can be considered high quality (IF = 1.879). Some issues on performing an adequate selecting of MeSH keywords were discussed.

Evaluation of primary teeth affected by dental trauma in patients visiting a university clinic, Part 1: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES

The retrospective study reported herein was the first of three that investigated dental trauma in primary teeth. This article discusses the study that aimed to reveal the epidemiology of trauma with data such as prevalence, risk factors, and types of injuries, and to highlight prevention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of 320 patients aged 0-9 years who visited the Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry Pedodontics Department due to dental trauma were evaluated according to the age, gender, medical condition, season, oral habits, trauma environment/type/cause, personal characteristics, and number of siblings. The chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables by group.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 25.9% were aged 24-35 months at the time of study, 62.8% were male, 38.1% had two siblings, 37.2% had a sucking habit, 93.4% had a healthy medical condition, 41.3% experienced the trauma in summer, and 26.3% were aged 30-34 months at the time they incurred the trauma. Of the traumas, 54.1% were caused by falling, 60% occurred at home, 23% pertained to lateral luxation, and 70% were incurred when the patients were with their mother.

CONCLUSION

Given the results of this study, mothers with low education levels should be informed about their children's risk of incurring injuries from falling at home, especially in summer. Parents should also be warned that their children's oral habits increase their risk of trauma.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study can help increase the knowledge level of clinicians, can raise social awareness, and can guide plan formulation for preventing risks.

Prevalence of sequelae after traumatic dental injuries to anterior primary teeth: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Clinical and radiographic sequelae are common following traumatic dental injuries to primary teeth. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the prevalence of such sequelae.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and BBO/LILACS databases as well as the gray literature. The outcome of interest was the prevalence of the most common sequelae following traumatic dental injuries to anterior primary teeth. Observational studies that evaluated such sequelae were included. Data were extracted, and methodological quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. The number of sequelae per tooth and the total number of teeth evaluated in each study were considered to calculate pooled prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The quality of the evidence was determined using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

Twenty-five articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The prevalence of each complication in descending order was as follows: 39.7% crown discoloration (95% CI: 29.52-50.32), 24.3% pulp necrosis with infection (95% CI: 17.34-32.06), 16.2% periapical radiolucency (95% CI: 8.88-25.49), 15.9% premature tooth loss (95% CI: 9.93-23.15), 14.8% pulp canal obliteration (95% CI: 8.46-22.73), 11.9% pathological root resorption (95% CI: 7.68-16.98), 7.1% abscess/fistula (95% CI: 4.4-10.6), and 1.8% ankylosis (95% CI: 0.82-3.17). The certainty of the evidence was very low.

CONCLUSIONS

Crown discoloration was the most common sequela in injured primary teeth, but this should be interpreted with caution due to the very low certainty of the evidence. Considerable variation was found in the prevalence of each sequela.

A 5-year data report of traumatic dental injuries in children and adolescents from a major dental trauma center in Greece

BACKGROUND/AIM

Prevalence and demographic characteristics of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) differ in different countries. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess TDI in primary and permanent teeth among children and adolescents who presented to the Department of Paediatric Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, during the last 5 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Dental records of 236 new patients who presented with dento-alveolar trauma to the Postgraduate Dental Clinic from 1/1/2014 to 31/12/2019 were reviewed. Data recorded were gender, age, month of the year the injury occurred, type of trauma, and number of traumatized teeth. Injuries were classified as fracture, luxation, or combination injuries. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared (x² ), and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate the results. Level of significance was set at 5%.

RESULTS

The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 18 years old, with a mean of 8.63 years (SD: 3.52). There were 395 anterior traumatized teeth and 2 cases with traumatized posterior teeth. Children suffered trauma more often at the ages of 5 years, 7 years, and 11 years. In this cohort, 60% were boys who had a higher chance of having trauma than girls (odds ratio = 1.418 95% CI = 0.724, 2.777). Most TDI occurred in March and May, followed by June and February, and most traumatized teeth were permanent (80%). Maxillary central incisors in both dentitions were injured most often and significantly more compared to lateral incisors (p < 0 .01). The most common type of injury was a fracture in the permanent dentition (60%) and luxation injuries (69%) in the primary dentition.

CONCLUSIONS

Traumatic dental injuries in this cohort occurred mostly in spring, affected boys more than girls, permanent teeth more than primary teeth, maxillary incisors more than mandibular incisors, and central incisors more than lateral incisors, while children aged 5, 7, and 11 years old had the most injuries.

Dental trauma characteristics in the primary dentition in Greifswald, Germany: a comparison before and after German unification

BACKGROUND

The data on the distribution and pattern of dental trauma in the primary dentition are very rare.

AIM

To investigate primary dental trauma patterns in relation to gender, age, time and cause for a recent paediatric cohort and to compare this with a historic one before German unification.

METHODS

This retrospective study compared the patterns of dental trauma injuries at the trauma centre at Greifswald University/Germany for a recent paediatric cohort (2014-16, 103 children) with a historic one (1974-1989, n = 120). The data contained details on etiology, injury types and treatment delivered for 450 injured teeth (247 historic, 203 recent).

RESULTS

In both cohorts, the occurrence was more common in males than females (63%/55%, resp.) with an age peak from 2 to 6 years. Maxillary incisors were most affected (89.6%/88.6%, resp.) and periodontal ligament injuries dominated (77.8%/90.3%, resp.). Almost half of the injuries occurred at home (46.6%), mostly due to falling (48.5%) or during playing (37.8%) in the recent paediatric cohort which provided better forensic data due to insurance issues and potential concern about child abuse. Advice and follow up was the most common approach in the recent paediatric cohort (76%).

CONCLUSION

Even after 30 years and a change in the health care system due to German unification, the patterns of dental traumatic injuries in the primary dentition were similar.

Profiles of traumatic dental injuries among children aged 0-15 years in Cappadocia, Turkey: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/AIM

Traumatic dental injuries are among the most serious dental public health problems in children. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the dental trauma profile of primary and permanent teeth among children aged 0-15 years who presented to a university hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 650 patients (1,000 primary and permanent teeth) who presented with a history of dental trauma to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University between 2016 and 2019. Traumatized teeth were assessed according to the Andreasen classification. The following information was recorded: age, gender, teeth affected by trauma, etiologies of trauma, place and season of trauma, type of trauma, type of treatment, and time between the trauma and treatment.

RESULTS

In total, 650 patients (240 females, 410 males) and 1,000 incisors (212 primary teeth, 788 permanent teeth) were evaluated. The average age of the patients was 8.89 ± 3.41 years, and dental injuries were more frequent between 8 and 10 years of age. The maxillary central incisors, both primary (40.1%) and permanent (42.8%), were the most frequently affected teeth. The main cause of traumatic dental injuries was falls. Most accidents occurred at school and home. The most common type of dental injuries recorded was luxation injuries in the primary teeth (21.5%) and enamel-dentin fractures (35.9%) in the permanent teeth. Only 48 teeth were treated during the first hour after injury.

CONCLUSIONS

The most common type of traumatic injury affecting permanent teeth was enamel-dentin fractures, and primary teeth were luxation injury. Only 4.8% of teeth were treated within the first hour after trauma.

Retrospective study on sequelae in traumatized permanent teeth

Objective:

This study aimed to identify possible associations of the presence or absence of posttrauma sequelae with the factors inherent to the traumatized tooth and treatment.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective study was performed through the evaluation of records and radiographs of a center of reference for dental trauma between January 2008 and December 2014. The factors were analyzed and associated with posttrauma sequelae, such as pulp necrosis and root resorption.

Statistical Analysis Used:

A binomial logistic regression model was fit (P < 0.05).

Results:

In luxations, it was possible to observe 37% pulp necrosis, 16% inflammatory root resorption, and 8% replacement resorption. The binomial logistic regression revealed that male gender (P = 0.0392, odds ratio [OR] = 2.79), avulsion injury (P = 0.0009, OR = 12.27), and elapsed time >16 days between the time of trauma to the beginning of the endodontic treatment (P = 0.0450, OR = 7.53) showed a greater chance of presenting a posttrauma complication.

Conclusions:

Gender, type of injury, stage of root development, and time after trauma until the beginning of the endodontic intervention were related to the appearance of sequelae.

Prevalence and family structures related factors associated with crown trauma in school children resident in suburban Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Multiple risk factors have been identified for traumatic dental injuries, including crown fractures, in various age groups and various populations. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors and family related factors for crown trauma among 8 to 16 year-old children in a suburban population, Nigeria.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of a data of 2107 children collected through a school-based survey. Study participants were 8 to 16 year-old resident in suburban Nigeria. The independent variables for the study were age, sex, socioeconomic status, and birth rank, family size and parenting status (one parent, step parent, both parents, and guardians). Details were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Intraoral examination was conducted to identify presence of crown fracture. The independent variables associated with and predictors of crown trauma were determinedusing chi-square and logistic regression analysis respectively.

RESULTS

Only 167 (7.9 %) of the 2107 study participants had crown trauma. The teeth level prevalence of crown trauma was 0.33 %. Children with middle socioeconomic status had reduced odds of having crown trauma when compared with children with low socioeconomic status (AOR 0.50; CI 0.32-0.80). The odds of having crown traumawas more than doubled in males when compared with females (AOR 2.41; CI 1.72-3.39) and almost doubled in children living with single parents when compared with children living with both parents (AOR 1.94; CI 1.29-3.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of crown traumawas low in this study population. Being a female and having lowsocioeconomic status significantly reduced the risk factors for crown traumawhile living with single parents increased risk for crown trauma.

Management and Sequelae of Intruded Anterior Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review

Objective

The objective of this systematic review is to analyze the various treatment modalities and sequelae of intruded anterior primary teeth.

Materials and methods

Electronic search in PubMed, Cochrane, and Science Direct databases was done. Hand search was performed using the reference list of chosen articles from electronic search. Three reviewers analyzed the articles independently, assessed the quality of the studies, and derived data.

Results

Ten case series were identified from the electronic and hand search. No randomized control studies were available. In the observational studies treatment of intruded primary teeth ranged from conservative management, which includes waiting for spontaneous re-eruption as well as repositioning to invasive procedure, such as extraction.

Conclusion

Spontaneous eruption is a treatment option of intruded primary teeth in absence of damage to a permanent tooth. Surgical repositioning of intruded primary teeth has also shown as a viable alternative treatment modality. Extraction to be performed if complications develop.

How to cite this article

Gurunathan D, Murugan M, Somasundaram S. Management and Sequelae of Intruded Anterior Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(3):240-250.

A 2-year retrospective study of pediatric dental emergency visits at a hospital emergency center in Taiwan

Background

There is a paucity of information regarding pediatric dental emergencies in Taiwan. This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of the pediatric dental emergency services provided at a medical center.

Methods

This study included a retrospective chart review of patients under 18 years of age with dental complaints who visited the Emergency Department (ED) of Linkou Medical Center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from January 2012 to December 2013. Information regarding age, gender, time/day/month of presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up was collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Pearson's Chi-square test with the significance level set as p < 0.05.

Results

This study revealed that dental emergencies in the medical center ED were predominantly related to orodental trauma (47.1%) and pulpal pain (29.9%). Most patients were male (p < 0.001) and <5 years of age (p < 0.001). The most frequent orodental trauma was luxation, both in primary and permanent dentition. The major management for dental emergencies was prescribing medication for pulp-related problems and orodental trauma. The follow-up rate of orodental trauma was the highest (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

For children, trauma and toothache constituted the most common reasons for dental emergency visits at a hospital emergency center in Taiwan. While dental emergencies are sometimes unforeseeable or unavoidable, developing community awareness about proper at-home care as well as regular dental preventive measures can potentially reduce the number of emergency visits.

Effects of near-infrared LED therapy on experimental tooth replantation in rats

BACKGROUND/AIM

Dental avulsion damages periodontal tissues and may induce dentoalveolar ankylosis and root resorption after replantation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy after tooth replantation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The upper right incisors of 36 male Wistar rats were extracted and replanted after 15 min. The control group (Co, n = 18) was submitted to replantation and the LED group (n = 18) was submitted to replantation and LED therapy (940 nm, 4 J cm^-2 ) for three consecutive days (0, 24, and 48 h). Six animals from each group were euthanized at 7, 14, and 21 days for histological analysis. The upper left incisors were used as a negative control. Data were compared using the Fisher exact test, considering P < 0.05.

RESULTS

After 7 days, the Co (73.3%) and LED (72.2%) groups presented areas of periodontal ligament necrosis. However, periodontal ligament necrosis was more frequent in the LED group at 14 (70%, P < 0.05) and 21 days (43.2%, P < 0.05) in relation to the Co group (33 and 21.6%). Inflammatory cell infiltration was more frequent in the Co group at 7 days (100%) than the LED group (24.4%, P < 0.05), but increased in the LED group after 21 days (83.3%, P < 0.05). Bone necrosis was more frequent in the LED group after 14 (79%, P < 0.05) and 21 days (60%, P < 0.005) than in the Co group (45% and 20%). Bone repair was evident in the Co group at 14 days. All of the replanted teeth had pulp necrosis.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the application of LED therapy up to 48 h after tooth replantation may delay periodontal ligament repair.

Microbiological Aspects and Inflammatory Response of Pulp Tissue in Traumatic Dental Lesions

Traumatic dental lesions are more frequently found in the pediatric population, with a major involvement, in 80% of the cases, of the superior central incisors. The exposure of the dental pulp leads to major morphological changes in dental tissue, such as discolouring, acute pulp inflammation, chronic inflammation and necrosis. This article reviews the various studies published on the different types of inflammatory response of the pulp tissue following traumatic events, from the microbiological and histological point of view of various techniques.

After-Hours Versus Office-Hours Dental Injuries in Children: Does Timing Influence Outcome?

AIM

The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes and factors associated with after-hours dental trauma.

METHODS

Study sample consisted of 1762 permanent teeth injuries in children, gender and age matched with office-hours injuries. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from 4 university dental trauma centers.

RESULTS

During median follow-up time of 4.3 years, complications have occurred in 14.5% of injured teeth. Age, type, and degree of tissue injury and after-hours time of injury were significantly associated with complications. Unfavorable outcomes were 34% more likely in the after-hours group compared with office-hours. Urgent treatment was significantly delayed in after-hours group with a delay of more than 3 hours in 90.5% versus 38.9% in the office-hours group. Multivariate regression model showed that after-hours time of injury was significant predictor of complications.

CONCLUSION

Delayed urgent treatment was one of the main factors associated with unfavorable outcome of after-hours injuries.

Traumatic dental injuries in a university hospital: a four-year retrospective study

Background

Traumatic dental injuries present complex injuries of the dentoalveolar system. Aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and patterns of traumatic dental injuries in a University dental emergency service over four years.

Methods

A retrospective investigation on all dental trauma patients presenting at the dental emergency service of the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany between 01/2010 and 12/2013 was conducted. Demographic data, the cause and type of trauma and the initial therapy were analyzed.

Results

Out of 16,301 patients, 1,305 patients (8 %; average age 14.7 years ±15.7; 60.1 % male, 39.9 % female) came due to trauma. 63.9 % of the traumas occurred on weekends. The most frequent reason for injuries was falls (54.6 %). No correlation could be found between the cause and the kind of trauma. In 48.6 % of the cases only one tooth was involved, in 33.5 % two. The permanent dentition was traumatized in 56.6 % of cases, the deciduous teeth in 41.1 %. The most frequently affected tooth was the central upper incisor (61.0 %). Hard-tissue injuries were significantly more frequent in the permanent dentition, while periodontal injuries were seen significantly more often in the deciduous dentition.

Conclusion

Eight percent of all patients seeking help at the dental emergency service presented with trauma, meaning that dental traumatology is one of the major topics in emergencies. To improve the quality of care, further public education, expert knowledge among dental professionals and a well-structured emergency service are necessary.

Reestablishing Biology, Function, and Esthetics for Fractured, Immature Incisors

A seven-year-old boy with enamel-dentin fractures on both maxillary central incisors presented to the Piracicaba Dental School-UNICAMP seven days after the trauma. At the clinical evaluation, there were no clinical signs of pulp exposure, neither tooth was mobile, and both affected teeth presented a positive response to sensitivity tests and a negative response for percussion and palpation. The radiographic examination showed an undeveloped root and opened apex for both teeth. Indirect pulp capping was performed on the left maxillary central incisor, followed by a direct restoration. After one month, the patient complained of pain in the left central incisor, which responded negatively to sensitivity testing. Pulp revascularization was performed only on this tooth and was followed for 18 months. During this period, the left maxillary central incisor did not recover sensitivity, although radiographic examination showed apical closure, a slight increase in root length, and the formation of a mineralized barrier between the root canal and sealing material. The technique achieved its goal of restoring biological aspects, function, and esthetics of traumatized teeth when using this multidisciplinary approach.

Occurrence of dental avulsion and associated injuries in patients with facial trauma over a 9-year period

INTRODUCTION

This retrospective study aimed to assess the occurrence of dental avulsions in patients with facial trauma over a 9-year period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data was collected from records of patients attended to at the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Piracicaba Dental School-State University of Campinas, Piracicaba (SP), Brazil.

RESULTS

Two hundred three patients with 387 avulsed teeth were evaluated, the central incisors being the most common teeth involved (42 % of permanent and 61 % of primary teeth). Thirty-four percent of the cases occurred on weekends, mainly on Saturdays (20 %) and the distribution in relation to the time of year was similar with slight peaks in January. The most prevalent associated dentoalveolar injury was lateral luxation (26 %) and 19 % of the patients presented with an associated facial fracture. The most common sign presented was laceration (23 %), and the main symptoms found were pain (58 %). Associated general trauma was present in 139 patients (68 %), and the most prevalent was the upper limb (41 %).

DISCUSSION

Special emphasis should be given not only to diagnosis and treatment of dental avulsion but for prevention, too. An understanding of the etiology, severity, and distribution of associated traumatic injuries can help for future studies and for an effective prevention of these injuries.

Urban-rural differences in oral and maxillofacial trauma

The aim of this research was to assess oral and maxillofacial trauma in urban and rural populations of the same region. The data collected included age, gender, year and month of trauma occurrence, origin (rural and urban), cause of injury, and the type of oral and maxillofacial trauma. Records from 1121 patients with 790 instances of oral and maxillofacial trauma were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 software and involved descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-squared test. Male patients were more prone to maxillofacial trauma (n = 537; 68%), and the patients were mostly from urban areas (n = 534; 67.6%). The male-to-female ratio was found to be 2.12:1 (urban zone, 1.72:1; rural zone, 3.49:1). The average age was 25.7 years (SD = 14.1). A traffic accident was the most common cause of oral and maxillofacial trauma (27%). The jaw (18%) was the most commonly fractured bone in the facial skeleton, followed by the zygoma (12.9%). Avulsion (8.5%) was the most common dental trauma. A significant statistical relationship was found between place of origin and gender (p < 0.001). Accidents involving animals were more frequent in rural areas (P < 0.001). Zygomatic fractures (p < 0.001), contusion (p = 0.003), and abrasion (p = 0.051) were the most common injuries among individuals from rural areas. Nasal fracture (p = 0.011) was the most frequent type of trauma in individuals from urban areas. According to these data, it seems reasonable to assume that specific preventive public policy for urban and rural areas must respect the differences of each region.

Evaluation of care of dentoalveolar trauma

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate cases of dental trauma treated at the specialized center of Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil, during a period of 2 years.

Material and Methods

A total of 647 patients were evaluated and treated between 2003 and 2005. Data obtained from each patient were tabulated and analyzed as to gender, age, etiology, time elapsed after the injury, diagnosis (type of trauma), and affected teeth.

Results

The results revealed that male individuals aged 7 to 13 years presented the highest prevalence of injury, and falling was the main causal factor. In most cases, the time elapsed between the accident and the first care ranged from 4 to 24 h. A total of 1,747 teeth were affected, with higher incidence of concussion/subluxation and coronal fracture, followed by lateral luxation and avulsion. The permanent maxillary central incisors were the most commonly affected teeth.

Conclusion

The frequency and causes of dentoalveolar trauma should be investigated for identification of risk groups, treatment demands and costs in order to allow for the establishment of effective preventive measures that can reduce the treatment duration and costs for both patients and oral health services.

Mesiodens as a risk factor in treatment of trauma cases

The presence of mesiodens often results in complications including retention of primary teeth and delayed eruption of permanent teeth, closure of eruption path, rotations, retention, root resorption, pulp necrosis, and diastema as well as nasal eruption and formation of dentigerous and primordial cysts. Less common complications involving the permanent incisors include dilaceration of the developing roots and loss of tooth vitality. Therefore, early diagnosis of mesiodens has particular importance in terms of preventing such complications. However, with respect to surgical removal of mesiodens, ideal timing of intervention - immediate or delayed intervention - remains to be a highly controversial issue. While predisposing factors of dental trauma such as open bite, increasing overjet with protrusion of upper incisors, and insufficient lip closure have been well documented in the literature, there is limited evidence indicating mesiodens as a risk factor in trauma. In this report of two cases, it is aimed to emphasize mesiodens as a risk factor in the treatment of dental trauma besides its effect on prognosis.

Orthodontic reduction of a displaced alveolar fracture: a case study

A 42-year-old woman had sustained a severe dental trauma with an alveolar fracture after an epileptic attack. A tooth block 31, 32, 33 and 34 was dislocated about 7 mm in buccal direction. Panoramic X-rays and CT-scan disclosed the alveolar fracture without total disjunction of the fragment. An orthodontic appliance was used to reduce the fracture with gentle forces during a 5-month period. Normal function was established and the teeth remained vital.