Prevalence of dental trauma in 6000 patients with facial injuries - Implications for prevention

Objective. In contrast to epidemiologic studies on facial injuries reportin g on dental trauma, facial bone fractures with dentoalveolar injuries, or s oft tissue injuries individually, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall place of dental trauma in racial injuries. This was a retrospe ctive investigation of the impact of sport, work, violence, traffic, househ old, and play accidents in the relationships among dental trauma, racial tr auma, and other concomitant trauma. Finally preventive considerations are d iscussed. Study design. Six thousand patients registered at the University Hospital o f Innsbruck's Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery during a period of 6 years 4 months were admitted for dental trauma, facial trauma, or both . Records were analyzed for cause of injury, age, gender, monthly distribut ion, frequency, type of injury, and frequency of dental trauma in relation to facial injuries and concomitant injuries. Results, The incidence of dental injuries with respect to the total number of facial injuries was as follows: 57.8% in play and household accidents, 5 0.1% in sports accidents, 38.6% in accidents at work, 35.8% in acts of viol ence, 34.2% in traffic accidents, and 31% in unspecified accidents. The ove rall incidence revealed was 48.25%. Conclusion. Our findings support the fact that in the mosaic of traumatic i njuries, the frequencies of tooth trauma and its sequelae are underestimate d and that such trauma and sequelae occur without a predictable pattern of intensity and extensiveness. Preventive approaches are the sole way to mini mize the number of these injuries. Substantial progress made in treating fa cial and dental trauma in the last 2 decades only improves functional and e sthetic outcomes among the population that has suffered denial injury.