Is there an association between traumatic dental injury and social capital, binge drinking and socioeconomic indicators among schoolchildren?

Haroldo Neves De Paiva,Patrícia Maria Zarzar,Joel Alves Lamounier,Ichiro Kawachi,Raquel Conceição Ferreira,Paula Cristina Pelli Paiva,Efigênia Ferreira E Ferreira,Carlos José De Paula Silva,Koustuv Dalal

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118484

Abstract

ObjectivesTraumatic dental injury is defined as trauma caused by forces on a tooth with variable extent and severity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of traumatic dental injury and its association with overjet, lip protection, sex, socioeconomic status, social capital and binge drinking among 12-year-old students.Research Design and MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 633 12-year-old students. Data were collected through a clinical exam and self-administered questionnaires. Socioeconomic status was determined based on mother’s schooling and household income. The Social Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) were used to measure social capital and binge drinking, respectively.ResultsThe prevalence of traumatic dental injury was 29.9% (176/588). Traumatic dental injury was more prevalent among male adolescents (p = 0.010), those with overjet greater than 5 mm (p < 0.001) and those with inadequate lip protection (p < 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, overjet [OR = 3.80 (95% CI: 2.235–6.466), p < 0.0001], inadequate lip protection [OR = 5.585 (95% CI: 3.654–8.535), p < 0.0001] and binge drinking [OR = 1.93 (95% CI: 1.21–3.06), p = 0.005] remained significantly associated with traumatic dental injury.ConclusionsThe present findings suggest that a high level of total social capital and trust are not associated with TDI in adolescents, unlike binge drinking. The effects of social and behavioral factors on TDI are not well elucidated. Therefore, further research involving other populations and a longitudinal design is recommended.

Highlights

Traumatic dental injury (TDI) is one of the most serious public health problems affecting children and adolescents due to the high prevalence rates, psychosocial impact and treatment costs [1, 2]
Traumatic dental injury was more prevalent among male adolescents (p = 0.010), those with overjet greater than 5 mm (p < 0.001) and those with inadequate lip protection (p < 0.001)
In the multiple logistic regression analysis, overjet [OR = 3.80, p < 0.0001], inadequate lip protection [OR = 5.585, p < 0.0001] and binge drinking [OR = 1.93

Summary

Introduction

Traumatic dental injury (TDI) is one of the most serious public health problems affecting children and adolescents due to the high prevalence rates, psychosocial impact and treatment costs [1, 2]. The etiology and characteristics of TDI as well as predisposing factors, such as sex, accentuated overjet, inadequate lip protection and socioeconomic status, have been widely studied [2, 4, 7, 8]. Social and behavioral factors have been associated with maxillofacial and dental trauma[9, 10], such as hazardous alcohol intake [11] and social capital [12, 13]. Biological factors, such as accentuated overjet and inadequate lip protection, can predispose individuals to TDI [14, 15]. Individuals with inadequate lip protection are more prone to fracturing their anterior teeth [6, 11, 16]

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