Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and types of traumatic dental injuries in situations of domestic violence. A coross-sectional study was conducted and data were collected from the police occurrence records to domestic physical aggression between 2001 and 2005. Of the 1,844 subjects who underwent medical evaluation, 15 had information pertaining to traumatic dental injuries. From the medical records, the forensic medical reports completed by the forensic medical experts who examined the victims after the aggression were reviewed and data of individuals with dental injuries (e.g., fractures, luxation and avulsion) were collected. In the selected sample, there was a predominance of individuals with injuries to the head and neck region (38.7%), and the frequency of traumatic dental injuries among all injuries to the head and neck region was 2.0%. The most frequently injured teeth were the maxillary incisors (31.8%), followed by the mandibular incisors (27.3%) and the maxillary canines (9.1%). In 31.8% of the injured teeth, the forensic experts did not specify the nomenclature. Of the dental trauma cases, 59.1% were fractures, 27.2% were luxations and 13.7% were avulsions. In conclusion, domestic violence was an important etiologic factor of traumatic dental injury. The aggression in all cases occurred in the form of punches and slaps. Fracture was the most common type of traumatic dental injury, and the most frequently injured teeth were the incisors.
Highlights
Violence and accidents cause great damage to the physical and mental health of the most different populations, becoming a serious public health problem all over the world
The frequency of traumatic dental injuries caused by domestic violence among all injuries to the head and neck region was 2.0% (22 injuries)
Of the 1,844 cases of domestic violence, 15 forensic medical reports had information pertaining to traumatic dental injury, with 22 injured teeth
Summary
Violence and accidents cause great damage to the physical and mental health of the most different populations, becoming a serious public health problem all over the world. It is estimated that more than 2.5 million women are assaulted annually worldwide [1,2]. This number is probably much larger because physical abuse inflicted by family members within households is often hidden. A number of studies related to primary health care of abused patients have shown that the head and neck are the most frequently injured areas as a consequence of physical aggression, resulting in fractures, contusions, burns and traumatic dental injuries [3,4]. The risk factors for traumatic dental injury frequently involve aggressiveness and violent attitudes and must always be considered in the development of effective strategies for dental health preservation [5]
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