Traumatic Dental Injuries Experience in Suburban Nigerian Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study is to ascertain the prevalence and type of treatment received regarding traumatic dental injuries in Nigerian adolescents. The sample included 1,028 thirteento fifteen year old children attending secondary schools in Ife Central Local Government in Ile Ife , Nigeria. Dental injuries were clinically assessed as follows: 1) uncomplicated crown fracture, 2) complicated crown fracture, 3) crown discoloration, 4) intrusive luxation, 5) extrusive luxation, 6) exarticulation or extraction after trauma and 7) subluxaion. The prevalence of dental injuries was 9.1%. Boys sustained more injuries than girls with a ratio of 2:1. The dental injuries were almost entirely restricted to the maxillary central incisors (75 %). Single tooth injury was predominant in all age groups. The commonest type of injury was uncomplicated crown fracture (57.4%). The commonest cause of injury was fall (42.6%). 10% of the children who had their teeth traumatized attended the dentist and this was found to be statistically significant (p< 0.0001). The observed increase of dental injuries with age indicates accumulated treatment needs due to lack of dental awareness in the population examined. Health care promotions and education at health centres is called for to prevent dental trauma in children.