Traumatic dental injuries in an urban adolescent population in Tirana, Albania

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gather information about traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in an urban adolescent Albanian population. A cross-sectional survey was carried out to acquire epidemiological data about TDI in the permanent incisors of Albanian adolescents. Participants (n = 2789) were adolescents of both genders, aged 16-18 years, attending public high schools in Tirana. The occurrence of TDI in the incisors ranged from 8.9% of 16-year-olds to 10.5% of 18-year-olds. A greater proportion of boys (12.4%) had TDI compared with girls (7.7). The most commonly reported causes were collisions (27.5%) followed by physical leisure activities and sports (mainly cycling and swimming/diving) (14.1%) and falls (13.4%). Of the adolescents affected by TDI, 32% had unmet treatment need because of no or inadequate treatment. Adolescents living in districts with low socio-economic level had significantly more TDI with unmet treatment need than those living in districts with high socio-economic level. The occurrence of TDI among Albanian adolescents was moderate. Adolescents who came from low socio-economic districts had a greater probability of having TDI with unmet treatment need.