Etiology and Complications of Dental Trauma Among 7-18 Year Old - A Retrospective Study

Study of dental trauma and its associated factors is a common dental finding or at times an emergency that can facilitate planning of preventive measures, better assessment and effective treatment to carry out. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of etiology and complications of dental traumas among children aged 7 to 18 years. We reviewed and analysed the data of 86000 patients between June 2019 and March 2020, among which 158 children in the age group of 7-18 years who had dental trauma were examined from the recorded details provided by the institute. Documented information included patients' age, gender, dental status, tooth involved, type of trauma, etiology of trauma and treatment done. The collected data was then tabulated and analysed using SPSS software. Chi Square test was performed and the p value was determined to evaluate the significance of the variables. Among 158 children participating in this study, 75.3% were males. Falls were the leading cause of traumatic dental injuries as reported by 96.56% of the children. The most predominantly affected tooth during trauma was the permanent incisors (96.2%). Fracture of the coronal portion of the tooth was highly prevalent among the patients when compared to the occurrence of other forms of dental trauma. In terms of treatment, root canal treatments were predominantly performed over the patients with the most delayed consultation period being less than 10 days. Within the limits of the study, overall occurrence of dental trauma was predominantly higher among males than females. Falls were the leading cause of trauma with permanent incisor being affected the most. Long term prognosis of the tooth depends on the treatment and immediate consultation. Treatment of dental injuries is usually delayed and not given as much attention as other treatments which can explain the occurrence of pulpal and periodontal complications.