Dental Injuries

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Dental Injuries occur to face and mouth. It is also called dental trauma. Especially the teeth, lips and periodontium are traumatized. It is due to a number of causes.
Accidents within and around the home are the major sources of injury to the primary dentition while accidents outside home and school are accounted for most of the injuries to the permanent dentition. The most frequent type of injury could be a simple crown fracture of the maxillary central incisors in both primary and permanent dentition, especially if anterior teeth are proclinated. Commonly, soft tissues such as the tongue, lips and inner cheeks are also damaged.

What are the Causes of Dental Trauma/ Injuries?

1. The most vulnerable periods or peak periods:

• 1 to 3 years: Usually unsteady of their legs and lacking in proper sense of caution)
• 7 to 10 years: Most of the injuries because of participation in contact sports, e.g.- football, hockey, kabbadi, basketball etc)
• Adolescence

2. Acute changes in barometric pressure
3. Piercing in tongue and lips
4. Class II malocclusion
5. Accidental falls
6. Automobile accidents
7. Blow during fights etc.

What are the Common Types of Dental Injuries?

• Fractures of tooth
• A knocked-out tooth or avulsed tooth
• Displaced tooth
• Soft tissue laceration (commonly lips and the gingival)

What might be the Primary Protection?

i.        Playground surface:

• A well-cushioned grass-laden resilient surface will serve the purpose.
• Indoor games (e.g. badminton, basketball etc) should be played on a good non-slippery surface.
• Slides should not be free standing but should be build into earth mounds.
• Supervision of the small children during play is probably the most effective way of preventing the dentofacial trauma in small children.

ii.      Provision of mouthguard in sports:

Majority of dental injuries occurs on upper front teeth (one/more). Avocations of mouthguard by dental profession (not yourself) to all person, especially children and adolescent involved in contact sports is justified.