Introduction:
Traumatic dental injuries are known to be public dental health problems commonly occurring both in children as well as in young adults and adults throughout the world. This is because it can occur at any age or phase of life. According to the information given by the International Association of Dental Traumatology, the report from the previous decade indicates that nearly one of every two children would sustain a dental injury. These injuries are most common in children between the ages of 8 and 12. In most cases of maxillofacial or dental trauma, a rapid intervention can certainly lessen its impact on both oral and esthetic functions.
According to medical and dental research reports, traumatic dental injuries tend to generally affect only a single tooth in the arch. In severe cases of trauma, such as traffic accidents, domestic violence, and sports injuries, it can result in multiple teeth being damaged. One of the major causes of traumatic dental injuries would also be associated with children who actively participate in sports activities regularly. This would also be linked to the possible predisposition of these individuals to traumatic injuries for either oral soft tissues or tooth /dental tissue directly. Other common sports-related injuries would be linked prominently to boxing, basketball, hockey, and soccer.
What Is the Prevalence of Traumatic Injuries?
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According to medical reports, nearly one-third of all preschool children suffer from traumatic injuries to the primary dentition in many countries.
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Although variations would be possible within and between these countries globally, one-fourth of schoolchildren are the ones affected by traumatic injuries to permanent dentition that require complicated management, endodontic intervention, surgery like extraction, and eventual prosthetic rehabilitation by the dentist.
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According to major research-based global surveys conducted in the United States, the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries is in the approximation range of 16 to 18 percent in children and young adults of age groups between 6 to 20 years. In the United Kingdom, this dental trauma prevalence range can vary between 23.7 to 44.2 percent in mostly 11 to 14-year-old school children.
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The peak incidence range for predisposition to traumatic dental injuries is one per every 1000 individuals for up to 12 years of age, as per global statistics. The incidence is known to be much lower in older age groups after 20 years of age. While boys are commonly more affected in comparison to girls as per these prevalence rates and statistics.
What Are the Different Types of Traumatic Injuries?
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According to researchers, several guidelines have been developed for the evaluation and treatment planning or management of traumatic dental injuries in children. Traumatic dental injuries are specific oral or facial injuries that tend to occur at some point in childhood or at a young age, as in adolescents or even in young adults, where growth and development would continue till the age of 18 years.
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According to current global statistics, preschool children usually tend to sustain head injuries most commonly, while oral injuries can contribute to around 17 percent of all bodily injuries.
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In the later phases of life, as in the case of most adults, medical research and surveys show that injuries to hands and feet become the most common injuries as compared to orofacial injuries.
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Dental injuries are considered to be the most common form of orofacial injuries and are seen in almost 92 percent of all dental patients who seek consultation for oral Traumatic injuries.
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It is also in these patients that soft-tissue injuries are the most commonly seen in around 28 percent of the individuals, alongside dental injuries. On the other hand, fractures that involve only the jaw region are less common in terms of global statistics in children and young adolescents, contributing to up to 6 percent of all patients who present with orofacial trauma or injuries.
How to Provide Mental Support to the Children?
Trauma can have a multitude of diverse complications and consequences for the individual who's impacted or traumatized. This can further have a mental and psychosocial impact on the child's health and the child's family. The impact would be both economic and emotional.
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Pediatric dentists need to prioritize facilitating the recovery of pediatric patients not just physically from dental or orofacial injuries, but also by implementing behavior management strategies commonly used in pediatric dentistry. Through encouragement, motivation, and support, individuals can be guided towards a speedier recovery from traumatic incidents. In cases involving children, collaboration with physicians or specialists, such as nutritionists may be necessary to determine the appropriate nutrition or health interventions.
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According to many reports by the International Association for Dental Traumatology, because of the severity of some orofacial injuries, as in the case of complicated fractures that may also involve facial reconstruction, lifetime management of injury or orofacial pain may often be indicated. For this management, not only patient and the patient's family cooperation would be needed, but emotional and mental health support should be extended by the oral surgeon or the pediatric dentist.
What Are the Different Types of Dental Interventions?
There would be several causes of such traumatic injuries to the orofacial cavity, ranging from falls, impacts, accidents, or acts of violence. Also, every case of oral and maxillofacial trauma would be a unique case that requires individual treatment planning after a confirmative diagnosis. While the anterior teeth or the front teeth are the most commonly affected in young children because of traumatic injuries, with the upper/maxillary central and lateral incisors being predominantly affected, these injuries may usually affect the side of the face, oral cavity, or jaw region that received the impact or force of trauma. Management of primary dentition is easier for the pediatric dentist while managing the permanent teeth affected in the child would often require endodontic intervention, revascularizing surgery, or dental splints and immobilization methods.
The dental surgeon can consider endodontic intervention or root canal treatment in the presence of pulpal necrosis for permanent dentition. Repositioning, fixation, and regular dental follow-ups are the basic steps of treatment planning for pediatric patients prone to traumatic dental injuries.
Conclusion:
Traumatic dental injuries are the most common orofacial injuries globally in children and young adolescents between 6 to18 years. Care should be taken by dental operators or practitioners to encourage and motivate the affected pediatric patient and educate their family members regarding the sequels or complications associated with dental or maxillofacial trauma. Interdisciplinary management and a positive rapport between the child and the pediatric dentist or oral surgeon can certainly help them on the road to a faster recovery.
