Etiological factors related to dental injuries in Norwegians aged 7-18 years

Prevention of diseases and injuries is a field of priority for the health authorities in Norway. In 1990, an interdepartmental project was established in order to reduce the number of accidents, including dental injuries. The purpose of the present study was to examine the causes of dental injuries, the place of event and the possibilities for prevention. During a 1-year period, all new trauma episodes affecting children aged 7-18 years were registered by calibrated dentists in the public dental health service in the county of Nord-Trøndelag and in the capital city of Oslo. A distinction was made between school and leisure time accidents. The severity of injuries was classified as mild, moderate or severe, and the dentists were asked tojudge whether the severe injuries were preventable. Nearly half of the 1275 injured individuals (48%) were injured at school. Almost half of the leisure time injuries occurred during children's play. Sports and traffic accidents were less common. Sports accidents represented only 8% of the total number of injuries, the same as the number of individuals injured by violence. Statistically significant associations were observed between the cause of injury and county (P < 0.001) and the cause of injury and age group (P < 0.001). In total, 4% of all injuries were classified as severe, of which only one-third were assumed to be preventable. In summary, because of the complexity of etiological factors, it is neither easy to prevent dental injuries nor to make guidelines on prevention.