Dental trauma in an Australian rural centre

There is little epidemiological research regarding dental trauma in Australia. Previous research has largely focused on specific sub-populations with data not necessarily applicable to a general rural Australian population. Studies from other countries have presented variable data and the relevance of their findings to the Australian setting is questionable. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, causes and presentation of dental trauma in a large rural centre in Australia.

A retrospective analysis was performed of the dental records of 323 consecutive patients who had attended a private general dental practice in Bunbury, Western Australia following an injury to their teeth and/or mouths during the period from May 2000 to December 2005 (inclusive). Injuries were classified using the Andreasen system (1994). Data analysis was carried out using spss software and Chi-Square tests were performed with the level of significance set at 5%.

There were 528 teeth injured and eight patients had only soft tissue injuries. Males (68.1%) significantly outnumbered females (31.9%) and the ages ranged from 10 months to 78 years. The highest number of injuries occurred in children and adolescents, specifically the 0- to 4-year age group followed by the 5- to 9-year age and 10- to 14-year age groups. Trauma was most frequently the result of falls, accidents while playing and participating in sports activities.

The maxillary central incisors were the most commonly injured teeth in both the primary and permanent dentitions. Uncomplicated crown fractures were the most common injury followed by luxations and subluxations. No significant differences in frequency were reported for the different days of the week, the different months or seasons of the year. Only one-third of the patients presented for dental treatment within 24 h of the injury while the remainder delayed seeking treatment for varying times up to 1 year.