Sequelae of trauma to the primary dentition

A total of 69 traumatized maxillary primary incisors were followed to determine the sequelae of trauma. At initial presentation, discoloration was the most common presenting sign of trauma (30.4%), followed by crown fractures (21.8%) and displacement of the teeth (15.9%). The affected teeth were treated by routine clinical procedures. In the 11 teeth showing crown fractures, over 90% were normal at the first follow-up visit with a mean of approximately 27 weeks, but 2 more became necrotic at later recall periods. In contrast, displacement injuries were associated with greater incidence of pulpal necrosis with nearly half of the affected teeth showing periapical radiolucencies after a mean follow-up period of 44 weeks. Similarly, nearly half of the teeth affected by discoloration showed radiographic evidence of pulpal pathology after a mean recall period of 44 weeks. This study shows that a high proportion of traumatized primary incisor teeth eventually become necrotic and the need for continual supervision of all injured primary teeth is stressed.