Dental trauma in children in Budapest. A retrospective study

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are among the most serious dental public health problems in childhood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anterior tooth TDIs in 7- to 18-year-old children who presented for treatment over a period between January 2007 and December 2016, and to survey the effect of an increased health awareness and educational campaign about the risk of TDIs and the importance of prevention methods in decreasing their prevalence compared with data published in the years 1985-1999.

The current study was carried out on 454 children who presented for treatment at the Department of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Budapest, Hungary.

The prevalence of TDIs was 1%. Males experienced more dental injuries than females. The incidence of dental trauma peaked at 9 years of age. The most observed injury was luxation. Most accidents occurred during playtime at home. TDIs occurred most frequently in the spring.

The increased health awareness, a wide educational campaign about the risk of TDIs and the importance of prevention methods have essentially contributed to the decrease in the prevalence of TDIs, with an increase of luxation injuries and a decrease of teeth fractures.