The Degree of Overjet and Anterior Traumatic Dental Injury in the Mixed Dentition: A Single-Center Experience

Objective. The objective of this retrospective chart review study was twofold. The first was to determine whether there is a correlation between the degree of overjet and the type of anterior traumatic dental injury (ATDI) in the mixed dentition. The second was to assess whether the decision to not treat young patients with prominent upper front teeth for trauma prevention resulted in a greater number of ATDI's in patients of record from a single-center. Study Design. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of patients presenting to the Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) Emergency Department with an ATDI in the mixed dentition between October 2011 and March 2016. Results. Patients with an overjet less than or equal to 4 millimeters experienced all types of ATDI with greater frequency than those patients with an overjet greater than 4 mm. Conclusions. Our experience at BCH described in this study has led us to believe that a patient's risk of suffering an ATDI has more to do with the type of activities they participate in rather than the degree of their overjet.