A 6-year investigation into types of dental trauma treated in a paediatric dentistry clinic in Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, the effective factors and the applied treatments for dental trauma among children aged 1-15 years from Eastern Anatolia in a 6-year period. The total frequency of trauma in this study was calculated as 4.9% during a 6-year period. The males were found to have more traumatic injury than females (P < 0.05). Also, the permanent teeth were more vulnerable to dental trauma than the primary teeth (P < 0.05). The highest frequency of traumas in the primary teeth was observed at the age of 5, whereas the rate for the permanent teeth was at the age of 10. The teeth mostly influenced by the traumas were the upper central incisors in both primary and permanent teeth. It was in October that traumas were mostly seen for the permanent teeth and in June for the primary teeth. The most frequent source of trauma in both genders and in both primary and permanent teeth were falls. The most common type of trauma in the primary teeth was lateral luxation, while it was enamel-dentin crown fracture in the permanent ones. Soft tissue injuries were observed in 143 of 653 dental traumatized children. The most common method of treatment was examination and follow up for the primary teeth, and only direct restoration for the permanent teeth without any endodontic treatment. 15% of the patients applied for treatment 1 year after injury event. Therefore, it was concluded that the patients, parents and teachers living in Eastern Anatolia should be informed about the necessity of early treatment of dental traumas and the consequence of a delay.