Traumatic injuries to permanent anterior teeth among 12-year-old schoolchildren in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prevalence and related factors of incisor trauma among 12-year-old Jordanian schoolchildren.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study among schoolchildren. A sample of 1.878 schoolchildren aged 12 years, 940 boys and 938 girls, were randomly selected from 128 schools in urban and rural areas. Ellis classification was used to record the dental injuries on incisors.

RESULTS

Of the children examined 13.8% showed dental trauma. Difference in prevalence between boys (17.1%) and girls (10.6%) was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Maxillary central incisors were the most affected (79.2%) and the most common type of crown injury was enamel-dentin fracture (40.6%). The relationship between dental injuries and socio-economic indicators was not statistically significant. There was a tendency for children with an incisal overjet greater than 5.0 mm to have experienced dental injuries (p < 0.01). Treatment need due to dental injuries was very high but less than untreated damage.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of traumatic injuries to permanent incisors in 12-year-old Jordanian schoolchildren was close to that found in other countries. Being a boy and having overjet greater than 5.0 mm were significant predisposing factors to dental injuries.