The impact of traumatic dental injury on sensory perception and oral health-related quality of life of a child/adolescent before and after the treatment with aesthetic prosthesis: case report.

Children and adolescents are most frequently affected by Traumatic Dental Injuries (TDIs). Scientific evidence shows that TDIs have a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children/adolescents and their families. This article aimed to report two cases of avulsion and how the treatment influenced the oral sensory perception and OHRQoL. Two patients (8 and 14 years) from a "Dental Trauma Care Program" (DTCP) presenting avulsion were evaluated. The stereognosis test assessed oral sensory perception. This test obtains the average of right and wrong answers, as well as the time spent to perceive 6 silicone objects with different geometric shapes. Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) was applied to evaluate the OHRQoL through interviews. Based on the two reports, it was possible to observe a satisfactory improvement in the OHRQoL of the child/adolescent and their families. TDI influenced negatively the oral sensory perception of both patients. Since the aesthetic prosthesis did not entirely improve the patients' oral tactile perception, it may be considered a temporary solution.