Prevalence and causes of fractured permanent incisors in 12‐year‐old suburban Nigerian schoolchildren

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and causes of traumatic dental injuries to the permanent dentition of 12-year-old school children in Ile-Ife, a suburban population in the south west of Nigeria. A dental trauma cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examination of upper and lower permanent incisors and interviews with 415 (212 boys, 203 girls) 12-year-old children attending private and public secondary schools in Ile-Ife, in 2004/2005 by one calibrated examiner. Garcia-Godoy's classification was used. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 12.8%. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence between boys and girls P > 0.05. The most common cause of injuries was falls (49.1%), followed by traffic accidents (13.2%), collision against objects or people (11.3%) and misuse of teeth 9.4%. The commonest type of injury was enamel fracture alone (9.9%), followed by enamel-dentine fracture (4.8%). Majority of the accidents occurred at home (60.4%), followed by school (26.4%). The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was on the increase among suburban Nigerian children in Ile-Ife and it has a potential to be considered an emerging public health problem.