Prevalence of Traumatic Injuries to the Anterior Pri mary Teeth in Preschool Children in Rasht, Guilan, 2012

Introduction: Dental trauma is a very significant problem in primary dentition. It has a physical, esthetic and psychological impact on the child and his/her parents. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of traumatic injuries to the anterior primary teeth and determining factors in 2-5-year-old children in Rasht, 2012. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. In order to examine for the signs of trauma to their anterior primary teeth, 748 two to five year-old children of kindergartens in the city of Rasht were chosen. A questionnaire regarding the demographic data of their children and history of the trauma were sent to the parents. The statistical analysis was chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of traumatic injury to anterior primary teeth was 23.8%, with no significant differences between boys and girls. Enamel fractures were the most common trauma c injury (76.5%). The most common cause, location and seasonal variation of the trauma were respec vely falling (95.6%), at home (59.8%) and summer (78.3%). There were more traumas in Children with increased over jet than those with normal or decreased over jet. Conclusion: The dental trauma in primary dentition is an accident that occurs due to children’s development stage, even when they are cared for by mothers at home. There is a need for an educational program specifically directed at parents to inform them about the immediate dental treatment in case of traumatic dental injuries.