title: Periodontal mechano-sensory responses following trauma to permanent incisor teeth in children.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate mechano-sensory responses of injured and uninjured incisor teeth. Twenty-five children who had experienced dental trauma, together with age- and gender-matched controls, were studied prospectively. Touch thresholds of incisor teeth from both groups were determined using calibrated sets of von Frey hairs (force range 0.5-10.0 g in 0.5 g increments) using a forced choice staircase method. Forces were applied perpendicular to the buccal enamel surfaces along the midline, 2 mm from the incisal edge. Touch threshold was defined as the lowest force detected in three out of the five occasions. Following statistical analysis, P < 0.05 was considered significant. At initial examination, the touch threshold values of 25 traumatised teeth were significantly greater than the untraumatised controls (P < 0.001), and these values approached those of the control teeth over 3-12 months (P > 0.05). Dental trauma was associated with increased touch thresholds in permanent incisor teeth, with recovery toward healthy control values usually occurring between 3-12 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Growth & Development, Queen Mary's School of Medicine & Dentistry, Paediatric Dentistry, Dental School, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gaubert
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hector
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000293:injuries* / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014945:Wound Healing