title: Prevalence and determining factors of traumatic injuries to primary teeth in preschool children.
abstract: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of dental injuries and the influence of determining factors in preschool children from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examinations and the application of a questionnaire to the parents of 419 children aged 0 to 5 years attending preschool. The sample was stratified by region, type of institution and age. The eighteen preschools visited were chosen randomly. The prevalence of traumatic injury to primary teeth was 39.1%. Enamel fractures were the most common traumatic injury (49.7%). Boys were 1.62 times more likely to have dental injuries than girls. Children with inadequate lip coverage were 3.75 times more likely to have a traumatic dental injury than those with adequate lip coverage. Children attending state preschools had nearly two times greater chances of having dental trauma than children attending private preschools. It was concluded that the prevalence of dental injuries in preschool children is high in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and constitutes a public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: Maria Letícia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ramos-Jorge
authors.forename: Cristiane Baccin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bendo
authors.forename: Miriam Pimenta
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: Saul Martins
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Isabela Almeida
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Pordeus
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012578:Schools, Nursery / Q000458:organization & administration; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous