title: Incidence of reported dental trauma among soldiers during basic training.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, characterizations and etiologies of traumatic dental injuries among Israeli army soldiers during basic combat training. Dental files of soldiers (n=11,053) from several combat military camps, who completed 8 months of basic training during 2006-2007, were analyzed for frequency, type and etiology of dental trauma. The study included 118 files. The incidence of dental trauma was 1.1% per 8 months (1.6% per year). The most frequently traumatized tooth was the right maxillary central incisor (46%), most prevalent type of injury was a noncomplicated crown fracture (45%), and most frequent etiology was the personal weapon (53%), with no statistical correlation toward a right-sided injury. The incidence of dental traumatic injuries during basic combat training was higher than among army personnel as found in other studies. A weapon impact can be a major risk factor for soldiers during basic training.
authors.affiliation: Center of Dentistry, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Talia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Malka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashkenazi