title: Complications and survival rates of teeth after dental trauma over a 5-year period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the current guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) for emergency care of traumatised teeth result in lower complication rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic strategies of 361 dental injuries in 291 patients treated at a university dental hospital over a 5-year period were investigated by evaluating the patients' records. Adherence to the guidelines of the IADT (Flores et al. Dent Traumatol 17:1-4, 2001; 49-52, 2001; 97-102, 2001; 145-148, 2001; and 193-196, 2001; Flores et al. Dent Traumatol 23:66-71, 2007; 130-136, 2007; and 196-202, 2007) was evaluated. Complications were also recorded according to the patients' records and analysed relative to the treatment and injury pattern. During follow-up visits, the teeth were inspected regarding pulp vitality and overall function of the injured tooth. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of pulps and teeth was performed for different injury categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of injuries (322/361; 89.2 %) were treated according to the guidelines. When IADT guidelines were followed, complication rates were significantly lower than for cases treated without adherence to the guidelines. The most frequent complication was the loss of restoration, followed by pulp necrosis, abnormal mobility, and tooth loss. The overall survival analysis showed that in the permanent dentition, the loss of pulp vitality and tooth occurs within the first 6 months but may also occur later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that traumatised teeth that were treated according to the recommendations had a lower complication rate. In addition, the majority of pulp necrosis and tooth losses in the permanent dentition occurred within the first 6 months after trauma. These results indicate that early follow-up visits are essential to promptly treat complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adherence to the IADT guidelines for treatment of dental trauma may lead to more favourable outcomes when compared to cases treated without compliance to the guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Goethestrasse 70, Munich,, Germany. kbuecher@dent.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bücher
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiering
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hickel
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kühnisch
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003790:Dental Pulp Necrosis / Q000209:etiology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012391:Root Resorption / Q000209:etiology; D012953:Societies, Dental; D014084:Tooth Avulsion / Q000628:therapy; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000628:therapy; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000209:etiology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous