Prevalence of dental fractures and associated factors in students of Valinhos, SP, Brazil

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of dental fractures and their association with risk factors in the permanent dentition of adolescents in Valinhos, SP, Brazil. METHODS: The study population was obtained using the probability sampling method and comprised 379 students between 13 and 19 years old enrolled in the eight State schools of the city, who were examined by nine pairs of calibrated dentists (Kappa>0.80). The presence of dental fractures in permanent anterior incisors, as well as the presence of considerable overjet (> 5mm) and lip seal was evaluated in a clinical-epidemiological examination. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental trauma was 27.1%. The most frequent lesions were enamel fractures (72.6%) of which falls were the main cause (45.7%). No association was found between the presence of considerable overjet and deficient lip seal (chi-square test; p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental trauma in the studied population was expressive when compared with the literature, but the analyzed oral aspects did not contribute to its occurrence.