Prevalence of dental trauma and association with alcohol consumption, demographic and clinical factors among 12-year-old schoolchildren: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) of the permanent incisors and association with alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, gender, overjet and lip coverage among 12-year-old schoolchildren in the city of Diamantina,in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Material and Methods:An exploratory cross-sectional study was carried out with a convenience sample of 101 schoolchildren (46.5% males and 53.4% females) selected from public and private schools. The diagnosis of TDI was performed by a dentist who had undergone a training andcalibration exercise using the Andreasen classification. Data analysis involved the determination of frequency distribution and the chi-squared test (p<0.05).Results:The prevalence rates of TDI, alcohol consumption and binge drinking were 33.7%, 37.6% and 24.8%, respectively. The main type of TDI was enamel fracture (53.6%), followed by enamel + dentin fracture without pulp exposure (n=29; 4%). Only 9.8% of the adolescents with TDI underwent subsequent treatment. Significant associations were found between TDI and the male gender (p=0.029), overjet (p<0.0001) and inadequate lip coverage (p<0.0001). No associations were found with socioeconomic status (p=0.579), household income (p=0.776), alcohol consumption (p=0.281) or binge drinking (p=0.207). Conclusion:High prevalence rates of TDI, alcohol consumption and binge drinking were found among the 12-year-olds analyzed. TDI was associated with gender and lip coverage, but no associations were found with socioeconomic status or alcohol consumption