Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in preschool children in Kuwait - a screening study

Aims: This is the first study in Kuwait to determine the prevalence, etiology, classification of trauma, teeth involved, place of injury and treatment received after dental trauma in preschool children. Material and methods: A total of 500 preschool children presenting at a dental screening day in all governorates of Kuwait were clinically examined for signs of trauma to their primary teeth. The parents were then interviewed and a prevalidated questionnaire was completed with the demographic data of the participant and history of the dental trauma. Results: A total of 243 (48.6%) males and 257 (51.4%) females were screened. The age range was 2-6 years (mean age of 4.31 +/- 1.03 years). Fifty-six children (68 teeth) suffered trauma to their primary teeth making a prevalence of 11.2%. Majority of dental traumas occurred at home (n = 49, 87.5%) followed by at street (n = 4, 7.1%) and at school (n = 3, 5.4%). The most common reason of oral trauma was falls (n = 53, 94.6%).The most commonly affected tooth was the maxillary right primary central incisor (n = 29, 42.6%) followed by the maxillary left primary central incisor (n = 26, 38.2%). There were 20 teeth with enamel fractures (29.4%), 18 teeth had enamel- dentin fractures (26.5%) and 10 teeth had complicated crown fractures (14.7%). There were 17 luxated teeth (25%) and only three primary teeth (4.4%) were avulsed. The only statistically significant relation found in this study was between the type of trauma and the type of the treatment provided. Of the traumatized teeth, 23 (33.8%) did not receive any type of dental or medical care. Conclusion: In spite of the low prevalence of dental trauma in Kuwaiti preschool children, it is highly recommended to plan a community wide trauma prevention campaign targeting parents, children and medical/dental care providers.