Patterns and characteristics of traumatic dental injuries in children – a retrospective study in a dental hospital in Kolkata, India

Introduction and aim. Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children can have aesthetic, functional, and psychological consequences. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and patterns of TDIs in a hospital-based population. Material and methods. Patient records from the Department of pediatric and Preventive Dentistry in a dental college and hospital in Kolkata, India, were reviewed. A total of 381 patients, aged 1 to 12 years, who presented one or more traumatized anterior teeth between September 2018 and August 2022, were included. Data on age, sex, mechanism of injury, type of trauma, dentition type, and number of affected teeth were collected. The World Health Organization classification system was used to classify the type of dental trauma. Results. Among the study population, there were 235 males (61.7%) and 146 females (38.3%), with a mean age of 7.67±3.87 years. Falls were the most common cause of trauma (52.2%). The maxillary central incisors were the most frequently affected teeth in both primary and permanent dentitions. Conclusion. Falls were the most common cause of trauma and the maxillary central incisors were the most commonly affected teeth in children.