Incidence of dental trauma among obese adolescents - a 3-year-prospective study

Objectives: The main objective of the present investigation was to estimate the incidence of traumatic dental injuries (TDI), in particular crown fractures in a 3-year follow-up of obese adolescents. Materials and methods: Seven hundred and eighty-five 13-year-old school children were selected randomly. The crown fracture was classified according to Andreasen's criteria by visual examination without radiographs. Body mass index of the study subjects was determined. Increased overjet was considered as a risk factor when it presented values higher than 3 mm, while lip coverage was classified as adequate or inadequate. With appropriate sample weighting, relationships between TDI and other variables were assessed using the chi-squared test, Kruskal-Wallis H-test and multivariable logistic regression. Results: At baseline, 131 (17.15%) adolescents presented with TDI. The accumulated incidence of TDI during the 3-year period of study was 9.03%. Children with obesity and overweight were 2.78 times greater chance suffering TDI after adjusting for socioeconomic status, lip coverage, incisal overjet and previous history of trauma. Both at baseline and follow-up examination, most frequently affected tooth is right maxillary central incisor and most frequent type of TDI was enamel fracture (44.68%). Conclusion: Adolescents with obesity and overweight were a greater chance of TDI in a 3-year follow-up.