Assessment of Negligence of Traumatic Dental Injuries among School-Going Children

Abstract

Introduction: Dental health is important for the overall health and well-being of an individual. Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) need to be treated on time with proper dental care. This study was done to assess the negligence of TDIs among schoolchildren by evaluating the time elapsed between TDI and seeking the dental treatment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study comprised 1000 school-going children of age group 12 and 15 years of schools randomly included from the urban and rural regions. Permanent teeth were examined, and dental traumatic injuries were recorded using Ellis and Davey's classification in the pro forma. Study data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: The majority of affected children of rural (48.7%) and urban (44.1%) schools had no treatment of any kind (P < 0.05); 0% rural and 1.7% urban traumatized children sought treatment in <24 h of TDI event. About 6.6% rural and 10.2% urban affected children with dental trauma had treatment only when pain was experienced. About 26.3% rural and 44.1% urban affected schoolchildren were not able to remember about the time of injury and treatment obtained. Conclusion: The study results indicated the lack of awareness and motivation for the prevention of dental injuries and its consequences. The study's findings also reflected the negligence by children, parents, and teachers for seeking timely optimal dental care.