Dental trauma in four-year-old children in a cohort from southern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are common, previous studies report high prevalence in deciduous dentition. Brazil presents higher prevalence than global rates. Objective: Identify factors associated with the prevalence of TDI in 4-years-old children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with participants from a birth cohort in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. Demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral and environmental data were collected through interview and physical examination during follow-ups. The oral examination performed at 4 years of age registered the presence of TDI. A theoretical model was defined using a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). Descriptive analysis and Poisson regression were performed, relating TDI to each exposure. Results: A total of 3.650 4-year-old children participated. The prevalence of dental trauma was 20.20%. Girls had lower prevalence compared to boys (PR=0.80; CI=0.86-1.31). Greater height-for-age (PR=1.55; CI:1.14-2.09), increased overjet (PR=1.45; CI:1.2-1.65) and anterior open bite (PR=1.26; CI:1.01-1.56) showed association after testing the DAG-based models. Conclusion: This study found that children taller for age and oral factors are more predisposed to TDI at age 4 years. Understanding these factors contributes to the development of preventive measures aimed to reducing the occurrence of TDI and its potential sequelae. Further longitudinal studies are recommended.