Pattern of Dentoalveolar injuries in Patients aged 10 to 20 years old Attending Khartoum Teaching Dental Hospital

The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of dentoalveolar injuries (DAI) and the main etiological factors affecting adolescents. This information is essential for planning dental health education programs aimed at reducing the incidence of dental trauma. A sample was collected through questionnaires at the out patient department at Khartoum Teaching Dental Hospital (KTDH) from August to October 2007.Pattern of DAI was classified according to Andreasen’s and Andreasen’s classification (1981). Eighty five patients suffered from trauma, 84.7 % were males, 15.3 % females. The mean age was 16.74 years the SD is 3.2 years. Number of teeth involved was 212 teeth. Regarding the place of injury, street injuries were the most common constituting 65.9%, home injuries 20%, school injuries 10.6% and sport injuries 3.5%. Assaults were the most common etiological factor accounting for 44.7 %, falls 22.4%, road traffic accidents 21.2%, collision with subject or object 8.2% and sports 3.5%. Maxillary central incisors were the most affected teeth 53.9%.Subluxation was the most common pattern of injury 19.4%, then lateral luxation 18.4%, avulsion 14.6%, fracture of the alveolar process 11.3%, extrusive luxation 9.4%, concussion 6.1%, and the least pattern was crown infraction 1.9%. Patterns of DAI were sever, probably people experiencing sever injuries attend hospitals .The majority of DAI were the result of assaults, dental education programs should consider the prevention of assaults especially that directed toward the face