Dental and maxillofacial skeletal injuries seen at the University of Otago School of Dentistry, New Zealand 2000-2004

An epidemiological study of dental and facial trauma injuries was performed on patient presentations to the University of Otago School of Dentistry during the period 2000-2004. A total of 1287 patients were seen for dental injuries with 3473 tooth injuries. The mean age was 17.48 +/- 13.13 years (range: 2-86), the highest number of injuries occurred in the 16-25 year group with a male to female ratio of 2.01:1. Uncomplicated crown fractures were the most common injury that required treatment and the variables of age, gender, tooth type, type of injury, cause of injury, location where injury occurred were similar to other studies. Falls, accidental contact, assault and motor vehicle accidents attributed to > 60% of the causes of trauma and to more serious injuries. Dental injuries sustained during sporting activities reflected the potential for high impact contact and the pattern of injury suggested that preventative measures had a positive outcome in limiting the number and degree of complexity of injuries. The emergence of skateboard injuries was a feature of this study. Non-sport causes attributed to the majority of facial fractures while rugby union was the most common sport associated with bone fractures. This study shows that dental and facial injury rates and patterns in a New Zealand region are similar to other populations.