E-scooter-related dental injuries: a two-year retrospective review

Abstract

Introduction In June 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) published guidance on electric scooter (e-scooter) use to ease transport congestion and reduce pollution. This study aims to examine dental injuries sustained during the two years following initiation of the trial.Methods The research was conducted at a UK, Level 1, supra-regional major trauma centre. All eligible patient records were analysed to identify e-scooter-related dental injuries to the following regions: teeth, periodontium, alveolus, palate, tongue, floor of mouth, frenum, buccal mucosa and lips. To assess significant associations between recorded variables, a Pearson's chi-square test was utilised.Results Of the 32 patients who experienced a total of 71 dental injuries, 46.5% (n = 33) affected teeth, predominantly upper central incisors (n = 17). 'Lacerations' (n = 32) and 'lips' (n = 30) were the most common type and site of soft tissue injuries, respectively. Unprovoked falls by riders accounted for 53.1% (n = 17) of the injuries. There was an overall increase in e-scooter-related dental injuries throughout the two-year period.Conclusion E-scooters have introduced an additional source of dental trauma. It is imperative health care professionals can also identify signs of head and non-dental injuries when managing such patients. Further studies are warranted allowing for better informed and optimised dental public health interventions.