Traumatic oral vs non-oral injuries

Abstract

This study comprised patients who sought consultation or treatment from a physician or dentist for injury caused by accident in a Swedish county (Västmanland 256510 inhabitants) during a period of one year. A total of 23690 (adjusted for non-responders) individuals were injured during the study period. Five per cent included oral injuries, 95% non-oral injuries, and 0.4% consisted of both oral and non-oral injuries. In total, oral injuries were the sixth most common part of the body that was injured. The incidence of oral injuries was 4.2/1000 inhabitants/year and of non-oral injuries 87.8/1000/year. Because practically all oral injuries were observed in individuals under the age of 30, the comparison between oral and non-oral injuries was made for the age interval 0-30 years. The highest risk of sustaining oral injuries was in the ages 0-12 years, where the annual incidence was 18/1000, making oral injuries the third most common form of injury. The study reveals substantial differences between oral and non-oral injuries with regard to age-groups, site of injury, and injury mechanism. Falls were the most common cause of oral injuries among those 0-6 years of age, whereas push and hit were the primary causes of oral injuries in the ages 16-30 years. Non-oral injuries were caused most frequently by falls in all age groups. Alcohol and violence were more likely related to oral than non-oral injuries for persons in the age interval 16-30 years. The number of oral injuries was higher during weekends and in the late evenings than at other times, whereas most non-oral injuries occurred during day-time hours, and were spread evenly throughout the week. The high incidence and special characteristics of oral injuries stress the importance of including oral injuries to achieve a high validity in body injury surveillance systems. Furthermore, the results indicate that epidemiological data are unique for oral injuries which should be taken into consideration when planning for prevention and organization of emergency resources.