Page 66 - FINAL COMPENDIUM 2020-2021 27.2.2022

POSTERIOR TEETH INJURIES IN MAXILLOFACIAL TRAUMA

Keh XE, Lau XL, Ngeow WC, Yeoh OT

Introduction: Dental injuries in association with facial bone fractures are common in
maxillofacial trauma, but comprehensive studies on posterior teeth involvement are
lacking. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and type of posterior
teeth injuries, identify their locations, and classify the pattern of posterior crown
fractures. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study that reviewed the files
of 559 trauma patients to obtain their sociodemographic data, and determined the type
of posterior teeth injury in order to categorize their pattern into the cracked tooth,
horizontal or vertical crown fractures. Results: There were 510 posterior teeth injuries
occurring in 160 patients, giving tooth per patient ratio of 3.2:1. The most common dental
injury was crown fracture (39.41%) followed by concussion (26.86%), tooth loss (20.00%),
and dentoalveolar involvement (13.73%). The upper teeth were often traumatized.
Vertical crown fracture most often involved the shearing-off of a buccal or lingual/palatal
wall of posterior cusps irrespective of the types of maxillofacial injuries. There are 2 types
of impact that inflicts posterior teeth injuries; direct trauma from the anterior, and
indirect impact from blows to the jaw especially the mandible. Indirect trauma results in
fractures to the mandible and/or the shearing-off type of crown walls fracture. Crown
fracture more frequently occurs in mandibular fracture than other types of injury.
Conclusion: Mild posterior dental injuries often occurred with different types of
maxillofacial trauma.

Oral presentation at the Malaysian International Dental Exhibition and Conference (MIDEC) 2021 on 31July 2021

Dr Keh Xin Een
Luyang Dental Clinic
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Dr Lau Xiang Ling
Kajang Dental Clinic
Selangor

Prof. Dr David Ngeow Wei Cheong
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences
Faculty of Dentistry
University of Malaya

Dr Yeoh Oon Take
Department of Restorative Dentistry
Faculty of Dentistry
University of Malaya

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