upbringing or life-style.
- History of previous injury.
Dental professionals should be aware of any established system in their locality
which is designed to cope with these cases. In the United Kingdom each Local
Authority Social Services Department is required to set up an 'Area Child Protection
Committee' which are coordinated by 'Designated Doctors' in Primary Care Trusts.
Dental professionals are advised how to refer and to whom, if they are concerned.
776H
Fig. 12.50 Characteristic parallel
bruising of a slap mark. (Reproduced
with the kind permission of
Munksgaard.)777H
Fig. 12.51 Torn labial frenum in a
young child not yet learning to walk
could be an indicator of a non-accidental
injury. (Reproduced with the kind
permission of Munksgaard.)12.9 SUMMARY
- Boys experience dental trauma almost twice as often as girls.
- Maxillary central incisors are the most commonly involved teeth.
- Regular clinical and radiographic review is necessary to limit unwanted sequelae,
institute appropriate treatment, and improve prognosis. - Injuries to the developing permanent dentition occur in half of all trauma to the
primary dentition. - Splinting for avulsion, luxation, and root fractures should be functional to allow
physiological movement and promote normal healing of the p.l. Splinting for
dentoalveolar fractures should be rigid.