Traumatic Dental injuries and its Forensic Aspects: A Prospective study at a Tertiary care Teaching Hospital

Abstract

A traumatic dental injury is an impact injury to the teeth resulting from traffic accidents, falls, assaults, and sports. Traumatic dental  injuries, by affecting a patient's speech and aesthetics, can lead to psychological and social problems, lowering the patient's quality of life.  The role of the Forensic expert is to document and describe injuries and assess the quantum of disease and disability suffered. The study  aims to analyse the pattern of traumatic dental injuries in a tertiary care teaching hospital and emphasise the medico-legal issues that arise  from a Forensic perspective. 62 cases of traumatic dental injuries presenting to the emergency room or the department of Oral Medicine  were studied prospectively over a one year period. There was a preponderance of male cases (61%) over female cases. Amaximum number  of cases were seen in the adult population (55%). Road traffic accidents (40.4%) were the most common mode of dental trauma. The  commonest type of traumatic dental injury observed was uncomplicated crown fractures and maxillary central incisors were the most  commonly traumatised teeth. In 12 cases injuries were reported as simple and in 50 cases, they were grievous in nature. To conclude,  traumatic dental injuries are preventable, and their prevalence could be reduced when potential risk factors are identified. Meticulous  examination and documentation of traumatic dental injuries should result in an accurate, complete and unbiased medico-legal report that  will aid in the legal framing of criminal charges against the accused or suspect in question.