Traumatic anterior dental injuries in 7- to 12-year-old Brazilian children Dental trauma in children and adolescents is a serious public health problem (1–4). Frequencies of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in the permanent dentition in children and adolescents have been reported in different parts of the world (4–6) and the prevalence of injured teeth varies in different populations and at various ages (1, 7, 8). In Brazil, at age 12, they range from 10.5 (9) to 18.9 (10). Dental injury may have an impact on children’s quality of life (11). The patients, who are exposed to trauma, are not only physically, but also psychologically affected (12). Dental trauma is also a source of distress for the parents of those children (13). Boys experience more dental injuries than girls (5, 14– 18). The majority of dental injuries involved the anterior teeth (7, 16), which may lead to restriction in biting, difficulty speaking clearly, and feeling embarrassed to show the teeth (3). There is agreement that traumatic injuries occur more often to the maxillary than the mandibular incisors (17) and that the central incisors are affected more often than the lateral incisors (5, 9). The causes of dental injury are known. The main causes of injuries to the permanent incisors are falls and collisions (15), sporting activities, violence, and traffic accidents (4, 13, 14). All sporting activities have an associated risk of orofacial injuries due to falls, colli- sions, and contact with hard surface (19). Furthermore, the risk of injury to the maxillary incisors has been shown to increase with incisal overjet (OJ) and inade- quate lip coverage (1, 5, 17, 20). Information on the prevalence and severity of dental trauma in various age groups of a population has significance for planning public dental care strategies in that population. In addition, information about associ- ations between morphologic characteristics and incisor injuries is of general significance for orthodontic treat- ment (17). There is no information on the prevalence and risk factors for dental trauma in Campina Grande, Brazil, and few sound population studies on the causes of TDI exist in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors to traumatic injuries to permanent anterior teeth in 7- to 12- year-old children in Campina Grande, Paraı´ba, Brazil. Material and methods This study was conducted in compliance with the ethical guidelines issued by Resolution 196/96 of the Brazilian National Health Council/Ministry of Health on research involving human subjects. The research project was reviewed independently and approved by the Ethics Research Committee of the State University of Paraı´ba, Brazil. A cross-sectional survey was performed with the sample universe population comprising children aged 7–12 years regularly attending public schools in the city of Campina Grande, state of Paraı´ba, located in the northeast of Brazil. The city has an estimated population of 379 871 habitants and a municipal human Dental Traumatology 2009; 25: 198–202; doi: 10.1111/j.1600-9657.2008.00746.x 198 Ó 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti, Priscilla Kelly Medeiros Bezerra, Catarina Ribeiro Barros de Alencar, Cristiano Moura Department of Social Dentistry, State University of Paraı ´ba, Campina Grande, Paraı ´ba, Brazil Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti, Avenida Manoel Moraes, 471/802 – Manaı ´ra, 58038-230 Joa ˜o Pessoa, Paraı ´ba, Brazil Tel.: +55 83 3315 3326 Fax: +55 83 3315 3355 e-mail: dralessandro@ibest.com.br Accepted 3 September, 2008 Abstract – The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of dental trauma in the permanent anterior teeth of schoolchildren in Campina Grande, Brazil. A sample of 448 schoolchildren, 228 boys and 220 girls, aged 7–12 years, were randomly selected from 17 public schools in an urban area. The sample selection was carried out in two stages: first, schools were selected by simple sampling and then children were chosen using a proportionality coefficient. Data were collected through clinical examinations and interviews, after examiner calibration. Overjet (OJ) was considered a risk factor when it presented values higher than 3 mm, while lip coverage was classified as adequate or inadequate. Yates’ chi-squared test verified the association between the variables and odds ratio. Significance level was set at 5%. The prevalence of dental injuries was 21%. Boys experienced more injuries than girls, 21.9% and 20%, respectively (P > 0.05). Falls and collisions were the main causes of dental trauma, 63.8% and 24.5%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and OJ (95% CI 0.22–0.63) (P < 0.001) and between TDI and inadequate lip coverage (95% CI 9.16–34.93) (P < 0.001). Data indicated that boys presenting an OJ size >3 mm and inadequate lip coverage were more likely to have TDI in Campina Grande, Brazil.