The relationship between sports activities and permanent incisor crown fractures in a group of school children aged 7-9 and 11-13 in Ankara, Turkey

The objective of the study was to determine the distribution, aetiology of the crown fractures of permanent anterior teeth in children aged 7-9 and 11-13 years and to identify the role of participation in sports associated with crown fractures. The study population comprised 2570 students from 10 primary schools randomly selected from five municipalities in Ankara, Turkey. Two paediatric dentists examined all permanent maxillary and mandibular incisors for evidence of fracture and completed a standardized examination form to obtain information on the age, gender, severity of incisor injury and frequency and type of sports participation for each child, as well as whether or not children used mouthguards during sports activities. Chi-square and z-tests were used to determine differences. A total of 191 (7.43%) of the 2570 subjects examined were affected by dental trauma. The proportion of fractured incisors was significantly higher in males than in females among older children (P < 0.01). Out of a total of 222 fractured teeth, 84% involved the maxillary central incisors. Bicycling caused significantly higher rates of crown fractures than other types of sports (P < 0.05). The percentage of incisal fractures caused by sports-related accidents was 14.14%. The number of children interested in sports is high, and the sports chosen are generally contact sports. The high rate (14.14%) of crown injuries caused by sports activities supports these findings.