Comparative analysis of gender: A population-based study on dental trauma

Abstract

Objective: To assess the influence of gender on dental trauma type, etiology, location of occurrence and conduct regarding dental treatment. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including 590 schoolchildren aged 07 to 14 years at public schools in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. Clinical exams were performed by two duly calibrated examiners (intraand inter-examiner kappa agreement values: 0.87 and 0.90, respectively). Data were recorded as to the type of trauma, etiology, location of occurrence and conduct regarding treatment. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used with a 5% significance level. Results: The prevalence of dental trauma was 12.7%, with greater frequency in the male gender (17% x 9%; p = 0.003). No significant differences between genders were found with regard to the following variables: age group (p = 0.975), type of trauma (p = 0.843), number of teeth affected (p = 0.735), etiology (p = 0.616), location of occurrence (p = 0.128) and reason for not seeking dental treatment (p = 0.217). Conclusion: Gender was found to have an influence on the outcome only with regard to frequency, with a greater occurrence of dental trauma among males.