Traumatic Dental Injuries at a Tertiary Dental Trauma Center in Eastern Bavaria: Findings from the Regensburg Dental Trauma Registry
- 1Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- 2Center for Clinical Studies, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- 3Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Abstract
Background: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are highly prevalent worldwide; however, structured and standardized datasets remain scarce. This study aimed to describe the demographics, injury characteristics, diagnostic findings, and initial management of TDIs in Eastern Bavaria using data from the Regensburg Dental Trauma Registry (RDTR). Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 1000 cases with TDIs presented within three days after trauma and treated at the Center for Dental Traumatology, University Hospital of Regensburg, between June 2016 and December 2020, representing the initial cohort of the ongoing RDTR. Data were recorded in a standardized way using a REDCap-based electronic case report form. Descriptive analyses were performed at both the case and tooth levels. Results: The cohort comprised 1000 cases (61.6% male, 38.4% female; median age 13 years [IQR: 7–26]), with a total of 1904 permanent and 528 primary teeth affected. A total of 84.1% presented within 24 h of injury. The age distribution of presenting cases peaked at 2–4 and 7–9 years, irrespective of sex. The relative distributions were similar among children aged ≤3 years. Age groups between 4 and 27 years accounted for larger proportions of male than female registry cases, whereas age groups ≥28 years accounted for larger proportions of female than male registry cases. Falls were the leading cause of injury (67.8%), with cycling being the most common activity at the time of trauma (18.6%). Maxillary central incisors were the most frequently affected teeth in both dentitions (58.7% primary; 54.9% permanent). Luxation injuries predominated in primary teeth (92.8%) compared with permanent teeth (69.8%), whereas fractures were more common in permanent teeth (57% vs. 14.2%). Avulsion injuries affected 202 teeth (139 permanent, 63 primary). Among cases involving at least one avulsed permanent tooth, dry storage was documented in 40.9% of cases. The most frequent initial treatments were splinting (36.5%), restoration or coverage of fractured surfaces (27.0%), and repositioning (11.3%). Conclusions: Standardized registry-based documentation can provide a comprehensive basis for understanding the clinical presentation and management of traumatic dental injuries and for identifying opportunities to improve trauma care. The RDTR establishes a framework for systematic data collection that can support quality improvement, comparative research, and longitudinal evaluation of treatment outcomes. Its continued development and expansion across centers may contribute to a more robust evidence base for the management of TDIs.
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BibTeX
@article{arabulan2026traumatic,
title = {{Traumatic Dental Injuries at a Tertiary Dental Trauma Center in Eastern Bavaria: Findings from the Regensburg Dental Trauma Registry}},
author = {Sevgi Arabulan and Karolina Müller and Gunnar Huppertz and Martyna Smeda and Michael Koller and Sophia Rebecca Lindner and Torsten E. Reichert and Miriam Hergert and Johanna Maluche and Wolfgang Buchalla and Matthias Widbiller},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15207947},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7947},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Traumatic Dental Injuries at a Tertiary Dental Trauma Center in Eastern Bavaria: Findings from the Regensburg Dental Trauma Registry
AU - Sevgi Arabulan
AU - Karolina Müller
AU - Gunnar Huppertz
AU - Martyna Smeda
AU - Michael Koller
AU - Sophia Rebecca Lindner
AU - Torsten E. Reichert
AU - Miriam Hergert
AU - Johanna Maluche
AU - Wolfgang Buchalla
AU - Matthias Widbiller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15207947
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7947
AB - Background: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are highly prevalent worldwide; however, structured and standardized datasets remain scarce. This study aimed to describe the demographics, injury characteristics, diagnostic findings, and initial management of TDIs in Eastern Bavaria using data from the Regensburg Dental Trauma Registry (RDTR). Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 1000 cases with TDIs presented within three days after trauma and treated at the Center for Dental Traumatology, University Hospital of Regensburg, between June 2016 and December 2020, representing the initial cohort of the ongoing RDTR. Data were recorded in a standardized way using a REDCap-based electronic case report form. Descriptive analyses were performed at both the case and tooth levels. Results: The cohort comprised 1000 cases (61.6% male, 38.4% female; median age 13 years [IQR: 7–26]), with a total of 1904 permanent and 528 primary teeth affected. A total of 84.1% presented within 24 h of injury. The age distribution of presenting cases peaked at 2–4 and 7–9 years, irrespective of sex. The relative distributions were similar among children aged ≤3 years. Age groups between 4 and 27 years accounted for larger proportions of male than female registry cases, whereas age groups ≥28 years accounted for larger proportions of female than male registry cases. Falls were the leading cause of injury (67.8%), with cycling being the most common activity at the time of trauma (18.6%). Maxillary central incisors were the most frequently affected teeth in both dentitions (58.7% primary; 54.9% permanent). Luxation injuries predominated in primary teeth (92.8%) compared with permanent teeth (69.8%), whereas fractures were more common in permanent teeth (57% vs. 14.2%). Avulsion injuries affected 202 teeth (139 permanent, 63 primary). Among cases involving at least one avulsed permanent tooth, dry storage was documented in 40.9% of cases. The most frequent initial treatments were splinting (36.5%), restoration or coverage of fractured surfaces (27.0%), and repositioning (11.3%). Conclusions: Standardized registry-based documentation can provide a comprehensive basis for understanding the clinical presentation and management of traumatic dental injuries and for identifying opportunities to improve trauma care. The RDTR establishes a framework for systematic data collection that can support quality improvement, comparative research, and longitudinal evaluation of treatment outcomes. Its continued development and expansion across centers may contribute to a more robust evidence base for the management of TDIs.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -