Orofacial Trauma In Adolescence

Orofacial trauma can be defined as pain resulting from forces inflicted on the mouth, jaw, face, and surrounding oral soft tissues. This trauma is considered a serious public health problem among children and adolescents due to significant prevalence rates, psychosocial effects on quality of life, and high treatment costs (7). Numerous biological factors predispose one for orofacial trauma, including: the male gender, an increase in overjet, inadequate lip protection, violence, and socio-economic status (2, 5). Adolescence is a transitional stage of human development between 12 to 18 years of age in which substantial physical and psychological transformations occur (4). This stage is associated with the onset of puberty, considerable physical growth, brain maturation, hormonal changes, and heightened risk tasking. The manifestation of behaviors such as fighting, substance abuse, sexual intercourse, rebelliousness, and tests of invincibility affect
With better understanding of the causes and effects behind the occurrence of these changes, dentists can have a greater grasp on why adolescents are associated with high risk behaviors. This allows dentists to provide their adolescent patients with more comprehensive planning, decision-making, and intervention in the provision of their care (6). High-risk behaviors studied included tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug use, tattoos, piercings, and mouthguard use during sports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that high-risk behaviors contribute greatly to leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth in the United States. The aim of this study was to investigate if there exists a relationship between high risk behaviors and orofacial trauma among adolescent patients at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental