Recent research published in british dental journal reported an overall increase in electric scooter-related dental injuries in the UK from 2020 to 2022.
study: Electric scooter-related dental injuries: A 2-year retrospective study. Image credit: Skylines / Shutterstock.com
Tooth injury and electric scooter
Traumatic dental injuries account for approximately 5% of all physical injuries. Traumatic dental injuries not only have a negative impact on the aesthetics and physical and mental health of the affected person, but can also cause various complications such as pulp necrosis, root resorption, tooth ankylosis, and pulp extinction.
Electric scooters have recently gained great popularity around the world as a convenient alternative to other types of urban transportation. In June 2020, the UK government launched a trial to introduce electric scooters onto the roads in a bid to reduce traffic-related congestion and pollution.
Since its introduction, several reports of electric scooter-related facial and dental injuries have been documented in the UK. However, there is currently a lack of information available regarding the specific types of dental injuries caused by electric scooter use.
In the current study, scientists are thoroughly analyzing demographic characteristics, tooth injury patterns and subsequent dental management approaches following electric scooter trials in the UK.
research design
The current study was conducted at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. The hospital’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department has created a dataset containing medical reports of patients who sustained dental injuries due to the use of electric scooters from September 2020 to September 2022.
This dataset includes patient demographic characteristics, cause of injury, helmet usage, intoxication status, specific dental injury status, head and other non-dental injury status, and applied dental management. It was comprehensively analyzed to collect information regarding the approach.
important findings
During the study period, a total of 32 adult patients presented to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with dental injuries related to electric scooter use, approximately 72% of whom were male. Approximately 38% of those injured were between the ages of 20 and 29.
The most common cause of tooth injury was unintentional falls, reported by 53% of patients. Other documented causes of tooth damage include collisions with stationary objects, uneven surfaces, and alleged assaults on riders while using electric scooters. Men were more likely to suffer dental injuries than women, regardless of the cause of the injury.
Of the 13 cases for which information on helmet use was available, only two, one male and one female, reported wearing a helmet. In contrast, approximately 77% of male patients reported not wearing a helmet.
Intoxication information was available for 12 patients, 11 of whom were reported to have been intoxicated at the time of injury. The most common intoxicant was alcohol, followed by cannabis. Both hard and soft tissue dental injuries were recorded in 64% of inebriated patients, whereas soft tissue and non-dental injuries were recorded in 100% of inebriated patients.
Traumatic brain injury was documented in 31% of patients, of which 4 patients required hospitalization for neurological observation. Approximately 90% of TBI patients also experience soft tissue dental damage.
A total of 71 dental injuries were reported by 32 patients, of which 53% were soft tissue injuries. The most common soft tissue injury was a laceration, and the primary site of injury was the lip.
Most of the soft tissue injuries required surgical management under local or general anesthesia. In four cases, dental management included debridement with or without wound dressings.
The most commonly reported hard tissue dental injuries include enamel-dentin and enamel-dentin-pulp fractures. Three subluxation injuries required surgical management with flexible wire splints.
Most hard tissue injuries occurred in the maxilla. The most frequently damaged teeth were the upper right central incisor and the upper left central incisor. Approximately 90% of patients with hard tissue dental injuries also experienced non-dental injuries.
One patient with alveolar bone fracture received conventional treatment due to critical illness. Unfortunately, this patient died from these injuries.
Significance of the research
Current research reports an overall increase in the number of dental injuries caused by electric scooter use in the UK between 2020 and 2022. These findings highlight the importance of increasing public awareness of the potential risks of dental injury associated with this mode of transportation.
