The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and type of traumatic dental
injuries after
maxillofacial injuries as a result of Alpine skiing. During an 8-year period (from January 1991 to December 1998) 7600 patients with
facial injuries were registered at the Department of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Of 784 patients with skiing-related
facial injuries (524 males, 260 females) 326 (41.6%) sustained
injuries to 639 teeth. The age groups predominantly affected were between 7 and 32 years. Luxation
injuries occurred in 338 (53%) teeth, fractures accounted for 270
tooth injuries (42%), and only 35 (5%) were lost at the place of the accident. Of skiers with traumatic dental
injuries 58% had concomitant
soft tissue injuries, while 23.3% had associated facial bone fractures. The most common causes of injury were falls in 42% (329 patients) and collisions with other persons in 24.1% (189 patients). Being hit by one's own sports equipment (11%) was the third most common cause. Collisions with obstacles accounted for 9% and lift accidents for 5.6% of
injuries. The probability of suffering dentoalveolar
trauma during skiing varied depending on the injury mechanism. There was a 2-fold risk for dentoalveolar
trauma when colliding with objects, a 3.5-fold risk when hit by one's own equipment and a 8.5-fold risk during lift accidents. Dental
injuries occurred in about 2% of all injured skiers. Dental health professionals should be aware of the high incidence and the distribution of dental
trauma and
facial injuries caused by skiing.