Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) can occur across all age groups but they are most common in children and young adults. Twenty-five percent of children and 33% of adults experience trauma to the permanent dentition. In all age groups, males are more likely to have dental injuries than females. The prevalence of dental injuries in individuals with special health care needs is 23.2% (21% in males and 27% in females).

Although dental injuries can affect anyone at any time, there are certain risk factors such as age, behavior, forwardly placed front teeth, not following the rules of the game, environment (e.g., slippery conditions such as ice and wet surfaces, loose house mats, etc.), player safety equipment, conditions affecting normal functions and balance of the body, and participation in sports and physical activities. Hence, the most strategic measure for preventing dental and oral injuries and to reduce their complications is education on how to avoid them and what to do if an injury occurs. Primary care clinicians are uniquely positioned to help families prevent accidental trauma, including oral trauma, by providing anticipatory guidance at routine medical/dental visits. Dental professionals should be proactive in providing and evaluating the need for personal protection of their patients. It is also the responsibility of the clinician to consider non-accidental injuries (NAI) when evaluating any traumatic dental injury in all individuals. This is especially important in vulnerable individuals such as young children, people with special healthcare needs, and older people.

Dental professionals can play crucial roles in dental trauma prevention at all levels for all age groups. In primary prevention (that is, preventing the first injury), they can educate the patients and various stakeholders, provide preventive care by recognizing the risks and treating them, and offer guidance on the use of various safety devices and measures. Secondary prevention (that is, preventing further injuries to the same tooth/teeth) is almost entirely dependent upon dental professionals. They must be available in an emergency situation and knowledgeable to provide care by being well-versed with TDI management according to the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) guidelines.

Education of the stakeholders of dental trauma such as the injured individual, parents/family/caregivers, school teachers, sports persons and coaches, and non-dental health care professionals, for the prevention and emergency management of TDI is an indispensable part of prevention. Dental professionals must be empowered and motivated to disseminate this information and play an important role in the prevention of TDI globally.

In this Special Issue of the journal, a series of papers, written by experts in the relevant areas addressed, have been published as general guidelines for the prevention of traumatic dental injuries. These papers were written after reviewing the relevant literature to ensure the information was contemporary and consistent with the scientific literature. Following initial writing by selected groups of experts, the papers were reviewed by the entire team, modified where required, and subsequently approved by the IADT and ASD Boards of Directors.

There are several aims of these papers with the overall aim being to highlight the important roles that dental professionals play in the prevention and management of TDI. The guidelines have intentionally been written in a very general format for easy understanding. Although these guidelines have been based on scientific findings, they have not been referenced in the usual manner used in scientific journal publications. However, “Recommended Further Reading” lists have been provided for those who wish to obtain more detailed, scientifically based information.

The papers have also been written in a format that should be understandable to most non-dental personnel so they can be used to educate the general public, the victims of TDI and any people who may be present at the scene of an accident so they can provide the appropriate first aid management for the injuries – such as parents, sports coaches, school teachers, team mates, by-standers, etc. They could also be presented to policymakers in order to promote TDI prevention measures.

The guidelines outline important aspects regarding the primary prevention of dental trauma, the use of mouthguards and faceshields, the secondary prevention of dental injuries to teeth that have been previously traumatized, education of the profession and the general public, the role of orthodontics for the prevention of dental and oral trauma, the Tooth SOS app, the role of dental professionals in preventing and managing dental trauma, and first aid for the general public.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION

All authors contributed to the development of this paper and approved its final form.

FUNDING INFORMATION

No funding was received for the presented work.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare there are no competing interest for the above manuscript.

ETHICS STATEMENT

No ethic approval was required for this paper.