Birth order – a risk factor for dental trauma?. Issue 2 (2nd September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Käch, Matthias; Krastl, Gabriel; Zitzmann, Nicola U.; Kühl, Sebastian; Filippi, Andreas
• Is Part Of: Dental traumatology. Volume 30:Issue 2(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 118
• Page End: 121
• Publication Date: 2013-09-02
• Subjects: Teeth -- Wounds and injuries -- Periodicals; Dentistry, Operative -- Periodicals; Traumatology -- Periodicals; Endodontics -- Periodicals; 617.6
• DOI: 10.1111/edt.12061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1600-4469

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="edt12061-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="edt12061-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Many character traits are influenced by birth order with greatest differences between first and lastborns.</p> </sec> <sec id="edt12061-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To investigate the influence of birth order on the risk of dental trauma.</p> </sec> <sec id="edt12061-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Five hundred mothers in Switzerland were interviewed personally regarding dental trauma in their children. Inclusion criteria were a family size of at least two children. Data of 1282 children were collected.</p> </sec> <sec id="edt12061-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Thirty‐two percent of the children had sustained one or more dental trauma before the age of 16 (57% male, 43% female). In children who had sustained dental trauma twice, the gender ratio moved to 68% male and 32% female (<italic>P</italic> = 0.003). Regarding birth order, lastborns sustained more second dental traumas. Relative risk of second dental trauma was 2.1 times higher in lastborns than in firstborns (<italic>P</italic> = 0.02). Moreover, certain character traits in children are influenced by birth order. According to their mothers, lastborns were more curious, less calm and less deliberate than firstborns (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Second born without younger siblings were more athletic/active than firstborns (<italic>P</italic> = 0.011). Athletic/active children as well as not calm/deliberate children sustained second dental trauma more often than not athletic/active (<italic>P</italic> = 0.038) and calm/deliberate children (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001).</p> </sec> <sec id="edt12061-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Birth order is a risk factor for sustaining dental trauma twice. Character traits of lastborns (curious, not calm/deliberate and aggressive) could be reasons for higher risk of dental trauma.</p> </sec> </abstract>