Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted A novel dental trauma index – investigation of the soft tissue trauma presentations at UDHM(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alnasser, Ahmed; Barry, Siobhan; Dave, ManasBackground: Children are particularly vulnerable to traumatic dental injuries (TDIs), which often involve concomitant soft tissue injuries (STIs) and pose significant clinical, emotional, and economic burdens. No standardised index currently captures the full spectrum of STI presentations in paediatric dental trauma. Aim: To evaluate current clinical recording practices at the University Dental Hospital Manchester (UDHM) for documenting extra- and intra-oral STIs in children presenting with TDIs at the Department of Child Dental Health (DCDH) by using the Modified Eden Baysal Dental Trauma Index (MEBDTI) as a framework. Methods: A prospective service evaluation study reviewed TDIs cases seen at UDHM over 11 months. Patient’s relevant information was extracted from clinical records. MEBDTI was used as a framework to quantify missing STIs documentation. Descriptive statistics summarised frequency distributions; assessment and referral delays were analysed. Results: The cohort included 46 males (75.4%) and 15 females (24.6%), with a mean age of 7.16 years (range 1–14). Falls were the main cause (47.5%). Presence or absence of extra-oral STIs was not documented in 32.8% of records. Intra-oral STIs were not documented in 60.7% of cases. Pre-hospital management varied: 47.5% received no treatment, 24.6% underwent radiography, and 13.1% had soft tissue suturing. At UDHM, 88.5% needed no further intervention. The median time to initial assessment was on the same day (86.4% within 24 hours; mean delay 1.61 days), with referral decisions made within two days for 81.8% of patients. Wait times for UDHM assessment after referral ranged from 0 to 61 days, with 13.1% waiting 50 days or more. Conclusions: The MEBDTI enables structured documentation of paediatric STI presentations in dental trauma. Findings highlight substantial gaps in clinical record-keeping for soft tissue assessment and generally prompt initial care but variable referral and wait times. Standardising STI classification may improve data quality, guide clinical decision-making, and inform resource allocation in paediatric dental trauma services.11 0