RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIM: Soft tissue injuries (STI) are common in children and adolescents. This retrospective study evaluated the frequency of STI, gender, type of injury, and its location in pediatric patients, comparing the different age groups and how the presence of these lesions influences the pursuit for immediate care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of patients 0-15 years old who had been treated between 2005 and 2013 at the Dental Trauma Surveillance Center, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro were included in this study. Records with incomplete data and those in which the patient took more than 2 weeks to seek attendance were excluded. The data collected included the age and gender of the patient, the frequency, type and location of the injury, and immediate treatment (<24 h). Data were analyzed descriptively and with the chi-square test (P ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: Of the 543 patients who met the eligibility criteria, 56.2% had STI, and males (65.6%), and the age group of 0-3 years (39.7%) were the most affected. The concomitant presence of lesions in the intra- and extra-oral region was the most frequent in all age groups. In the extra-oral region, contusion (20.7%) and abrasion (19.3%) were more common to the upper lip and laceration to the lower lip (18.4%). In the intra-oral region, the injury was more frequent to the gums (41%), while the lips were the most affected by abrasion (12.2%) and laceration (24.9%). Regardless of the age groups, the pursuit for immediate care was statistically influenced by the presence of soft tissue lesions (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is a high prevalence of STI in the study sample; the lesions were more common in boys and in patients aged 0-3 years. The presence of STI proved to be a determining factor for the pursuit for immediate care.