Clarifying the effect of refractive errors and stereopsis on traumatic dental injuries in childhood

Background/Aim Visual acuity and stereopsis both play an important role in developing posture and balance in children. The aim of this study was to investigate whether children with traumatic dental injuries (TDI) have abnormal stereopsis, due to a reduction in visual acuity, compared to children with good dental health. Material and Methods A total of 140 participants (75 with traumatic dental injuries resulting from falls and crashes, and 65 age-matched controls without dental trauma) were enrolled in this prospective, cross-sectional study. The participants underwent complete dental and ophthalmologic examinations. After the ophthalmologic examination, the stereo acuities were assessed by a Titmus stereo test at 40 cm. Results Titmus test scores were significantly worse in the TDI group (mean score 252.46 +/- 629.12 seconds of arc) compared to the control group (mean score 56 +/- 27.39 seconds of arc) (P < .05). The percentage of subjects with abnormal Titmus test scores was higher in the TDI group (28%) than in the control group (3.1%). The mean anisometropia value was 3.03 +/- 2.37 D and 0.55 +/- 0.41 D in the TDI group and the control group, respectively (P < .001). The severity of anisometropia correlated with the degree of stereopsis (r = .83,P < .01). Conclusions The presence of abnormal stereopsis may lead to postural instability which can lead to traumatic dental injuries. The prevalence of abnormal stereopsis in children with TDI was higher than in children with good binocular vision and stereopsis.