Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of School Teachers Regarding Traumatic Dental Injuries Management

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are widespread public health problems affecting children causing esthetic and functional problems and consequently impacting their quality of life. School teachers are likely to be the first point of contact with the child soon after injury. Aim: To investigate teachers’ knowledge, attitude and practices about emergency management of TDIs in children. Materials and Methods: A total of 307 teachers from a total 20 schools of Khed, Maharashtra were included in the study. Data were collected through a multiple choice self-administered questionnaire consisting of 12 questions. Results: The knowledge, attitude and practices of the teachers regarding basic care of managing TDIs was satisfactory. Around 85.7% of the teachers acknowledged dentist had to be approached immediately. Furthermore, 83.1% of teachers demonstrated knowledge of managing soft tissue injuries with higher frequency for the response by PhD degree holders (p=0.009). Around 89.9% of the teachers knew that missing teeth had to be looked for, and bleeding had to be stopped by compression with a greater frequency of response by teachers greater than 10 years of experience(p=0.003). Around 80% knew correctly placing the tooth back into the socket and 82.7% knew about reimplantation of the tooth. However, there were varied opinions regarding the storage and washing medium of avulsed teeth. Conclusion: This study reflected the need for professional training of school teachers by dentists through various aids in managing dental emergencies.