Effectiveness of school-based dental health education on knowledge and practices related to emergency management of dental trauma and tooth avulsion

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma to teeth and jaws are considered major public health problems. The school environment is the most susceptible place for children, to encounter trauma to teeth. Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based dental health education (DHE) on knowledge and practices related to emergency management of dental trauma and tooth avulsion among students and teachers of three government and three private schools each selected from two mandals (Mandal is a sub-district which comprises of a cluster of villages and village is the lowest level of administrative sub-division in rural areas of India) of Guntur district. Baseline information was collected from participants using a validated structured questionnaire. DHE on “Dental Trauma and Emergency Management of Tooth Avulsion” was offered using audiovisual aids (Flip charts, Slideshow) by a qualified Public Health Dentist. Subsequently, trained science teachers in each school were requested to undertake health education sessions at monthly interval for the next 3 months. Postintervention data were collected 1 week after initial DHE by public health dentist and 1 week after last reinforcement session by the teacher. Mean knowledge and practice scores were compared using independent sample t-test and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance. Results: A total of 1180 children (570 males and 602 females, age range: 12–16 years) and 54 teachers (24 males and 30 females, age range: 20–56 years) were included. Mean scores for knowledge and practices increased among students and teachers following intervention with no difference between flipchart and slideshow method. Conclusion: Teachers (preferably science teachers) could be effectively used for DHE provided that they receive proper training and continued education on dental trauma. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Practice-based learning and improvement, Systems-based practice.