Elementary school staff knowledge about management of traumatic dental injuries.

Abstract

AimThis study investigated the knowledge of elementary school staff regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study analyzed data collected between September 2016 and April 2017. The sample consisted of 2,027 elementary school staff members in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A stratified cluster random sampling technique was used to select the required sample. Those who agreed to participate in the study completed a 4-part self-administered questionnaire comprising questions regarding demographic data, knowledge on management of tooth fracture, and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases.ResultsThe majority of the school staff showed inadequate basic knowledge regarding the importance of saving the broken piece of the tooth and identifying the tooth involved in the trauma (67% and 66.3%, respectively), P<0.05. However, they had a significantly high number of correct responses regarding the immediate management of TDIs for the 2 case scenarios presented in the questionnaire (P<0.05), and the majority (41%) reported normal saline as a suitable storage medium (P<0.01).ConclusionThis study revealed a lack of knowledge in certain aspects of TDIs among elementary school staff.