Elementary school staff knowledge and attitude with regard to first‐aid management of dental trauma in Iran: a basic premise for developing future intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Iranian teachers' knowledge and attitude with regard to emergency management of dental trauma. A four-part questionnaire, including demographic data, knowledge, attitude, and self-assessment, was given to 422 teachers from 14 schools. Data obtained from 400 completed questionnaires were statistically analyzed using t-test, one-way anova and Pearson correlation coefficient. It was found that there was no statistically significant difference between knowledge and demographic variations (P > 0.05). However, there was a moderate positive association between knowledge and attitude toward emergency management of dental trauma (r = 0.38, P = 0.0001). The outcome indicated completely inadequate knowledge regarding the management of tooth fracture and avulsion. Most participants (94.3%) were unsatisfied with their awareness and suggested that further education on the topic should be offered. The present study revealed considerably low knowledge of the participants regarding the first-aid management of dental trauma for the study group. As teachers get an opportunity to attend a case of dental trauma, strategies to improve the teachers' knowledge seem crucial.