Knowledge and awareness of dental trauma among Indian nurses

Abstract

AimThe aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness regarding the emergency management of dental traumatic injuries among the present and prospective nurses of KLE Institute of Nursing Sciences and Hospital, Belgaum, India. MethodologyA 15-item questionnaire regarding the clinical situation of tooth avulsion inquiring nurses’ knowledge was administered to 308 nursing professionals, includes nursing interns and staff nurses. ResultsOut of 300 respondents, only 2.2% knew about the storage medium used for storing avulsed tooth. Majority of the participants accepted that they had no knowledge regarding the emergency management of dental traumatic injuries and also that no training had been given to them about this. ConclusionAs nurses stand on the front lines of responding to emergency, it is essential that they also possess adequate knowledge about dental traumatic injuries and its emergency management. As the findings of our study revealed poor knowledge about emergency management of dental trauma, it is concluded that there is a need for mass educational campaign to broaden the nurses’ knowledge about this.