Knowledge of emergency management of avulsed tooth among intern dental students: a questionnaire based study.

Abstract

Background Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) represent a major public health problem because of their increasing prevalence and psychosocial impact. Avulsion, one of the most complicated TDIs comprising of 1-16% of all injuries. The present study aimed to assess the current knowledge regarding management of avulsed teeth among dental interns in the city of Hyderabad. Subjects Dental interns of the Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Hyderabad. Method A validated, self-administered 23-item questionnaire was used to obtain demographic details and data on dental avulsion management. Descriptive analyses were carried out on frequency, and a comparison of knowledge score was carried out using a chi-squared test and an independent t-test. Results More than half of the study subjects gave correct responses for most of the items on knowledge regarding avulsion. Around 45.4% of the study populations were categorized with low levels of correct knowledge, with more females (46.6%) having significantly lower levels compared to males (p = 0.03). However, the mean knowledge scores between males (15.5 ± 4.74) and females (16.5 ± 1.68) were comparable (p = 0.15). Conclusion Based on the findings of the study, a majority of dental student interns were aware of the basic procedures to be followed in cases of avulsion.