Primary school teachers' knowledge of immediate management of permanent tooth avulsion

Abstract

Background: This study assessed primary school teachers' knowledge of immediate management of tooth avulsion in Enugu, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 135 primary school teachers in Enugu metropolis of Enugu State, Nigeria. Data on sex, age, academic qualification, school type, years of service, and the knowledge of immediate management of avulsed tooth among primary school teachers were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 18. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The age of study participants ranged from 20 to 58 years. Many teachers in public schools 73 (54.1%) and those with bachelor degree in education 69 (51.1%) participated in the study, They were mostly females 123 (91.1%). The year of service of the teachers ranged from 1 year to 35 years. Only 25 (18.5%) of the teachers had good knowledge of the immediate management of avulsed teeth. Six (4.4%) knew that re-implantation was the immediate treatment for an avulsed permanent tooth. However, there was a significant association between sex (P < 0.001) and having good knowledge of the management of avulsion, but there was no significant association between age (P = 0.42), school type (P = 0.27) qualification (P = 0.09), year of service (P = 0.42), and having good knowledge of the management of avulsion. Conclusion: Few primary school teachers had good knowledge of immediate management of avulsed tooth indicating the need for increased oral health awareness among teachers in the study area.