Awareness in Primary School Teachers regarding Traumatic Dental Injuries in Children and Their Emergency Management: A Survey in South Jaipur

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma to primary and permanent teeth and their supporting structures is one of the most common dental problems seen in children. The prognosis of traumatized teeth depends on timely attention with prompt and appropriate treatment, which often relies on knowledge of the teachers who may be present at the place of accidents. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate via a questionnaire the knowledge level of primary school teachers in South Jaipur regarding dental trauma.Design: Questionnaire survey.Materials and methods: A self-designed questionnaire was administered to 300 primary school teachers from 20 randomly selected private and semi-aided schools of South Jaipur.Results: A total of 278 teachers responded to the survey. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. It was found that most of the respondents had accepted poor knowledge regarding dental trauma, with a mean knowledge of 10.56 ± 2.58.Conclusion: This study highlighted inadequate knowledge regarding emergency management of traumatic dental injuries, and teachers felt the need for training in the management of dental trauma as part of their training program.How to cite this article: Nirwan M, Syed AA, Chaturvedi S, Goenka P, Sharma S. Awareness in Primary School Teachers regarding Traumatic Dental Injuries in Children and Their Emergency Management: A Survey in South Jaipur. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(1):62-66.

Knowledge of Primary School Teachers Regarding Dental Trauma Management in Hail Region, Saudi Arabia

“…The study aimed to measure the knowledge and evaluate the ability of primary school teachers regarding dental injuries at school. As the child spends most of his day at school, and that involves running, playing, and accident falling, increasing the chance of dental injuries [5]. So the responsibility of the teachers to deal with the situation is of crucial importance.…”

“…In Riyadh city, the percentage reached 22.7% out of 277 school teachers who at least have seen one dental trauma case throughout their career [7]. Another study conducted last year in South Jaipur, India, where only 31.8% out of 280 of school teachers faced a child dental trauma [5]. The high frequency of dental trauma among local primary school students showed the need to develop higher safety standards and more secured playfields and evaluate the teacher's knowledge regarding the management of dental trauma to determine the weak spots and suggest further research on how to improve it.…”

“…show low level of knowledge and management of tooth avulsion and re-implantation among school teachers in Saudi Arabia [6,7] while majority 174 (61%) out of 292 of primary school teachers in UAE think that stopping the bleeding by compressing a cloth over the injury was the correct immediate action for primary and permanent teeth [5].…”

Elementary school staff knowledge about management of traumatic dental injuries

“…First-aid provided by those present at the site of the traumatic incident, which includes school staff, is crucial, and immediate appropriate management plays an important role in the prognosis of injured teeth. 5 , 6 However, several studies conducted in different countries have reported that teachers, sports coaches, and school personnel, in general, lack adequate knowledge for managing dental trauma cases. 7 – 10 A similar lack of knowledge among school teachers has been reported in different Middle Eastern regions.…”

Knowledge and Practice of Saudi Civilians towards Management of Dental Trauma and Avulsed Tooth

“…However, relatively similar findings were previously reported. In a study assessed through a questionnaire the knowledge level of primary school teachers regarding dental trauma, they reported that 31.8% of the participants had faced a dental trauma in a child [10]. Another study reported that 42.8% of the school teachers had seen conditions where a child's tooth was avulsed [11].…”