Traumatic dental injuries in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: Factors influencing teachers' management practices

Knowledge and attitude of traumatic dental injuries in Mongolian schoolteachers

BACKGROUND

Traumatic dental injury (TDI) is a growing public health concern worldwide, and children and adolescents are commonly affected. Because TDI often occurs at school, the response of teachers to these injuries is crucial. However, teachers in various countries have been shown to lack knowledge of effective TDI first-aid response and need an intervention to improve their knowledge. The aim of the study presented here was to ascertain and analyze teachers' knowledge of and attitude about TDI in Mongolia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study of full-time teachers in Mongolia was performed using an online questionnaire (compiled from relevant studies) from September 2022 to December 2022. The questionnaire consists of 47 items and among them 14 were used to assess the teacher's knowledge, and 5 were for attitude towards TDI. The maximum possible score was 14 points and grouped as follows good, moderate, and poor. T-test, ANOVA test (post-hoc) and linear regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

The online survey provided quantitative data from 2821 participants: 28% were elementary school teachers, 29% middle school teachers, and 42% high school teachers. Their mean age was 36.7 ± 9 years, and 2433 (86%) were female. The mean score of the TDI knowledge of the teachers was 5.3 ± 2.1 out of 14. The ANOVA test showed that older (p < 0.01) and more experienced teachers (p < 0.01) had higher scores. Teachers in the eastern (5.46 ± 2.2) and southern (5.49 ± 2.2) provinces had higher mean scores than in the other provinces (p < 0.02). Teachers majored in natural sciences (5.4 ± 2.2) had a higher score than those in the social sciences (5.2 ± 2.1) and difference were significant (p < 0.02). The multiple regression model statistically significantly predicted a one-year increase in experience, the TDI score increased 0.034 (95% CI 0.026, 0.043) unit.

CONCLUSIONS

The knowledge regarding TDI and effective first-aid response to such injury is low in teachers in Mongolia. However, the teachers' attitude about TDI was positive and they wanted to learn and improve their knowledge. Therefore, further education and training programs are advised.

What are the Characteristics of Oral Injuries Caused by Playground Equipment?

PURPOSE

Studies regarding oral injuries from playground equipment in children remain limited. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of oral injury caused by playground equipment and identify associations with concomitant head injury.

METHODS

Children treated between 2011 and 2021 at an oral surgery clinic for oral injuries from playground equipment were retrospectively investigated. The following factors were analyzed: demographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, type of equipment causing the injury, classification of oral injury, and whether the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine was consulted regarding the head injury. The data collected were statistically analyzed using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton test with significance adopted at the 5% level.

RESULTS

This study analyzed data from 82 children. Injuries were concentrated in age groups of 2 to 3 years (32.9%), 4 to 5 years (28.0%), and 6 to 7 years (25.6%). Regarding the mechanism of injury, falls were more common (89.0%) than impact/striking (11.0%). The type of equipment most frequently causing injury was slides (29.3%), followed by swings (23.2%) and iron bars (18.3%). Injuries were classified as soft tissue injury alone (56.1%) or tooth injury and/or jaw fracture (43.9%). Consultation with the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine for head injury was uncommon (13.4%), and all consultations for brain injury diagnosed minor injuries.

CONCLUSION

Oral injuries caused by playground equipment were frequent between 2 and 7 years old. The most common cause was falls, with most injuries caused by slides, swings, or iron bars. Approximately half of the oral injuries were soft tissue injuries only, while the other half were associated with tooth and/or jaw injuries. Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine consultations for head trauma were uncommon and consistently confirmed minor injuries.

Elementary school teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward emergency management of traumatic dental injuries

The consequences of traumatic dental injuries can be even more serious when their emergency management procedures are inadequate. Since traumatic accidents frequently occur at school, it is crucial that teachers be knowledgeable enough to assist an injured child. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the elementary school teachers of a Brazilian city toward dental trauma in permanent teeth, and its emergency practices. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling methods was used. An online questionnaire was distributed through social media, consisting of three parts: demographic characteristics and professional information; previous experiences and attitudes toward dental trauma; teachers' knowledge of this subject. Descriptive and statistical analyses were carried out. Pearson chi-squared test (p < 0.05) was used. A total of 217 teachers participated in the study. The power of the sample was 95%. Half of the teachers had already witnessed a dental trauma incident involving students, and 70.5% never received any information on the subject. The teachers who were provided previous information were the ones who opted to search for the tooth fragment (p=0.036) in cases of crown fracture, and for the lost tooth (p = 0.025) in cases of avulsion. They were also the ones who chose to wash the tooth in running water (p = 0.018), and look for a dentist in the first 30 or 60 minutes after the trauma (p = 0.026). Most of the teachers assessed did not have adequate knowledge of dental trauma. Having previous information was associated with more assertive practices in trauma management.

Effectiveness of an educational cartoon animation on the knowledge of children about traumatic dental injuries

BACKGROUND/AIM

Although children are frequently exposed to traumatic dental injuries (TDIs), their knowledge and attitude regarding the emergency management of TDIs are largely insufficient. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of children about TDIs utilizing a questionnaire before and after watching a custom animated instructional video.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was conducted with 332 children aged 8 to 13 years. The children were asked to complete a 3-part questionnaire that included socio-demographic data, past experiences related to TDIs, and knowledge of the emergency management of TDIs. An educational video containing evidence-based information about the management of TDIs was shown to the children. They then completed the questionnaire again immediately after viewing the video and 1 week later. The data were analyzed using Friedman's two-way ANOVA by ranks test, McNemar's test, and the Mann-Whitney U-test.

RESULTS

The children's scores increased significantly following the viewing of the video (p = .0001). Prior to watching the animation, children who had previously received dental trauma education had considerably higher scores than their peers (p = .004). The animation was considered to be beneficial by 96.7% of the children. Prior to watching the animation, 49.1% of the children believed they could help their friends in the event of dental trauma, and after viewing the animation, this rate increased to 86.4%, but decreased to 77.1% after 1 week (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

After watching the video, the children's scores improved dramatically and their self-confidence in helping their friends in the event of dental trauma increased.

Knowledge and Awareness of School Teachers Regarding Emergency Management of Tooth Avulsion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim:

This study aimed to assess the general knowledge and awareness of school teachers regarding the first aid emergency dental management of tooth avulsion in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods:

A self-administered, anonymous, close-ended structured questionnaire was given to school teachers in Saudi Arabia. It included information regarding gender, knowledge, and awareness [three parts: basic demographic characteristics focusing on the gender (part one), questions regarding knowledge of school teachers toward emergency management of tooth avulsion (part two), and questions regarding awareness of school teachers toward emergency management of tooth avulsion (part three)].

Results:

A total of 615 school teachers (58% males and 42% females) completed the questionnaire. Approximately 54.3% of the school teachers preferred to immediately refer the child to the dentist if trauma affects permanent teeth (p < 0.05), and only 2.1% opined regarding reposition of the tooth in a normal position. Another 22.9% responded that they would scrub the tooth to clean the dirt and rinse with water, while 19.7% reported that they would keep the tooth in a wet handkerchief until they reach the dentist.

Conclusion:

The knowledge and awareness of schoolteachers regarding the management of avulsed teeth are insufficient; thus, education programs on traumatic dental injuries are essential.

Primary School Teachers' Knowledge on Tooth Avulsion

Objective

Permanent teeth trauma is most frequent in children aged 7-9 years, and the primary school teachers (PSTs) are often the first to notice it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the competence in tooth avulsion clinical issues and knowledge on dental trauma of PSTs, as they can occasionally take on the role of school nurses.

Material and Methods

Questionnaires were handed to 312 PSTs from 24 randomly selected primary schools in Zagreb, Croatia. An algorithm was designed for PST competence assessment.

Results

Response rate amounted to 81.37% (N=255). Only 3.14% (N=8) of the PSTs would replant the permanent tooth properly and only 43.92% of them (N=112) would immediately take the child to a doctor of dental medicine. Dry tissue, as a transport medium for an avulsed tooth, was chosen by 50.20% (N=128) of the respondents. Altogether, 4.71% (N=12) of PSTs were graded as competent in case of child’s tooth avulsion.

Conclusion

These results provided significant implications for school health, showed the educators' serious lack of knowledge in cases of dental trauma and stressed a need for continuous education of PSTs on the topic.