Effectiveness of educational poster on knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma-part 1. Cluster randomised controlled trial for primary and secondary school teachers

Assessing the Utility of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Posters as Educational Aids in Dental Education for Undergraduate Students: Is it Useless or Helpful?

Background

Educational posters play a crucial role in education, information dissemination, and awareness. Their visual appeal efficiently communicates condensed yet vital information on significant topics, making them valuable for teaching sequential concepts. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department for student education.

Methods

The study was carried out during the fall semester of 2022 at Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad, Iran utilizing a questionnaire-based approach. The questionnaire gathered demographic information and assessed students' perspectives on educational posters. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results

This study was conducted on 70 students (35 females and 35 males). Gender-based analysis demonstrated significant differences in beauty, adaptability, and learning, with male students scoring lower than females (P values = 0.036 and 0.031, respectively). Further analysis by academic year unveiled higher beauty and adaptability scores among third-year students compared to second-year students, showing statistical significance (P value = 0.035). A two-by-two comparison highlighted that the average beauty score of third and fifth-year students surpassed that of second-year students (P values = 0.041 and 0.038, respectively). In summary, higher academic years correlated with superior performance, emphasizing the potential impact of educational posters on academic outcomes.

Conclusion

Posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department received commendable ratings in various areas, positively impacting the teaching and learning process.

Knowledge of First Aid Measures in Dental Trauma: A Survey of Teachers in the Province of Seville, Spain

The high incidence of childhood dental trauma requires childcare professionals to have basic notions of dental first aid. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge and aptitude (defined as the ability to operate competently in a given activity) of early childhood, primary, and/or secondary education teachers from Seville (Spain) referred to first aid measures in dental trauma. A descriptive study was conducted. The study sample consisted of 442 teachers (334 women and 108 men) coinciding proportionately with the study target population in terms of gender distribution, type of center, and teaching level. A specifically designed questionnaire was used. Most of the participants (88.5%, n = 391) exhibited poor knowledge and aptitude, 11.5% (n = 51) showed a medium level of knowledge and aptitude, and none were categorized as having a high knowledge and aptitude. As a conclusion, teachers in the province of Seville (Spain) showed marked deficiencies in their level of knowledge and aptitude referred to the adoption of first aid measures in dental trauma among their pupils.

How to Educate the Public about Dental Trauma-A Scoping Review

Educating the general population about dental trauma is of public health interest. The aim of this scoping review was to map research on traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) education in the general population and to identify the most relevant methods of knowledge transfer. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science All Databases, reference lists, and grey literature were searched. Articles in English published between 2000 and 2020 were included. A total of 32 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria. The most frequently tested modality was lecture/seminar/workshop. Studies focused mainly on teachers and medical staff as target groups. Post-intervention evaluation showed an increase in knowledge. In long-term follow-up, a decrease in knowledge was found. The effectiveness of different modalities varied. Studies comparing single-modal and multimodal approaches did not confirm the effect of combined methods. Printed materials are a practical mode for laypeople. Lectures should be reserved for professions with high probability of coming into contact with a TDI victim. The Internet can be a promising tool to educate people. Educators have to choose the method of communication most appropriate for the target population. The education should include topics related to dental trauma prevention. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of multimodal TDI education.

An educational intervention for improving knowledge of Syrian school children about avulsion using the "save your tooth" poster

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of replantation of an avulsed tooth is affected by the first aid management in the first 15 min after traumatic incident. Knowledge of the optimal management is crucial to successful replantation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of educational intervention using the Arabic version of the "save your tooth" poster designed by the International Association of Dental Traumatology IADT, in improving the knowledge of schoolchildren about first aid management of avulsion of permanent teeth.

METHODS

An interventional educational study was undertaken. A total of 550 schoolchildren aged 9-12 years participated in this study. Thirteen public primary schools in Damascus city were selected. A questionnaire was developed to measure the knowledge of schoolchildren about avulsion of permanent teeth. The translated IADT education poster about avulsion management was adopted.The content of this poster was explained to the children. Two months later, the subjects were re-evaluated using the same questionnaire. Paired sample t-test was used to test the differences existed between the two assessments.

RESULT

A total of 537 schoolchildren completed the questionnaires in which (n = 305) 57% were females and (n = 232) 43% were males. The findings demonstrated significant improvement in the participants' responses after interventional education (P < 0.05). The mean score of knowledge increased significantly from 3.71 at the baseline to 4.03 after the intervention (P < 0.003).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study showed that the level of knowledge of Syrian schoolchildren regarding first-aid management of avulsion of permanent teeth was limited at the baseline. The follow-up results showed that the educational intervention based on the "save your tooth" poster was significantly effective in improving the knowledge of schoolchildren. Further interventions to educate all Syrian schoolchildren about avulsion could be of great value to prevent its negative aesthetic, functional, psychological, economic impacts.

Management of Dental Avulsion Injuries: A Survey of Dental Support Staff in Cairns, Australia

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of dental support staff in providing appropriate first-aid advice regarding dental avulsion emergencies. Methods: This study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for cross-sectional studies. Dental support staff (includes dental assistants, administrative staff and other non-clinical staff) were contacted and data were collected from 50 private dental clinics across the Greater Cairns Area, Queensland, Australia. These data were collected through an online survey throughout 2020. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-squared test was used to analyze the data and any associations between categorical outcomes. Results: This survey yielded a response rate of 34.1% with a margin of error of 10.3%. More than four-tenths of participants (42%) reported that they had received some form of dental avulsion management training previously. All but five participants (92%) denoted that they would immediately replant an avulsed permanent tooth. More than half of all participants would choose to rinse a soiled avulsed tooth with fresh milk (55%) and transport that tooth in fresh milk (65%) should they not be able to replant the tooth at the site. Almost nine in every ten participants (85%) expressed willingness to further their training in this area. Knowledge in replanting avulsed permanent teeth was found to be significantly impacted by gender, age, years of experience and participation in formal avulsion training. Male participants were found to be significantly more likely (p = 0.025) to replant a permanent avulsed tooth than their female counterparts. Participants who were 40 years of age and above were found to be significantly more likely to choose fresh milk to transport avulsed teeth (p = 0.0478). Older participants (p = 0.0021), alongside those who had greater years of experience (p = 0.0112) and those who had undertaken formal avulsion training (p = 0.0106) were all significantly more likely to express greater confidence in their ability to manage dental avulsion injuries. Participants who had previously received some form of education regarding avulsion injury management were also most likely to warrant further education and training in this area (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that dental support staff in the Greater Cairns Area seem to have a fair grasp of first-aid knowledge regarding the management of dental avulsion injuries. This result indicates that this knowledge has been picked up through years of experience, rather than a formal education. Despite this, one would expect people who work in the dental industry to be able to provide accurate and appropriate assistance during dental emergencies, hence, further training is warranted to ensure optimum patient outcomes.

Effect of two educational interventions on primary school teachers' knowledge and self-reported practice regarding emergency management of traumatic dental injuries

BACKGROUND

The present study evaluated the effect of two educational interventions on the knowledge and self-reported practice of primary school teachers regarding emergency management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs).

METHODS

All primary school teachers (n = 664) of Arak, Iran were asked to participate in the study. Based on geographic regions, all participants were enrolled in two groups: educational leaflet and oral presentation. At baseline, teachers in both groups were asked to complete an anonymous self-administrated questionnaire consisting of demographics, eight questions on knowledge, and four paper cases on self-reported practice about TDIs. After collecting the questionnaires, interventions, including an oral presentation and an educational leaflet whose contents were prepared based on the most recent scientific evidence, were implemented. One and six months after the interventions, the questionnaire was completed by the teachers again. Repeated measures ANOVA and a linear regression model were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Two hundred and ninety-two teachers participated in all stages of the study (response rate = 64.5%). In one-month follow-up, in both groups, the mean score of knowledge was significantly higher compared to baseline and six-month scores (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, in six-month follow-up, the mean score of knowledge was higher compared to baseline (P < 0.001) in both intervention groups. No statistically significant difference existed in the mean score of knowledge in three evaluations between two groups (P < 0.05). In one-month follow-up, the mean score of self-reported practice was significantly higher compared to baseline and six-month scores in both interventional groups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean score of self-reported practice between the one-month and six-month follow-up (P = 0.53). There was no statistical significant difference in the mean score of self-reported practice in three evaluation phases between two groups (P < 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between the difference in knowledge and self-reported practice scores and demographic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Both educational interventions regarding emergency management of TDIs-educational leaflet and oral presentation- were effective in increasing knowledge and self-reported practice of teachers in the short-term follow-up. In long-term evaluation, educational leaflet resulted in more positive changes in teachers' knowledge compared to their self-reported practice.

Lip and tooth injuries at public swimming pools in Austria

BACKGROUND/AIMS

There is an increased risk of orofacial injuries in swimming pool facilities. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed this issue. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of lip and tooth injuries at public swimming pools in Austria. A further aim was to examine which gender and age groups were affected, where and why these injuries occurred, and whether pool attendants had sufficient knowledge of dental first-aid measures.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 764 pool attendants in Austria were contacted by telephone and 689 participated in the study (90.2%). The attendants were interviewed retrospectively about accident occurrences in 2014 by a standardized questionnaire. Responses to the provision of first aid and choice of storage medium for avulsed teeth were subsequently evaluated.

RESULTS

The frequency of lip injuries was 19.0%, and tooth injuries were 11.3%. Male bathers (P < .05) and children under 12 years (P < .001) most frequently suffered injuries. The waterslide was the most common accident site. The most common cause of lip injuries was slipping on wet surfaces (39.0%), and for tooth injuries it was collisions with other persons or objects (each 28.1%). The pool attendants' responses were predominantly good or sufficient on first aid, with the exception of what storage medium to choose. Tooth rescue boxes were available in only 8.6% of all pool facilities.

CONCLUSION

Orofacial injuries are a frequently occurring problem in swimming pool facilities. The pool attendants' knowledge on first-aid care of tooth injuries could still be improved.

Knowledge, Self-Confidence and Attitudes towards Suicidal Patients at Emergency and Psychiatric Departments: A Randomised Controlled Trial of the Effects of an Educational Poster Campaign

Educational posters are used to enhance knowledge, attitudes and self-confidence of patients. Little is known on their effectiveness for educating health care professionals. As these professionals may play an important role in suicide prevention, the effects of a poster and accompanying evaluation and triage guide on knowledge, self-confidence and attitudes regarding suicidal thoughts and behaviours, were studied in a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial, involving staff from 39 emergency and 38 psychiatric departments throughout Flanders (n = 1171). Structured self-report questionnaires assessed the knowledge, confidence and beliefs regarding suicidal behaviour management, and attitudes. Data were analysed through a Solomon four-group design, with random assignment to the different conditions. Baseline scores for knowledge and provider confidence were high. The poster and accompanying evaluation and triage guide did not have an effect on knowledge about suicide and self-confidence in suicidal behaviour management. However, the poster campaign appeared to be beneficial for attitudes towards suicidal patients, but only among staff from mental health departments that were assigned to the un-pretested condition. Given the limited effects of the poster campaign in the studied population with a relatively high baseline knowledge, the evaluation of this poster as part of a multimodal educational programme in a more heterogeneous sample of health care professionals is recommended.

Effectiveness of educational poster on knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma--part 2: cluster randomised controlled trial for secondary school students

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of educational poster on improving secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma.

Methods

A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted. 16 schools with total 671 secondary students who can read Chinese or English were randomised into intervention (poster, 8 schools, 364 students) and control groups (8 schools, 305 students) at the school level. Baseline knowledge of dental trauma was obtained by a questionnaire. Poster containing information of dental trauma management was displayed in a classroom for 2 weeks in each school in the intervention group whereas in the control group there was no display of such posters. Students of both groups completed the same questionnarie after 2 weeks.

Results

Two-week display of posters improved the knowledge score by 1.25 (p-value = 0.0407) on average.

Conclusion

Educational poster on dental trauma management significantly improved the level of knowledge of secondary school students in Hong Kong.

Trial Registration

HKClinicalTrial.com HKCTR-1343

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01809457

A survey on Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma

Objectives

To investigate Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma.

Method

A questionnaire survey on randomly selected secondary school students using cluster sampling.

Results

Only 36.6% (209/571) of the respondents were able to correctly identify the appropriate place for treatment of dental injury. 55.2% of the respondents knew the suitable time for treatment. Only 24.7% of the respondents possessed the knowledge of how to correctly manage fractured teeth. Only 23.6% of them knew how to manage displaced teeth. 62.5% of them correctly answered that knocked-out deciduous teeth should not be replanted to the original position, but few of them (23.6%) knew that permanent teeth should be replanted. Moreover, 37.1% of the respondents correctly identified at least one of the appropriate media for storing a knocked-out tooth. First-aid training and acquisition of dental injury information from other sources were significant factors that positive responses from these questions would lead to higher scores.

Conclusion

Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma is considered insufficient. An educational campaign in secondary schools dedicated to students is recommended. Prior first-aid training and acquisition of dental injury information from other sources positively relate to the level of knowledge. Dental trauma emergency management is recommended to be added to first-aid publications and be taught to students and health professionals.Trial Registration: Hong Kong Clinical Trial Centre

HKCTR-1344