Awareness of Dental Trauma Management among School Teachers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Children and young adolescents commonly suffer traumatic dental injuries. Teachers are frequently first responders and responsible for the initial management of the injury; the prognosis of a traumatized tooth is dependent on the initial management. Aim: To evaluate intermediate school teachers’ level of knowledge and attitudes toward dental trauma. Materials and Methods: This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study where all teachers from eight non-probability selected intermediate schools in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, were invited for participation. The questionnaire elicited data regarding demographics, teaching experience, knowledge and attitudes regarding dental trauma and its management. Results: A total 398 of 433 invited teachers responded (92%). The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Only 30% of the respondents had previously participated in first aid training; only 11% specifically also focused on dental traumas. Health-care providers represented the main source of knowledge regarding dental trauma. Bivariate analysis revealed that in terms of attitudes toward dental trauma, urgency of care for luxation injuries was significantly associated with teaching experience ( P = 0.042), while the urgency of care for avulsed teeth was significantly associated with dental trauma experience ( P = 0.007). The only significant association between teaching experience and knowledge about management of avulsed teeth was regarding which tooth should be replanted ( P = 0.041). Conclusions: School teachers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, lack proper knowledge in dental emergency management. Educational training programs are needed to ensure that teaching staff have adequate knowledge to effectively manage dental traumas.

Knowledge and attitude of paediatric first aid among elementary schoolteachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

“…These include epileptic episodes, diabetes, asthma attacks, sudden cardiac death, and others. [ 7 8 ]…”

“…[ 11 ] To prevent these consequences, other researchers in India demonstrated that proper training in first aid for schoolteachers resulted in an enormous improvement in the teachers’ knowledge of paediatric first aid. [ 8 ] However, most of these studies were carried out in different environments than in Saudi Arabia, which necessitates the importance for us to carry out this study.…”

The Study of Knowledge Level of Primary School Teachers Regarding Traumatic Dental Injuries Throughout Türkiye: Cross-Sectional Study

“…2,9,24,31 Ülkemizde ve diğer ülkelerde yürütülen benzer çalışmalarda, ilk yardım eğitimi alan öğretmenlerin sayısının düşük olduğu ve bu eğitimlerin çoğunun diş yaralanmalarını kapsamadığı bildirilmiştir. 31,32 Diş yaralanmaları hakkında eğitim almış öğretmenlerin ise bu süreci daha doğru yönetebilecekleri belirtilmiştir. 9,13,28,30,31,33 Çalışmamızda da benzer şekilde daha önce diş yaralanmaları hakkında eğitim almış öğretmenlerin oranının düşük olduğu (%6,2) ve eğitim almamış öğretmenlere kıyasla doğru cevap oranlarının daha yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir.…”

“…13,28,33 Bu sonuçlar doğrultusunda, diş yaralanmaları hakkındaki ilk yardım bilgilerinin öğretmenlerin eğitim programlarına eklenmesi veya farklı kaynaklar aracılığı ile güncel tutulmasının, öğretmenlerin acil durumlar karşısında daha başarılı davranışlar sergilemesi bakımından önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir. 32,34 Çalışmamızda öğretmenlerin yaklaşık yarısı daha önce bir diş yaralanmasına şahit olmuş olup, verdikleri doğru cevap oranı daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Benzer bir çalışmada diş yaralanmasına şahit olan öğretmenlerin, avulsiyon yaralanmalarını 2,3 kat daha doğru yönetebilecekleri gösterilmiştir.…”

First-Aid Knowledge and Attitudes of Schoolteachers in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

“… 25% Al-Qahtani et al (2019) 36 Arar 20–50 M/F 404 Epilepsy Not reported Bachelor: 75% Master: 9.7% Diploma: 14.6% Experience: >10 y: 43% 5–10 y: 23.8% ≤5 y: 30.2% 0% Cross-sectional Teachers’ knowledge and practices regarding epilepsy management were poor. 75% Al-Khalifa and AlYousef (2022) 35 Dammam Not reported M/F 398 Dental emergencies Intermediate Experience: Mean±SD: 9.11±5.8 y Range: 1–32 y 30% Cross-sectional Teachers’ knowledge about dental emergencies and their management was poor. They were eager to attend first-aid training.…”