Traumatic Dental Injuries: A Survey of Knowledge and Attitudes Among Family Physicians in Turkey

Background/Aim: Individuals exposed to trauma are most often brought or directed to the nearest healthcare facility by their relatives. In Turkey, most widely available healthcare services are provided by family physicians at primary care Family Health Centers and patients expect receiving treatment for TDI from medical doctors when they do not immediate access to a dentist. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude about traumatic dental injuries among family physicians working at family health centersin Turkey. Material and methods: A total of 110 family physicians participated in the study. Participants were family physicians who attended a meeting organized by Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Health. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 16 multiple choice questions assessing both demographic data, knowledge and attitude about traumatic dental injuries was distributed to family physicians during the meeting.Results: The results obtained from 86 fully responded questionnaire forms, %75 of family physicians didn't receive any education on TDI. 86% of Family physicians feel that they don't have adequate knowledge about TDI. 53.5% of the family physicians reported that they have come across patients with TDI at least once at their practice. 39.5% of the physicians did not know the importance of extra-oral time. Sterile sponge was selected as the best transport media for avulsed tooth by 22.6% of the participants. Regarding physicians’ attitude, 75% think that education should be provided in medical schools about TDI.Conclusions: This study revealed that the majority of family physicians lack the knowledge needed to manage avulsion and crown fracture cases. Hence, educational programs are necessary during and after medical training for family physicians to provide proper management for traumatic dental injuries.

Pediatricians’ Knowledge of Emergency Management of Dental Injuries and Use of Mouthguards: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Aim: Dental injuries are one of the most frequent oral health problems in children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate Croatian pediatricians’ knowledge and practice regarding dental injuries management and the use of mouthguards as means of protection against traumatic injuries. Materials and methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey conducted among 186 pediatricians examined their demographic characteristics, knowledge and experience with dental injuries. Student t-test or one-way ANOVA, with Tukey’s post-hoc were used to analyze obtained data (p ≤ 0.05). Results: The overall mean score of knowledge on the management of dental injuries was 3.6 ± 1.53 points. Male pediatricians (p = 0.016), those who witnessed dental injuries (p = 0.003), and those who had more than ten years of pediatric practice (p = 0.027) showed better knowledge. The results of multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated impact between pediatricians’ knowledge in the emergency treatment of traumatic dental injuries concerning the level of health care (practice settings) (β = −0.254, p = 0.002) and the number of patients treated by a pediatrician per day (β = −0.187, p = 0.030). Conclusion: Pediatricians have a low level of knowledge regarding the primary care of traumatic dental injuries. An additional course on dental injurie management should be recommended as part of the physician and pediatricians’ educational training.

Dental Trauma at a University Dental Clinic in Milan including the SARS-CoV-2 Period

The aim of this study i.e., is to present the distribution of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in 306 patients registered at the Unit of Dental Emergencies at a University Dental Clinic in Milan, Italy, between June 2019 and May 2021. This time frame includes the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Information regarding age, gender, number and type of injured teeth, type of traumatic injury, and data on where or how the injury happened were recorded. Seventy-nine percent of patients can be classified as pediatric (under 14 years old), and in all age groups, male patients were found to be more susceptible (1.6:1). A total of 480 teeth were involved, 59% of which were deciduous, and 41% permanent. The most affected teeth in both dentitions were upper central incisors. In deciduous teeth, periodontal lesions were more common, whereas in permanent dentitions, dental fractures were diagnosed more often. Most data found in this study confirms the results found in the literature. The biggest difference, due to changes in daily routine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, can be found by analyzing the incidence and etiology. As a matter of fact, there was a decrease in school accidents, whereas domestic falls remained constant.

Evaluation The Effects of Home Accidents to The Traumatic Dental Injuries of Primary Teeth

Objective:The primary aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effects of home accidents(HAs) on the traumatic dental injuries(TDIs) of primary teeth. Furthermore, the secondary aim was to bring attention to the importance of preventive measures for HAs, especially in this pandemic period where children all over the world spend most of their time in their homes due to coronavirus(COVID-19) disease. Material and Methods:The records of the patients with TDIs of the primary teeth, aged 6 months-8 years, who applied to the xxxxxxxxxUniversity, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, between the years 2000¬2010 and yyyyyyyyUniversity, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, between the years 2012–2019 were investigated. Results:The sample consisted of 504 children that had TDIs to the primary teeth. The age range of the children was 1–8 years(3.5±1.8years old) and 37.3%(n=188) of the patients were girls and 62.7%(n=316) boys. The prevalence of the TDIs due to HAs was found to be 43.25%(n=218). A total of 380 teeth in the 218 patients who were found to have TDIs due to HAs were examined. The highest prevalence of traumatized children was in the age range 2-4 years(63.3%). Collisions with objects(45%) were found to be most common causes of dental trauma and the most common type of injury was found to be lateral luxation(35.8%). Conclusions:Measures to prevent HAs should primarily target preschool children, the riskiest group. Accidents can be largely prevented by taking simple precautions such as providing a safe environment for children's healthy mental and physical development at home. Key words: Home accidents, Dental trauma, Primary teeth,

The Role of the Dental Therapists and Oral Hygienists in the Immediate Response to Traumatic Dental Injuries

Dental Therapists and Oral Hygienists receive training in dental trauma in their curriculum. When they are in their workspace however, many are not confident enough to provide treatment for patients presenting with dental trauma in the oral health setting. As members of the dental team they play an important role in the management of patients who present with traumatic dental injuries. It is therefore important that guidelines are developed for them to understand the role they need to play when providing oral health treatment. The chapter will focus on the etiology of dental trauma to assist the oral health clinicians to prepare for a diagnosis. The classification of traumatic dental injuries will be explained. This will lead to the description of the classified injuries and their management. Clear guidelines and management for the patients will thereafter be provided. The prevention of traumatic dental injuries will also be discussed so that the treatment provided to the patients is improved.

Prevalence and patterns of traumatic dental injuries in primary teeth: a 3-year retrospective overview study in Vienna

Objectives The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify the prevalence, patterns, and accident types of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children with primary teeth in Vienna, Austria. Material and methods The investigation was conducted as a retrospective overview study including all children with TDIs in primary teeth at the University Dental Clinic of Vienna (Austria) between 2014 and 2016. Dental records including age, gender, location of trauma, type of trauma, cause of TDI, and location of traumatic incident were obtained. Furthermore, the time of presentation and the time span between TDI and initial treatment were evaluated. Results The sample comprised TDIs in 243 patients with 403 primary teeth. In a ratio of 1:1.45, boys were significantly more involved than girls. Upper central and lateral incisors were most frequently affected (n = 371, 92.1%). Dislocations were the most common type of injury (n = 298, 74%) with subluxations being the most prevalent form (n = 85, 28.5%). In 23% (n = 92), fractures were observed. The majority of traumatic incidents occurred at home (88.5%). Conclusion The injury characteristics are comparable to what has previously been reported in other studies in pediatric populations. Clinical relevance TDIs are a prevalent event in children worldwide and incisors are the most affected teeth in the primary dentition. Thus, dental practitioners should be able to handle these injuries.

Knowledge and self-reported practice of primary schools' health care teachers on emergency management of traumatic dental injuries in Karaj in 2020

Introduction: Dental injuries are very common event in childhood and have the negative impacts on their life. Proper emergency management is depended on the knowledge of non-professionals, such as health care teachers’ who are present at the scene. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and self-reported practice of primary school health care teachers on the emergency management of traumatic dental injuries in Karaj in 2020. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytic study, an anonymous online questionnaire containing questions related to demographic information, history of previous exposure to traumatic dental injuries and caregivers' practice in dealing with traumatic dental injuries was placed in health care teachers’ virtual groups. Health care teachers were given one week to complete the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were performed to analyze the data via SPSS software version16. Results: A total of 189 questionnaires were completed (response rate of 80.77%). The mean score of their knowledge out of 10 achievable scores was 5.63 ± 1.98 and their mean score of practice was 4.48 ± 1.86 out of 7 scores. The results of unadjusted linear regression analysis showed that only the previous information of caregivers had an effect on their level of knowledge (p<0.001) and by adjusting the effect of demographic variables, the results of this test showed that the work experience of health care teachers had an effect on their knowledge score (p=0.009). However, the self-reported practice score of health care teachers was not affected by any of the demographic variables. Conclusion: This study revealed that insufficient knowledge and self-reported practice exists among primary school teachers on emergency management of traumatic dental injuries.