Knowledge of emergency management of avulsed teeth among a sample of Egyptian parents

Abstract

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) frequently occur in society and may occur at home. The ultimate prognosis of an avulsed tooth occurring in a child may depend on the parents’ knowledge of appropriate emergency measures. Therefore this study aimed at evaluating the knowledge level of a sample of Egyptian parents in the management of a case of tooth avulsion in a child. A total of 985 parents attending a Pediatric Dental Clinic formed the sample of the study. A questionnaire comprising 13 questions in simple Arabic language was used. The parents were categorized into two groups according to their education level. The tabulated data were statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test. Markedly low knowledge levels were noted in both groups. This was evidenced in replanting the avulsed primary teeth, brushing and using antiseptics to clean the roots, holding the root instead of the crown, dry storage of the avulsed permanent teeth, and neglect over time from most of the parents. However, 24.3% of group 1 and 15.6% of group 2 chose milk as a transport medium. Therefore, educational programs would be necessary to improve awareness of the immediate management of avulsed teeth.

Keywords

• Dental trauma
• Tooth avulsion
• Knowledge
• Emergency measures