Dental Trauma Management and Referral Pattern among General Dentists in Mashhad, Iran, in 2016

Abstract

Introduction: According to the prevalence of dental trauma, the importance of its rapid treatment, and the need for planning to determine the appropriate agent for its management and referral, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the management of dental trauma and its referral pattern among general dentists in Mashhad, Iran, in 2016. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 120 general dentists in Mashhad. To collect information, a valid and reliable researcher-madequestionnaire was used. After obtaining consent, the questionnaire was provided to the dentist. Following the collection of the information, the results were reported descriptively in the form of tables and charts. Results: Most cases treated during the year by general dentists were crown fractures with or without pulpal involvement and root fractures. However, the avulsion or displacement of the tooth was less commonly treated by general dentists. Among the dental traumas, the most frequent cause of referral was root fracture. Dentists generally referred most dental traumas to endodontists. Treatment difficulty caused by the young age of the patients and the time required for the procedure was the main cause of referring patients to other specialists. Conclusion: Except for crown and root fractures with or without pulp involvement, other trauma cases are referred to specialists because of the difficulty of treatment due to the low age of the majority of patients with trauma and the time required for the implementation of the treatment.

Keywords

• management
• dental trauma
• general dentists