engleski

Pediatricians' knowledge of emergency management of dental injuries and use of mouthguards: A cross-sectional survey

Aim: Dental trauma is one of the most important oral health problems in children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study investigated the level of knowledge of Croatian pediatricians regarding the management of dental trauma and the use of mouthguards. Materials and methods: A questionnaire-based study was used to investigate personal and professional characteristics, knowledge and experience with dental injuries among 186 pediatricians. Data were analyzed using Student t-test or one-way ANOVA, with Tukey's post-hoc. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. Results: The overall mean score of knowledge on management of dental trauma was 3.6±1.53 points, with a maximum possible score of seven. Better knowledge was observed in male pediatricians (3.9±1.4 vs 3.4±1.6, p=0.016) ; those who witnessed dental injuries (3.9±1.4 vs 3.3±1.5, p=0.003), and those who had more than ten years of pediatric practice (3.9±1.6 vs 3.3±1.5, p=0.027). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between pediatricians' knowledge in emergency treatment of traumatic dental injuries in relation to 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 trauma management should be recommended as part of the physician and pediatricians’ educational training.

dental trauma ; tooth avulsion ; emergency procedures ; pediatricians

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