Teacher perception of dental trauma in public school children

Abstract

Introduction: Dental trauma is the second cause of pediatric dentistry care after caries; in the very near future, the incidence of traumatic injuries will constitute the main demand for care. Parents, guardians, teachers and other caregivers play a crucial role in the prognosis of an emergency of these characteristics, since early and appropriate treatment depends on it. Improper action can have serious consequences for the affected tooth or teeth. Objective: Determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of public schools teachers in the metropolitan area of the city of Asunción regarding dental trauma in children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out. A questionnaire was applied to teachers in Asunción in 2022. Results: It was observed that 64.4% did not receive any guidance on how to act in the event of dental trauma, 90% consider the immediate attention provided to the student to be important, 77.3% believe that an accident of this type is a reason for urgency and 78.2% would take their students to the dentist in cases of dental trauma. Conclusion: The teachers' knowledge about dental trauma was sufficient (80.9%), 100% of those surveyed had a positive attitude, and with regard to practice, it was observed that the majority (72.7%) had inadequate practice in relation to dental trauma.