Emergency Management Of Dental Injury; Preparedness Among School Teachers In Swabi Khyber Pukhtunkhwa - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: Dental trauma poses a significant threat to the oral health and well-being of school-aged children worldwide. Prompt and appropriate management of dental trauma is crucial to prevent infection, abscess formation, and pulp necrosis.

Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 320 male and female teachers via cluster random sampling from October 2023 to May 2024 to assess the level of knowledge among school teachers regarding emergency management of dental injuries, to evaluate the preparedness of school teachers in handling dental injuries in the school setting and to determine the association between demographics with knowledge and preparedness regarding emergency management of dental injuries. Data was collected about socio-demographic characteristics and emergency preparedness for dental trauma.

Results: Out of 320 individuals, the level of the teachers' knowledge was moderate (53.3%). Only a few teachers were found to have undergone first-aid training in TDI (19.4%) and to have encountered TDI incidents (21.9%) before. 93(50.5%) females correctly identified fracture (p-value 0.014). A significant association was observed for identifying fractured teeth and managing avulsed teeth with first aid training with a p-value of 0.017 and 0.008 respectively. A significant association was observed between the age group 41-50 years and the Importance of seeking emergency management for dental trauma (p-value 0.018) and knowledge status (p-value 0.007).52.3% of teachers correctly identified a solution for washing a re-implanted tooth(p-value 0.000).46% of teachers whose service span was more than 19 years, had better self-rated knowledge( p-value 0.002)

Conclusion: A moderate number of teachers had adequate knowledge among school teachers regarding dental trauma management. While a substantial proportion of teachers exhibit a commendable understanding and readiness to address dental emergencies, there remains a notable gap between certain aspects of knowledge and preparedness.

Keywords: Emergency management, Preparedness, School teachers.