Ocorrência de avulsão dentária em escolares e avaliação do nível de conhecimento dos cuidadores sobre trauma dental

Abstract

Objective: To examine knowledge levels and behaviors related to dental avulsion between parents and teachers; to investigate the occurrence of this type of trauma in students aged 6 to 14 years; to verify the place and the most prevalent age and to establish a comparison between the findings of parents of public and private schools. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted to sample parents and teachers of students enrolled in private and public elementary schools in Aracaju, Brazil. The information was collected from a questionnaire containing objective questions to verify the knowledge about dental avulsion. Data analysis was performed in a descriptive way, using absolute and percentage numbers. Results: A total of 369 questionnaires were collected. The data obtained showed a higher prevalence of dental trauma in public school students (42.1%) when compared to private school students (29.2%). The knowledge of dental trauma of the analyzed sample was statistically higher among the parents of private schools than between the parents of the public schools and the teachers. The majority of private school parents (39.8%) and teachers (50%) would store the avulsed tooth in napkins, while public school parents would throw the tooth out (27.6%). The predominant trauma site was the domestic environment (61.3% public school and 62% private school) and the most prevalent age at the time of trauma was less than six years (33.4% public school and 62% private school). Conclusion: The present study showed a higher prevalence of dental trauma in children under 6 years of age in the domestic environment. Facing this, it was observed that parents and teachers do not have the basic knowledge to perform the emergency procedures for the child and avulsed tooth, which can probably lead to treatment failure, since it is dependent on the attitudes taken at the moment of the trauma.