Knowledge of first-aid management of traumatic dental injuries among secondary school students in Central Poland: a cross-sectional study

Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are a common problem especially in the field of paediatric dentistry and constitute a serious health issue in the young population. Prognosis of TDI treatment depend on various factors, for a long - term success immediate and proper first aid is crucial to preserve the vitality and function of damaged teeth. Since most cases of dental trauma occur at school - teachers and students are the first ones to encounter and to provide first aid in the emergency situation. Little attention is paid to educating primary and secondary school children about the first aid when the dental trauma occurs. The aim of our study was to investigate the knowledge of Polish secondary school students in management of traumatic injuries. A 34-item questionnaire on TDI experience and management was distributed amongst secondary school students attending different types of school in Poland. Statistical analyses were carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 package. It was used to perform Mann-Whitney's U tests, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric ANOVA and Spearman's rank correlations. Two hundred and fifty eight questionnaires were obtained in the study. 76,7% of all responders have witnessed dental trauma in the past. 64,3% of them had suffered from TDI. Over 50% of students were unaware of a suitable medium in which to transport an avulsed permanent tooth. Only 32,2% decided that an avulsed tooth can be put back in its place. This study indicates a lack of adequate knowledge of management of TDI among secondary school students in Poland. Additional education about first aid of TDI should be developed and implemented. Appropriate first aid, emergency care at the accident site can save the patient more costly and time consuming treatment as well as negative health consequences including tooth loss.