Evaluation of the knowledge of elementary education teachers on tooth avulsion and replantation

Abstract

Objective: this study is a quantitative cross-sectional survey with elementary school teachers from municipal schools of Juazeiro do Norte – CE. Material and Methods: a questionnaire was applied in order to verify the knowledge of these professionals about the procedures to be performed in relation to avulsion and tooth replantation. Results: this study was carried out with 97 teachers. Most of these educators answered that the dentist is the first professional to be referred to in case of dental trauma, but only 46.4% considered that the avulsed tooth should have immediate care. Of the respondents, 75.3% would not replant the tooth or were not sure that they would do it. Regarding the handling of an avulsed tooth, only 24.7% would rinse the tooth abundantly in running water, 41.2% of the teachers would store it in a dry environment, wrapping it in a piece of paper; none would put in the student's mouth, and 58.7% would store in a liquid. In relation to the humid transport medium, 23.7% would carry it in saline, 24.7% in tap water, 6% in milk, and 4.1% in alcohol. Conclusion: a few teachers were able and declared to be trained on the correct conducts in the face of a dental trauma situation, and many presented low level of knowledge about the procedures to be followed in these cases. Therefore, it is necessary to make greater efforts in the dissemination of information by health professionals, in order to broaden knowledge about the subject.