Avulsion of permanent teeth: analysis of the efficacy of na informative campaign for professionals from elementary schools

ABSTRACT

Tooth avulsion is a very common event in children and emergency care procedures are crucial for case prognosis. As anyone at the moment of accident can provide first-aid measures, knowledge of school professionals dealing with children is of paramount importance. An informative campaign about dental trauma was performed in urban schools in the city of Adamantina, São Paulo state, Brazil, in an attempt to educate school professionals about emergency procedures in cases of tooth avulsion. A questionnaire arguing on personal information, tooth avulsion knowledge and personal impressions of the campaign was handed out for evaluation of the informative campaign. Eighty school professionals participated in the survey. Most participants were females (93.75 percent) aged 41-60 years old (53.75 percent) with a college degree (77.5 percent). Time at work ranged from 1-5 years (22.5 percent). The efficacy of the campaign was considered positive, as 100 percent of the interviewees replied to the importance of emergency procedures in case of tooth avulsion. In addition, 81.25 percent of the respondents answered that they would store the avulsed tooth in some storage medium, of which milk was the most frequently mentioned (84.61 percent). The participants considered the campaign as satisfactory and a region-wide campaign will be accomplished at other schools.