KNOWLEDGE OF SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS REGARDING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF DENTAL AVULSION BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONDUCTION OF AN AWARENESS PROGRAM: A CROSS–SECTIONAL STUDY

ABSTRACT

Background: Avulsion is one of the most serious dental injuries due to its implications for tooth loss and sequelae following treatment. Most dental accidents in children occur at home, followed by the school therefore, first aid provided by school professionals and other school staff must be appropriate for the management of traumatic dental injury as it plays a major role in improving the prognosis. The study aims to assess the gain in knowledge of school profes Aim: sionals before and after the conduction of an awareness program regarding the emergency management of dental avulsion in Lucknow District. A cross-sectional, Materials and methods: questionnaire-based observational study was conducted in various schools in Lucknow. The questionnaire collected information on school professionals' education level, demographic characteristics, first-aid training, and attitudes towards emergency management of dental avulsion before and after the conduction of an awareness program. 200 school professionals completed Results: the questionnaire and knowledge about tooth avulsion was inadequate, and first aid training was not associated with correct responses to the management of avulsed teeth. A significantly higher percentage of school professionals expressed the need for future education in dental trauma avulsion management. However, after the conduction of an awareness program comparatively higher percentage of school professionals reported having gained knowledge regarding the emergency management of dental avulsion. Considering that there is a lack of knowl Conclusion: edge among school professionals regarding emergency management of dental avulsion, educational programs can prove to improve knowledge and awareness among school professionals.