Knowledge Level Of Physical Educators Regarding Dental Trauma In A Brazilian Subpopulation

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of physical education professionals and athletes about dental trauma. The state of Paraiba Brazil has 3.9 million inhabitants and innumerable centers of physical activities. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 103 physical education professionals and 101 gym-goers, randomly chosen, in the city of Joao Pessoa, Brazil. The participants filled out a specific questionnaire for each group (teachers and students) regarding their knowledge about dental trauma and how they would proceed in such situations. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square and Fischer's exact tests were used at 1% significance to test for significant differences in the sample. Results: Most of the professionals did not have adequate knowledge about the concept of dental avulsion (77.7%), and only 14 of them reported having sought a dentist after an avulsion. Of the students, 10.9% reported having suffered any dental injury during physical activity, and only 4 of them reported having sought a dentist soon after the accident. Regarding the most appropriate means to transport an avulsed tooth, saline solution was most cited by both the physical education teachers (56.3%) and the students (60.4%). Conclusion: This study revealed a level of lay knowledge regarding dental trauma; the number of participants who knew the correct way to act in such situations was small. For most of the individuals surveyed, the dissemination of information on the subject through educational programs would contribute to knowledge on how to address dental trauma.