Teachers' knowledge of emergency management of traumatised teeth in preschools

Dental trauma remains one of the major oral health problems in childhood and is the cause of much pain and distress. It may occur as a result of a sports mishap, an altercation or a fall while playing inside the school premises. Prompt and appropriate management of traumatised teeth is essential for a good prognosis of an injured tooth.

The aim of the study was to assess teachers' knowledge of emergency management of traumatized teeth in early childhood developmental centres (ECDCs).

A cross sectional self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data among teachers in ECDCs in Hillbrow and Berea suburbs, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Almost all respondents (98.1%) were female; 59.6% were between 20 and 29 years of age. Almost a quarter of the centres were not registered and 39.1% of the school teachers were not formally qualified as ECDCs teachers. A small percentage (11.5%) received dental emergency training as a part of their school health education programs. Knowledge of ECDCs teachers on the emergency management of traumatized teeth appeared inadequate; in the event of emergency dental trauma, substantial number of teachers would not be able to respond appropriately. All teachers should have training on basic management of dental trauma.