Perception of Teachers towards Traumatic Tooth Avulsion and Its Management amongst School Children

Background: The prognosis of traumatized tooth often depends on the prompt and appropriate treatment, which often relies on the people who are present at the site. Often these injuries occur in school environment and, therefore, the perception of school teacher towards these is crucial to prognosis. Method: A total of 131 teachers from different schools of Durg district, Chhattisgarh providing representation to both public and private sector constituted the sample of the study. A self administered questionnaire was used to assess the perception of school teachers. Results: Mean knowledge score was 3.75 ranging from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 6. Mean knowledge score had no significant relation with the subjects the teachers taught in school (p=0.285). There was neither any statistical significant difference between the total score and socio – demographic factors like age, gender and certain other factors like teaching experience and type of school. Conclusion: The knowledge of school teachers towards emergency management of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) is insufficient, particularly regarding immediate management of avulsed tooth and medium for storage and transport of avulsed tooth. Therefore, a teacher’s orientation program towards management of TDI is highly suggested.