Knowledge of dentists in the management of traumatic dental injuries in Ankara, Turkey.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to assess dentists' knowledge of emergency treatment of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in Ankara, Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 154 questionnaires were evaluated. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of questions regarding personal information. The second part was composed of 12 closed-ended questions related to knowledge of how to manage different types of TDIs in children. The questionnaires were answered by 133 general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 21 specialists. The survey data were statistically analysed using the chi-square test and ttest to assess dentists' knowledge.

RESULTS

The results show that when the answers were compared, lower numbers of correct answers were noted for questions related to splinting time for avulsed teeth and appropriate treatment for complicated crown-fractured deciduous incisors with large pulp exposure. Greater numbers of correct answers were observed for questions related to the storage medium, systemic antibiotic usage for avulsed teeth and appropriate treatment for intruded primary teeth. The mean number of correct answers from specialists was not significantly greater than that from GDPs (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this survey showed a low level of knowledge of TDI management among the participants and highlights the need to improve dentists' knowledge of TDI treatment protocols.