Knowledge and awareness of dental trauma and the ToothSOS mobile application among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) require immediate emergency care. Nondental healthcare professionals frequently encounter these cases, yet studies indicate their knowledge of emergency management is often insufficient. The ToothSOS mobile application, launched by the International Association of Dental Traumatology, provides first-aid guidance on dental trauma. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to assess medical, nursing, and pharmacy students' knowledge of TDIs and awareness of the ToothSOS app, identifying key gaps and opportunities for integration into curricula.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 361 medical, nursing, and pharmacy students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) using a validated electronic questionnaire. The survey collected demographic data, assessed knowledge of TDIs, and evaluated awareness of the ToothSOS app. Sufficient knowledge was defined as correctly answering at least five of eight knowledge-based questions. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used for analysis.

RESULTS

Only 26% of participants demonstrated sufficient knowledge. Nursing students scored significantly higher than medical and pharmacy students ( < .05). Female students were three times more likely to have adequate knowledge ( < .001). Awareness of the ToothSOS app was low (21.1%), but 78.4% of unaware participants expressed willingness to use it.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare students at KAU showed inadequate knowledge of TDIs and limited awareness of the ToothSOS app. Integration of TDI management training into healthcare curricula is recommended. Promoting the ToothSOS app as an accessible resource can enhance the emergency management of TDIs.