Treatment of traumatic dental injuries: evaluation of knowledge among Italian dentists

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ABSTRACT

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of knowledge in the management of different scenarios of dental
trauma in a population of Italian dentists.

Methods

A closed-ended questionnaire consisting of 5 clinical cases of
common traumatic dental injuries was asked to be filled out by dentists in the area of Milan, Italy. A total of 500 questionnaires were
collected; after a descriptive analysis of the population, results of correct answers were expressed in frequency distribution and
computed in percentages. To examine possible associations between the level of knowledge for each question (number/percentage of
correct answers) and independent variables of the population (sex, number of years after graduation, attendance of dental trauma
courses, type of clinical activity) appropriate correlation tests were performed (Pearson chi-square, or Fisher's exact; level of
significance = 0.05) for identification of statistically significant differences.

Results

More than 75 of participants answered
correctly to the questions regarding crown fracture and extrusive luxation injuries; only 40 of dentists responded correctly about
the duration and type of splinting following avulsion; 60 of participants incorrectly chose immediate invasive therapies (tooth
extraction or endodontic procedures) for horizontal middle-root fracture. There was a trend towards slightly better knowledge (in 7 out of
9 questions) for dentists 1) working in hospitals and 2) who had attended a post-graduate course in traumatology.

Conclusion

The
level of knowledge in the group of dentists considered was heterogeneous; problems in the management of traumatic dental injuries
were restricted to specific clinical cases and topics.

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