Knowledge and atitudes of lay individuals about avulsion of permanente teeth

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth avulsion is characterized by the total displacement of the tooth out of the socket as a result of an external trauma and emergency measures provided at the accident site are essential for a good prognosis. Objective: We investigated the level of knowledge and attitudes of lay people about possible behaviors in the face of avulsion of permanent teeth. Methods: Data collection was performed using a questionnaire containing questions about general characteristics of the lesion and the attitudes that patients would take in a case of avulsion. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, considering a significance level of 5% (p <0,05). Results: Questionnaires were answered by 120 patients while waiting for care. The overall average of correct answers/expected attitudes was 3.74. Participants who had previous information on the subject had significantly higher averages, the same was not verified with those who had previous experience with trauma. Conclusion: It is concluded that the knowledge about dental avulsion of patients is low and that health education, through population information can be a relevant factor for the improvement of emergency management at the trauma site by the lay population.