An Educational Initiative for Dubai School Nurses and Physical Education Teachers on the Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries

Validation of an educational comic book to guide conducts in situations of dental trauma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Childhood dental trauma poses a prevalent concern, and the limited knowledge of lay caregivers toward the needed immediate actions can adversely affect a child's well-being. This study aimed to create and validate an educational comic book for lay individuals, designed to guide immediate actions in dental trauma cases, and assess its effects toward enhancing reader knowledge.

METHODOLOGY

The four-stage study involved: (1) Literature review and script development; (2) Version 1 of the comic book creation (including illustrations, layout, and design) and Flesch Readability Index (FI) calculation; (3) Version 1 validation by expert judges, assessed by the Content Validity Index (CVI); (4) Version 1 refinement based on the judges' feedback, recalculation of FI, and a pilot test (CVI) involving lay individuals who validated the final material (Version 2). The validation process involved 67 participants, including 13 specialist judges and 54 elementary school teachers.

RESULTS

The CVI for Version 1 was calculated at 0.89 (89%), indicating a favorable level of agreement on the evaluated criteria. The FI was determined as 91.1%, indicating a high level of readability. The FI for Version 2 was 92.1% (indicating a very easy level of comprehension). The CVI calculated for the target audience after the pilot test was 0.99 (99%), denoting a substantial agreement among the participants. In assessing the level of knowledge, a significant increase was observed in the rate of correct answers after the comic book was read by lay individuals (p < 0.05), inasmuch as the percentage rose from 50.5% before to 81.2% after reading it.

CONCLUSION

The educational comic book proved valid in terms of readability, appearance, and content. Furthermore, it had a positive impact on gaining the knowledge needed to take the appropriate actions, thus making it a valuable tool for guiding the lay population in cases of dental trauma.

Enhancing elementary school teachers' knowledge in managing traumatic dental injuries: The effectiveness of educational sessions

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aims to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of educational intervention on elementary school teachers' knowledge of traumatic dental injuries (TDI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included all of the elementary schools (29) in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Of the initial 538 participants, 497 teachers completed the full-length study. The first assessment (T0) was performed prior to intervention using a four-part validated questionnaire that evaluated demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and self-assessment in relation to TDIs. The questionnaire was followed by a 30-min lecture presentation featuring various dental trauma scenarios. Each teacher's knowledge was reassessed immediately after the intervention (T1) and 3 months after the intervention (T2). The data were analyzed using the Cochran test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and chi-squared test.

RESULTS

Half of the participants had witnessed dental trauma at least once; however, 96.6% of the participants had not attended any training related to dental trauma prior to the educational intervention. Knowledge regarding first aid management of broken teeth and avulsions was disappointing pre-intervention but was significantly higher post-intervention (p < .001). Following the workshop, participant self-assessments indicated improvement in the ability to appropriately respond to cases of dental trauma as necessary (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Inadequate knowledge of emergency management of TDI was demonstrated initially. There was a remarkable improvement in the overall knowledge of TDI after the educational sessions. Raising the awareness in dental trauma field by conducting educational sessions is crucial for achieving a better outcome.

School-Based Interventions on Dental Trauma: A Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence

INTRODUCTION

Accidents involving sports or leisure activities, falls, blows from objects, acts of interpersonal violence, and accidents can all result in dental trauma (also known as traumatic dental injuries [TDIs]). School children are one of the population groups that are highly vulnerable to TDIs. Multiple school-based interventions have been conducted around the world on the prevention and management of TDIs; however, no known scoping review has been conducted to map the evidence. Hence, this study aimed to conduct a scoping review of existing school-based interventions on TDIs.

METHODS

This scoping review adopted the research design presented by Arksey and O'Malley. Eight research databases-PubMed, SCOPUS, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL Ultimate, AMED (The Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and SPORTDiscuss-were searched to retrieve literature relevant to the scoping review question. Some of the retrieved literature existed in duplicate and was deduplicated using Rayyan software. Twenty papers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected and reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 526 publications were retrieved from the eight databases searched in this scoping review. Ninety-seven publications were duplicates and were removed. After the two-stage screening of the deduplicated copies, only 20 peer-reviewed journal articles were relevant and included in the review. The selected studies sampled a total of 7152 participants whose ages ranged between 9 and 62 years (mean = 10.56 to 46.5; standard deviation = ±0.97 to ±8.1). The findings obtained from the reviewed journal articles revealed that pupils are at high risk of dental trauma and they are more likely to sustain these injuries during school activities. In addition, inadequate understanding, poor attitudes, and low experiential knowledge of dental trauma were found among educators, parents, and even school pupils. The evidence of long-term knowledge retention and a high knowledge score in the experimental groups buttresses the need for continuous first-aid education on dental trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of multiple educational approaches or modalities in schools will reinforce and promote good first-aid skills and management practices that are essential for preserving traumatized teeth.

How to Educate the Public about Dental Trauma-A Scoping Review

Educating the general population about dental trauma is of public health interest. The aim of this scoping review was to map research on traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) education in the general population and to identify the most relevant methods of knowledge transfer. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science All Databases, reference lists, and grey literature were searched. Articles in English published between 2000 and 2020 were included. A total of 32 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria. The most frequently tested modality was lecture/seminar/workshop. Studies focused mainly on teachers and medical staff as target groups. Post-intervention evaluation showed an increase in knowledge. In long-term follow-up, a decrease in knowledge was found. The effectiveness of different modalities varied. Studies comparing single-modal and multimodal approaches did not confirm the effect of combined methods. Printed materials are a practical mode for laypeople. Lectures should be reserved for professions with high probability of coming into contact with a TDI victim. The Internet can be a promising tool to educate people. Educators have to choose the method of communication most appropriate for the target population. The education should include topics related to dental trauma prevention. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of multimodal TDI education.

An educational intervention for improving knowledge of Syrian school children about avulsion using the "save your tooth" poster

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of replantation of an avulsed tooth is affected by the first aid management in the first 15 min after traumatic incident. Knowledge of the optimal management is crucial to successful replantation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of educational intervention using the Arabic version of the "save your tooth" poster designed by the International Association of Dental Traumatology IADT, in improving the knowledge of schoolchildren about first aid management of avulsion of permanent teeth.

METHODS

An interventional educational study was undertaken. A total of 550 schoolchildren aged 9-12 years participated in this study. Thirteen public primary schools in Damascus city were selected. A questionnaire was developed to measure the knowledge of schoolchildren about avulsion of permanent teeth. The translated IADT education poster about avulsion management was adopted.The content of this poster was explained to the children. Two months later, the subjects were re-evaluated using the same questionnaire. Paired sample t-test was used to test the differences existed between the two assessments.

RESULT

A total of 537 schoolchildren completed the questionnaires in which (n = 305) 57% were females and (n = 232) 43% were males. The findings demonstrated significant improvement in the participants' responses after interventional education (P < 0.05). The mean score of knowledge increased significantly from 3.71 at the baseline to 4.03 after the intervention (P < 0.003).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study showed that the level of knowledge of Syrian schoolchildren regarding first-aid management of avulsion of permanent teeth was limited at the baseline. The follow-up results showed that the educational intervention based on the "save your tooth" poster was significantly effective in improving the knowledge of schoolchildren. Further interventions to educate all Syrian schoolchildren about avulsion could be of great value to prevent its negative aesthetic, functional, psychological, economic impacts.

Traumatic dental injuries in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: Factors influencing teachers' management practices

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children frequently occur in schools where teachers can play an important role in their management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess schoolteachers' knowledge and the factors that determine their management of TDIs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from January to June 2018. Data were collected through an online pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic data and included questions that assessed participants' knowledge and management practices for TDI. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 443 teachers were included in the study, and 72.5% of the participants were females. The prevalence of TDIs was 49% yet only 7.2% of the participants reported managing dental trauma. Fights (22.8%) and falls (21.7%) were the most common causes of dental injuries. Mean TDI knowledge score was 2.75 ± 2.05, but only 47.2% were willing to receive training about TDI management. Regarding supportive environments, 75.8% of teachers reported having safety playgrounds, however 10.6% reported having a nurse in schools. After controlling for other variables, male respondents were 3.85 times more likely to manage TDIs than female respondents (P = .001). Similarly, previous knowledge of dental trauma management (OR = 4.32, P < .001) and having less than 50 students in class (OR = 2.61, P = .021) were significantly associated with TDI management.

CONCLUSION

The teachers demonstrated inadequate knowledge about TDIs which were highly prevalent in primary schools. Male gender, having knowledge of TDI management and teaching less students were associated with increased likelihood of TDI management. There is a crucial need for the reinforcement of policies that support school safety and a supportive environment.

A Preexperimental Study to Assess the Impact of an Interdisciplinary Educational Intervention on Nurses' Knowledge of Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Care

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an interdisciplinary educational intervention on the knowledge of nursing practitioners regarding perinatal and infant oral health (PIOH) care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a preexperimental study conducted among nursing practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria. Participants received hands-on training and didactic lectures, which included dental caries etiology and risk factors; oral hygiene and dietary education; teething and its management; dental trauma and its prevention; nonnutritive habits; screening, referrals, and counseling; and fluoride varnish application. Knowledge of the trainees was assessed using pre- and posttest questionnaires. Level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Overall, 110 nurses participated in the study with a mean age of 40.9 ± 10.8 years; 106 (96.4%) were females. Approximately 88% of the participants had not received formal training on PIOH. The baseline mean scores of the participants' knowledge on oral hygiene, teething, trauma, caries, and oral habits were 4.31 ± 1.9, 9.84 ± 2.6, 2.59 ± 1.7, 4.24 ± 1.8, and 1.45 ± 0.6, respectively; this increased significantly (P < 0.001) following the educational intervention with posttest mean scores as 7.58 ± 0.8, 11.79 ± 1.3, 4.34 ± 1.9, 6.19 ± 1.8, and 1.82 ± 0.4 and six-month evaluation scores as 6.21 ± 1.8,7 10.27 ± 3.1, 4.39 ± 1.5, 5.91 ± 1.8, and 1.79 ± 0.5, respectively. Overall posttest (31.4 ± 4.2) and six-month (28.6 ± 6.2) knowledge scores were significantly higher than the pretest values (22.4 ± 4.8, P < 0.001). At the six-month post-intervention survey, 84% of the nurses reported inclusion of PIOH education in their routine general health education sessions.

CONCLUSION

There was a positive impact of the educational intervention as evidenced by an increase in the knowledge of the nurses on PIOH care and the inclusion of PIOH education in their general health education. A slight decline between posttest and six-month evaluation scores indicates a need for continuous education and evaluation.

Dental Trauma First-Aid Knowledge and Attitudes of Physical Education Teachers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature with Meta-Regressions

The main objective of the present review is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of physical education (PE) teachers concerning dental trauma first-aid through a systematic appraisal of the literature, meta-analysis and meta-regressions. The entire content of PubMed and ISI/Web of Science was mined. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies were studies evaluating dental trauma first-aid knowledge and/or attitudes and/or the effectiveness of mouthguards use by PE teachers. Articles written in any language and published or accepted by peer-reviewed journals were considered. Methodological quality was assessed using an adapted version of the Downs and Black instrument. Of 15 selected articles, three were of strong quality, three were moderate, and the remaining nine were rated as weak. The majority of studies showed that PE teachers had an inadequate knowledge of the initial management of dental trauma. Specifically, there was a lack of knowledge concerning an appropriate washing and transporting medium and the extra-alveolar period of an avulsed tooth. Due to the inadequate knowledge of PE teachers regarding dental trauma management, specific education should be added to PE classes to improve the emergency treatment of dental injuries.