A survey on Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma
- PMID: 24400088
- PMCID: PMC3882231
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084406
A survey on Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma.
Method: A questionnaire survey on randomly selected secondary school students using cluster sampling.
Results: Only 36.6% (209/571) of the respondents were able to correctly identify the appropriate place for treatment of dental injury. 55.2% of the respondents knew the suitable time for treatment. Only 24.7% of the respondents possessed the knowledge of how to correctly manage fractured teeth. Only 23.6% of them knew how to manage displaced teeth. 62.5% of them correctly answered that knocked-out deciduous teeth should not be replanted to the original position, but few of them (23.6%) knew that permanent teeth should be replanted. Moreover, 37.1% of the respondents correctly identified at least one of the appropriate media for storing a knocked-out tooth. First-aid training and acquisition of dental injury information from other sources were significant factors that positive responses from these questions would lead to higher scores.
Conclusion: Hong Kong secondary school students' knowledge of emergency management of dental trauma is considered insufficient. An educational campaign in secondary schools dedicated to students is recommended. Prior first-aid training and acquisition of dental injury information from other sources positively relate to the level of knowledge. Dental trauma emergency management is recommended to be added to first-aid publications and be taught to students and health professionals.
Trial registration: Hong Kong Clinical Trial Centre HKCTR-1344.
Conflict of interest statement
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