Loading…

Traumatic dental injuries: Knowledge assessment of dentists in the Norwegian Public Dental Service of Vestland

Background/Aim Most children and adolescents in Norway attend the Public Dental Service (PDS) where they are treated free‐of‐charge until the age of 19 years. Thus, general dentists employed in the PDS are the primary care providers for traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in young patients. This cross‐s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dental traumatology 2024-08, Vol.40 (4), p.398-409
Main Authors: Cvijic, Andjelka, Åstrøm, Anne, Kvernenes, Monika, Tsilingaridis, Georgios, Bletsa, Athanasia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background/Aim Most children and adolescents in Norway attend the Public Dental Service (PDS) where they are treated free‐of‐charge until the age of 19 years. Thus, general dentists employed in the PDS are the primary care providers for traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in young patients. This cross‐sectional study assessed the knowledge of PDS general dentists on the acute management and follow‐up of TDI and its socio‐demographic and attitudinal covariates. Materials and Methods All general dentists employed in the Vestland County PDS, Western Norway, (N = 170) received an online questionnaire. Socio‐demographic and professional profiles of respondents as well as attitudinal indicators were queried. Clinical case scenarios on emergency treatment and further follow‐ups of TDI were used to calculate a dental trauma knowledge score (DTKS; range: 0–21). Mann–Whitney U tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests determined differences between the demographic subgroups. Logistic regressions determined the potential of single factors in explaining the variability in dental trauma knowledge. Results The response rate was 46%. Most participants (60.5%) had not participated in a TDI course after graduation but would like such a course (84.2%). Mean DTKS was 13.82 (±2.6). Knowledge scores differed significantly between age groups (p = .014) and years since graduation (p = .0018). Younger dentists and recently graduated dentists scored highest. Dentists under the age of 30 years scored higher than 30–39‐ and 40–49‐year‐old dentists in these areas: emergency treatment of crown fractures with pulp exposure, identification of complications after avulsion, and management of severe intrusive luxation injury. Conclusion Younger dentists had a higher theoretical knowledge of TDI. Continuing professional development among dentists in the Norwegian PDS is needed for emergency treatment and complication management after TDI.
ISSN:1600-4469
1600-9657
1600-9657
DOI:10.1111/edt.12945