| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of the problem: Dental injuries are a widespread problem that negatively affects the quality of life. Many patients who have experienced dental trauma do not first turn to dentists but to medical doctors. It is likely that for most patients contacting their family physician is the most acceptable way to obtain advice following a traumatic injury. Thus, family doctors need basic knowledge about emergency management of traumatic dental injuries, as their actions may influence the prognosis of the treatment of the injured tooth. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the knowledge of family physicians about the emergency management of dental trauma. Tasks of the study: • To determine the family physicians‘ knowledge level about emergency management of dental trauma. • To evaluate the respondents' knowledge about specific cases related to dental trauma emergency management. • To assess the factors affecting the quality of knowledge about providing emergency dental care to patients with traumatic dental injuries. • To assess the motivation of family doctors and the need to improve in the field of dental trauma emergency care, familiarity with its principles and self-assessment of their knowledge must be taken into account. Material and methods: An anonymous questionnaire was used for the study (attachment Nr. 1), which family physicians and family medicine resident doctors of Antakalnis, Šeškinė, Karoliniškės, Vilnius district central polyclinics, Santaros, "InMedica" and Žvėrynas clinics were interviewed with. Two hundred thirty-three questionnaires were distributed. One hundred questionnaires suitable for the study were collected. The knowledge evaluation scale is based on the number of correctly answered questions: 0 - 4 unsatisfactory knowledge; 5 - 8 average knowledge; 9 and more excellent knowledge. The rating scale is based on the scale used in the S. Wolfer et al. study to assess the understanding of emergency physicians about dental trauma management after recalculating the values according to the percentage of correct answers due to the discrepancy between our and this study's total number of questions. Results: The overall average score of the questions answered correctly by the participants was 4.56 out of 10. Most respondents did not know how to act in cases of an avulsed permanent tooth, a displaced tooth, or a broken tooth crown. Most of them knew how to behave in case of an avulsed primary tooth and that a referral to a dentist is necessary even after self-provided emergency care. A relationship was observed between respondents' knowledge of dental trauma emergency care and their age. Conclusion: The knowledge of family physicians and family medicine resident doctors about emergency management of dental trauma is unsatisfactory. In their professional practice, family physicians encounter cases of dental injuries but lack the competence to provide high-quality emergency care in their cases. However, doctors are motivated to improve in this area. |
