Knowledge of Brazilian general dentists and endodontists about the emergency management of dento-alveolar trauma

The purpose of this study was to determine Brazilian dentists' knowledge of emergency management of dento-alveolar trauma. A two-part questionnaire containing questions on demographic data and knowledge were mailed to 230 general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 70 endodontists. Questionnaires were returned by 42.6% of the GDPs and 62.8% of the endodontists. The survey data were statistically analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test for practitioners' knowledge and Pearson's correlation coefficient for association between knowledge scores and practitioner age or years since graduation. The mean knowledge score of endodontists was significantly greater than for GDPs (P < 0.0001). Dentists with trauma experience in their practices and those who had attended postgraduate courses on dental trauma had a significant higher mean knowledge score. In contrast, there was a poor correlation between the knowledge score and the ages of the respondents (r = 0.086) or the years since graduation (r = 0.108). In conclusion, this survey showed a poor knowledge of dental trauma management among the surveyed dentists and highlights the need to develop strategies to improve the knowledge base in this area of dentistry for the benefit of the dental trauma patient.