Pediatricians' Knowledge of Emergency Management of Dental Injuries and Use of Mouthguards: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Aim: Dental injuries are one of the most frequent oral health problems in children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate Croatian pediatricians' knowledge and practice regarding dental injuries management and the use of mouthguards as means of protection against traumatic injuries. Materials and methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey conducted among 186 pediatricians examined their demographic characteristics, knowledge and experience with dental injuries. Student t-test or one-way ANOVA, with Tukey's post-hoc were used to analyze obtained data (p <= 0.05). Results: The overall mean score of knowledge on the management of dental injuries was 3.6 +/- 1.53 points. Male pediatricians (p = 0.016), those who witnessed dental injuries (p = 0.003), and those who had more than ten years of pediatric practice (p = 0.027) showed better knowledge. The results of multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated impact between pediatricians' knowledge in the emergency treatment of traumatic dental injuries concerning the level of health care (practice settings) (beta = -0.254, p = 0.002) and the number of patients treated by a pediatrician per day (beta = -0.187, p = 0.030). Conclusion: Pediatricians have a low level of knowledge regarding the primary care of traumatic dental injuries. An additional course on dental injurie management should be recommended as part of the physician and pediatricians' educational training.