Knowledge and attitude of dental trauma among mothers in Iraq.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of Iraqi mothers regarding dental trauma prevention and management. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Mothers (n = 231) that visited two professional dental centres in Mosul, Iraq, were interviewed and asked to answer a three-part questionnaire containing questions about demographic variables, attitudes and knowledge of dental trauma. STATISTICS The relationships of the demographic variables with the total knowledge score of the correct responses were analysed using two-sample t tests. The number of correct responses regarding management of avulsed teeth compared to that of fractured teeth was evaluated using a paired t test. A 5 % level of statistical significance was applied for the analyses. RESULTS: The mean knowledge score was 5.2 (on a scale of 0-10). No significant differences were found in knowledge score with respect to mothers' age, educational level, working status, personal experience with dental trauma or first aid training (p > 0.05). Mothers with either at least a high school education or previous experience with dental trauma were more likely to recommend that their children wear mouth guards during sports (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Mothers who were 35 years of age and older were more likely to know how to correctly carry an avulsed tooth to a dentist. Mothers' knowledge regarding management of fractured teeth was significantly higher than that of avulsed teeth (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Mothers in Mosul, Iraq, did not have sufficient knowledge about the prevention and management of traumatic dental injuries. Intervention programmes should be considered to increase mothers' awareness regarding dental injuries.