The relationship of dental visits to parental knowledge of management of dental trauma.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to: (1) determine the level of parental knowledge regarding initial trauma management; and (2) assess which factors could influence that level of knowledge. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was given to parents of patients that attended 1 of 2 dental clinics. The questionnaire consisted of 3 parts and assessed patient and parental demographics and knowledge of dental trauma management. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-seven questionnaires were completed. Most patients had Medicaid insurance (79%). Most parents would seek care from a dentist (71% broken tooth; 62% avulsed tooth). Only 31% knew that avulsed permanent teeth could be placed back into the socket, and only 25% of parents chose milk as a transport medium for avulsed teeth. A mere 3% of parents answered all 5 trauma management questions correctly, and 10% had no correct responses. The number of correct responses was not affected by clinic location, history of previous trauma, sex, education, or insurance status. Parents of recalled patients had more correct responses (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Knowledge of dental trauma management was poor. The fact that parents of recalled patients were somewhat more knowledgeable suggests that the dental visit can be an effective vehicle for education. The management of dental trauma should be part of the dental health education provided at dental visits.