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Dental practitioners’ knowledge and implementation of the 2007 International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for management of dental trauma
Author(s) -
Zadik Yehuda,
Marom Yael,
Levin Liran
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
dental traumatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1600-9657
pISSN - 1600-4469
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-9657.2009.00805.x
Subject(s) - traumatology , medicine , dental trauma , dentistry , first aid , tooth avulsion , family medicine , medical emergency , orthopedic surgery , surgery , incisor
– Aim : To evaluate the knowledge, adoption, and diffusion rate of the 2007 International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines among practicing military dental professionals, 1 year after publication. Methods : Fifty‐four military dental professionals in the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces participated in the study and completed a questionnaire, consisting of demographic questions, and multiple choice questions that presented critical points that a military dentist should know when treating a tooth injury. Results : Seven dentists (13%) graduated in the summer of 2007 after publication of the current guidelines. Military instructions (37%) and the official guidelines published in Dental Traumatology (25.9%) were the most common sources of updating the current guidelines. Twenty‐six percentage of the participants were not updated with the new guidelines at all. Based on the current guidelines, the overall correct answer response rate for the 10 questions was 71.7%. Tetracycline, as an antimicrobial agent of choice in avulsion, yielded the lowest percentage of correct answers (20.4%), with duration of splinting after root fracture, the next most incorrectly answered question (50.0%). Conclusions : High level of knowledge regarding the 2007 guidelines was found among Israeli military dentists, 1 year after publication. However, knowledge regarding several issues (e.g., medication, splinting) should be reinforced.