Knowledge and attitude of dental trauma among mothers in Iraq

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. © 2013 European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.