Traumatismos dentoalveolares em estudantes: perfil clínico e conhecimento de cirurgiões-dentistas da Atenção Primária à Saúde

Abstract

Dentoalveolar traumas (DT) are one of the main concerns in oral health, causing a psychological impact on the affected individual and their family by bringing about unpleasant aesthetic changes, pain, risk of tooth loss, social and emotional discomfort. The dentist needs to be prepared and confident in addressing these conditions, in order to ensure the best course of action and, consequently, increase the chances of preserving the affected tooth. The present dissertation investigated the prevalence of dental traumas among students from public schools in Montes Claros, MG, evaluated the knowledge of primary care dentists (PCDs) and, based on this, were two technical products were manufactured. The prevalence study included students aged 6 to 16 enrolled in public schools in urban and rural areas, with data collected by PCDs from Family Health Strategies responsible for these schools, through a clinical form developed for the research and a structured questionnaire answered by the students. The second study, which employed a census sampling method, included PCDs affiliated with the Municipal Health Department of Montes Claros, working in the oral health teams of the Family Health Strategies. Data collection was conducted through a validated and adapted structured questionnaire containing objective questions. The IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 was used for both studies. Out of the 12,021 students investigated, 160 were reported with DT or polytraumas (1.3%). Males were more affected (60.0%), with falls being the most observed cause. Regarding the location of occurrence, their own home was the most reported (46.9%), with a positive association found between polytraumas and falls/falling from bicycles (p=0.022). The age group from 10 to 16 years was the most affected. Of the 111 professionals who participated in the second study, the majority were female (78.4%), aged between 26 and 35 years (48.6%), and with up to 10 years of practice (62.2%). Most participants also had some specialization (68.5%), and reported experience in DT (58.6%), even without specific courses in the field (84.7%). Questionnaire responses were dichotomized into adequate or inadequate and compared with the professionals' years of practice to verify associations between variables. Statistical differences were found regarding the recommended storage solution for fractured fragments (p=0.003), with a greater number of adequate responses from professionals with less experience. For the management after avulsion with more than two hours elapsed, professionals with up to 10 years of practice had the highest number of inadequate responses (p=0.000), and regarding procedures to achieve good outcomes in treating patients with DT, most respondents answered adequately, although professionals with less experience were more associated with inadequate responses (p=0.038). In conclusion, the prevalence of DT found in students is low, affecting more males, especially victims of falls, in their own homes. Most investigated professionals have adequate knowledge about DT and consider themselves capable of treatment. The years of professional practice does not seem to interfere with the level, but rather with the specific type of knowledge on the subject