Abstract
Background: Traumatic dental injury (TDI) is described as a lesion of variable extension, intensity, and severity caused by forces acting on teeth due to falls, fights, traffic accidents, collisions against objects or people, and para-function and/or as a result of an assault. Appropriate treatments of TDIs can improve the outcome chance and reduce stress and anxiety for both patients and the dental team. Despite the importance of this topic, there remains a paucity of evidence on the current situation of TDI management among dental students in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of dental students about the management of TDIs and compare the knowledge according to the year of study. Methodology: A KAP survey was conducted on undergraduate dental students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University dentistry college. All clinical dental students (4th-5th year) and interns enrolled during the 2019-2020 academic year were invited to participate in the study (n = 92). Participants filled out a questionnaire containing 16 items related to KAPs toward the management of TDIs. Results: The majority of fifth-year students (78.8%) and interns (70.8%) perceived that TDIs have the priority to be seen as an urgent case, compared to only 45.7% of fourth-year students (P = 0.013). Also, more than half of study participants reported not following any protocol for TDIs with no significant differences between study years. Furthermore, 69.7% of fifth-year students and 66.7% of interns considered the Hanks-balanced solution as the best medium for storing an avulsed permanent tooth. Conclusion: The current results demonstrated a significant shortage in the KAP toward TDI management among dental students in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. Almost half of the students (45.7%) did not know any guidelines for the treatment of TDIs. The majority of study participants had no exposure to any previous workshops, symposiums, or conferences about managing TDIs, which makes it more difficult for them to understand and manage dental traumatic injuries. Hence, there is a need to assess the reasons behind this issue and develop solutions to improve the current situation.