Elicherla NR, et al. J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2024 Feb;24(1):57-65. https://doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2024.24.1.57

Anchala K, et al. J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2024 Jun;24(3):195-204. https://doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2024.24.3.195

Aim: The provision of prehospital emergency care in develo-ping nations is limited due to resource limitations, such as a shortage of trained first aid staff, resulting in reliance on untrained individuals. To avoid potential consequences following dental trauma due to road traffic accidents, traffic police personnel play an important role for first aid management. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the level of knowledge and attitude about emergency management of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) among traffic police personnel during road traffic accidents. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sec-tional study was conducted among 98 traffic police personnel from October 2022 to December 2022. A 15-item self-designed questionnaire was prepared using the standardized focus group discussion method. The survey gathered data on first aid training, and time and management of fractured, displaced, and avulsed teeth, followed by statistical analysis. Results: Of a total score of 15, the mean knowledge score for traffic police personnel was 4.12±1.16. Almost 87.76% of respondents reported an injury during road traffic accidents. Only 27.55% have learned the management of dental injuries in first-aid training. 43.88% said that the fractured part of the tooth is useless, and 88.78% do not have sufficient knowledge to save the completely displaced tooth. 38.78% preferred a cloth piece to pick out knocked-out teeth. Only 34.70% considered milk as the storage medium for the avulsed teeth. Conclusion: This study suggests that there needs to be better knowledge among the traffic police personnel regarding procedures to follow in an emergency related to TDIs, which indicates a high need for further training to improve the knowledge among them.