Assessment of health technician students' awareness of dental trauma in Turkey

Abstract

Background Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) require prompt and appropriate emergency management. In Turkey, university-affiliated Health Services Vocational Schools train auxiliary healthcare personnel who may be first responders in such cases. However, the extent of their knowledge on dental trauma remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the awareness regarding TDI emergency management among students enrolled in university-affiliated Health Vocational Schools in Turkey, and to determine whether these levels differ between academic years. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 333 students from 16 programs across 7 vocational schools. Participants completed a 17-item online questionnaire assessing demographic data and dental trauma knowledge. Six key knowledge questions were classified based on the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) guidelines. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used (p < 0.05). Results Only 7.2% of students reported receiving first aid training that included dental trauma content. A majority (78.7%) felt their knowledge was insufficient, and 89.8% believed dental trauma education is necessary. While 21% reported knowing what to do in the event of tooth avulsion, only 38.1% selected an appropriate storage method. Second-year students showed a significantly higher rate of receiving first aid training (p = 0.001) and asking about tetanus vaccination status (p = 0.017) than first-year students. Significant differences were found in correct responses based on self-reported knowledge levels regarding tooth contamination (p = 0.001) and fractured tooth management (p = 0.025). Conclusions Health technician students in Turkey demonstrated limited knowledge about the emergency management of dental trauma. Integrating structured dental trauma education into vocational health curricula is recommended to improve early response and patient outcomes.