BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jul 4;25(1):1003. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07584-y.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The appropriate management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in immature permanent teeth is critical for predicting prognosis and preserving injured teeth. However, providing accurate treatment is always challenging for dental students due to their limited knowledge of TDIs. This study aimed to assess TDIs in immature permanent teeth in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practice among Chinese dental undergraduates and residents.
METHODS: Dental undergraduates (in 3rd -, 4th -, and 5th -years) and residents (in 1st -, 2nd -, and 3rd -years) at the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University (763 in total, from May to June 2024), were distributed with a structured electronic questionnaire containing 22 items. The obtained data was statistically analyzed via the Chi-square (χ2) test (p < 0.05) using SPSS.
RESULTS: Participants from various academic levels completed 502 questionnaires, with a response rate of 65.79%. Approximately half of the participants (58.6%) were familiar with TDIs, chiefly through traditional classroom learning (90.0%). Participants had limited knowledge on correct emergency treatment for TDIs, including tooth replantation timing (51.6%), fixation method (43.8%), and time (25.5%), with 3rd -year undergraduates reporting the lowest percentage (10.2%) (p < 0.05). Most participants agreed that vital pulp preservation (95.0%) and additional examination (91.0%) are essential for TDI management. Besides, only 29.9% of participants had ever treated a clinical TDI case independently. The majority of participants expressed a strong desire to gain comprehensive knowledge of TDIs (90.0%) and additional training (96.4%).
CONCLUSIONS: Dental students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels lacked sufficient knowledge and practice with TDIs but had a positive attitude toward TDI management. Thus, it would be enormously beneficial for dental students to gain a better understanding of TDIs through improved dental education, including multiple teaching methodologies and more clinical practice.
CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
PMID:40616076 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-025-07584-y
