Association of dental trauma experience and first-aid knowledge among rugby players in Malaysia

OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare the knowledge of rugby players regarding first-aid measures for dental injuries.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at rugby tournaments in 2009 and 2010 on players aged 16 and over. Convenient sampling was performed. A total of 456 self-administered questionnaires were returned. Data collected were analysed using SPSS 21. Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the demographic data. The subjects were classified according to their experience of sustaining each type of injury. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were carried out to compare the responses. When the expected cell count was less than five, Fisher's exact test was used. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported dental injuries was as follows: tooth fracture (19.3%), luxation (6.6%) and avulsion (1.1%). Significant differences were found, whereby 52.2% of those who had no history of tooth fracture were more likely to seek immediate treatment (P < 0.001), whereas 42% of those who previously experienced tooth fracture claimed that they would only visit a dentist if they experienced pain (P = 0.001). Management of luxation and avulsion did not differ significantly between the groups. However, about half of those who did not have a history of tooth avulsion admitted to not knowing the correct answer, while three of five casualties would keep the tooth iced.

CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of the management of tooth fracture and storage medium differs between previous casualties and non-casualties. Overall, knowledge of dental trauma management was insufficient, suggesting the need to educate and train the players.