Abstract:

  Background and Aim : Avulsion is one of the most complicated cases of dental trauma. If treatment is delayed it could have a negative impact on proper function as well as occlusion .The patient may also be faced with esthetic deformities and mental problems. One of the most common causes of dental trauma is sport activities. Martial arts instructors are the first ones to come into contact with individuals who have suffered a dental trauma during a sports activity and they often have the opportunity to replant an Avulsed tooth. This study was done with the aim to evaluate the knowledge of female martial arts instructors regarding tooth avulsion and related factors.

  Materials and Methods : This descriptive study included 112 female participants who were all martial arts trainers from 18 different sports complexes spread out in 5 districts of the city of Tehran. In addition to a questionnaire that was handed out to each participant, all trainers were asked individual question through an interview and their knowledge along with related factors were assessed afterwards. The linear regression method and spss software (version 11.5) was used to analyze associated factors.

  Results : The survey on 112 participants indicated that 34 people (30.3%) had good knowledge, 58 people (51.6%) had average knowledge and 20 people (17.1%) had weak knowledge of dental trauma. The level of knowledge was significantly associated with working experience (P =0.03) and educational level (P = 0.002)

  Conclusion : Most martial arts instructors do not acquire sufficient knowledge of tooth avulsion and the emergency means of re-implanting a traumatized tooth. Proper education in this area seems to be a necessity for all sports trainers.