Sports-related dental injuries in children: Knowledge, past experiences and emergency preparedness in a group of sports coaches in two cities of India

To evaluate sports teachers’ knowledge, their past experiences of dental injuries and Oro-facial trauma and also to evaluate their emergency preparedness in case of dental injuries while playing.

This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study included 148 sports coaches selected randomly from the cities of Mumbai and Surat in India. They were asked to fill a questionnaire to obtain information regarding socio-demographics, knowledge of dental trauma, past experiences and dental emergency preparedness. Collected data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics.

Fifty (33.8%) sports coaches showed adequate knowledge regarding management of a fractured tooth. Forty (27%) sports coaches were aware of reimplantation of an avulsed tooth; but none of them were able to exhibit adequate knowledge on its management. Although 39% of the participants had experienced dental trauma, very few of them exhibited dental emergency preparedness (7.4%). Professional training in sports coaching was positively associated with significantly better special knowledge (p=0.042). Coaching experience was not found to be associated with the knowledge or preparedness.

There is a serious need of inclusion of modules on management of dental trauma as a part of professional sports training programs in India.