Knowledge and awareness of avulsion injuries among family medicine resident physicians in Turkey: A cross-sectional survey-based study

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of family medicine resident in Turkey regarding avulsion injuries, a severe form of dental trauma.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in November 2023, involving 138 family medicine resident physicians from various universities and training hospitals across Turkey. Data were collected via an online questionnaire designed to evaluate participants' demographic information, educational background, and knowledge of dental avulsion management.Results: Of the 138 participants, 68.8% were female and 31.2% were male, with an average age of 30 years and an average professional experience of 5 years. A significant portion (91.3%) had not received any training related to dental trauma, and 64.5% expressed a desire for such training. Only 7.2% of the resident physicians knew that an avulsed permanent tooth should be immediately reimplanted, while 85.5% preferred to refer the patient to a dentist without reimplanting the tooth due to infection risks. Furthermore, 73.9% of participants indicated insufficient knowledge about dental avulsion, and 54.3% acknowledged the importance of cleaning the avulsed tooth, with 31.2% preferring saline solution.Conclusions: Family medicine resident physicians demonstrated inadequate knowledge about avulsion injuries and their management. It is recommended that emergency dental treatment and management courses, provided by dentists, be incorporated into the training programs for medical branches frequently encountering dental trauma patients. Enhancing resident physician awareness and knowledge is crucial for improving the prognosis of dental trauma patients through proper initial intervention.