Dental trauma and mouthguard: knowledge and attitudes in Physical Education undergraduates

Abstract To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes in a group of Brazilian physical education undergraduate students, relative to dental trauma and use of mouthguard. A total of 373 undergraduates from three public universities of Rio de Janeiro were interviewed by means of a semi-structured standardised questionnaire. The data were tabulated and analyzed using the statistical program SPSS, 17.0. Frequency was performed and it was also applied the qui-quadrado (p < 0.05) test, to establish a relation between variables of interest. Only 3.21% of the interviewees had been given information on dental trauma and use of mouth protector during their undergraduate course. With regard to their attitudes, only 19.83% responded correctly about how to act towards a tooth avulsion; 54.69% about how to manage the avulsed tooth, and 7.77% about how to transport the avulsed tooth. By comparing these attitudes in relation to the undergraduate period (before or after the 5th semester), previous information and experience on dental trauma, it was observed no significant difference (p > 0.05). With regard to prevention, 89.81% knew mouthguard although only 17.96% wore it during sport activities. The students were given no information during their undergraduation course, even though the curriculum has the discipline of first aid. The dentist are supposed to develop actions so that such knowledge meets the needs of the future physical education practitioners.