Review of recommendations for the management of dental trauma presented in first-aid textbooks and manuals

Abstract

Background: To be able to help at the site of the oro-facial injury, the majority of persons would turn to medical books and first-aid books to extend their knowledge. Proper information in first-aid textbooks and manuals should be the best way to present necessary procedures on how to act at the site of injury. The objective of this review is to report the quality of the knowledge presented in first-aid books and manuals. Methods: We carried out a review of first-aid international textbooks and manuals available in Medical University Libraries in Poland. The inclusion criteria were all manuals on first-aid that were written for medical staff and lay persons, and were published between 1969 and 2007. All texts were screened for dental trauma treatment recommendations. Results: Our literature review has shown that among 45 first-aid textbooks and manuals only 19 mention procedures for use in case of dental trauma. Of those texts, only 13 detail the storage media for an avulsed tooth until replantation. Conclusions: Current, evidence-based, recommendations concerning first-aid procedures after dental trauma should be incorporated in forthcoming editions of first-aid textbooks and manuals. The guidance on procedures contained in reviewed texts is misleading. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.