Sports-related Orofacial Injuries in Children: Awareness and Experience among Sports Coaches in Delhi Region of India

BACKGROUND: Sports activities are the most important entity of human life for the holistic well-being of an individual. At the same time, it exposes them to a high risk of orofacial injuries. AIM: The study assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of orofacial injuries in children among sports coaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample of this descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 365 sports coaches across various sports academies in the Delhi region. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted and descriptive analysis was performed. The comparative statistics were computed using the Chi-square test and Fischer exact test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among participating coaches, 74.5% of the coaches agreed on the risk of trauma during sports activities that they supervise. The most common type of injury reported by the coaches was ‘cut lip, cheek, and tongue’ (72.6%), followed by ‘broken/avulsed tooth’ (44.9%). The mechanism of injury was mainly due to falls (48.8%). Nearly 65.5% of coaches were not aware of the possibility of replantation of an avulsed tooth. Also, coaches exhibited poor knowledge about an ideal storage media for carrying an avulsed tooth to the dentist. The majority (71%) of coaches agreed that their academies had no tie-ups with nearby dental clinics/hospitals. CONCLUSION: The sports coaches exhibited inadequate knowledge about the primary management of orofacial injuries and were unaware of the possibility of re-implantation of an avulsed tooth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study also highlights the need for educating coaches about emergency management of orofacial injuries and postponement in immediate treatment or inappropriate treatment due to lack of knowledge may lead to the futile outcome of the treated injured teeth. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Tokas A, Sood S, Bhatia HP, et al. Sports-related Orofacial Injuries in Children: Awareness and Experience among Sports Coaches in Delhi Region of India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(4):450-454.