Survey of Dentoalveolar Injuries Among Primary School Children in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State

Dentoalveolar injuries, including crown fractures, luxation injuries, and tooth avulsion, are common childhood accidents that can have lasting functional and aesthetic consequences if not promptly and correctly managed. This survey investigates the prevalence, etiology, and first-aid response to dentoalveolar injuries among primary school children in Port Harcourt Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State, located in the South South geopolitical zone. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 pupils aged 6 to 12 years from ten randomly selected public and private primary schools. Oral clinical examination was performed alongside administration of a structured questionnaire to parents or guardians regarding injury history, cause, and initial management steps taken. Results show that 16.3% of children had experienced at least one dentoalveolar injury, with the majority involving maxillary central incisors. Falls were the most common mechanism of injury, followed by sporting collisions. Parental first-aid knowledge was generally poor; most parents reported rinsing avulsed teeth with tap water or discarding them, reducing the chances of successful reimplantation. Teacher knowledge of emergency dental management was also inadequate. The study recommends school-based first-aid training programs incorporating dental trauma management, and the dissemination of simple pictorial guides for immediate tooth injury response in both English and Igbo in South South communities. Keywords: dentoalveolar injury, primary school children, tooth avulsion, Port Harcourt, first aid.