‘Please Just Help My Child’: An Exploration of Children's and Parental Experience of Emergency Care and Management, Following Traumatic Dental Injuries in the North West of England

BACKGROUND/AIM: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are a common occurrence in children. They vary in their severity, management can be complex, and various settings may be accessed by families for management. The care pathway to manage TDIs in children varies across the UK, with little understanding of these pathways and the impact they have on children following a TDI. AIM: To explore families' experience and their management pathway following a TDI to a permanent tooth in the Northwest, England. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with a family dyad took place. A sample of seven dyads each consisting of a parent and child (7-15 years old) who accessed either a dental hospital, or a children's emergency department for management of a TDI was achieved through purposive sampling. The interviews were held either face-to-face or using a video call platform. Reflective thematic analysis and coding of transcripts led to identification of themes. RESULTS: Four key themes with subthemes were identified: family frustration, psychological impact, information and advice, and the perceived lack of a clear pathway. There was a recurrent barrier with families feeling there was a lack of signposting for acute TDI management resulting in accessing multiple services before receiving dental management. Families highlighted a lack of knowledge amongst services, including dental professionals, on the management and pathway to treat TDIs in children. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in the UK to explore children and their families' experience of TDI acute management. There is a need for clear regional pathways whereby families can be signposted by sports clubs, schools, medical and dental professionals to receive the appropriate care for a TDI involving children. Further education with various professionals and services in the UK is required to enable better signposting and knowledge on TDI management.