EVALUATION OF A NEW APPROACH TO THE USE OF VALIDATED COMIC BOOKS FOR GUIDANCE ON IMMEDIATE MANAGEMENT IN CASES OF TRAUMATIC DENTAL INJURIES

• Grant number: 24/20703-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Social and Preventive Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Flávia Martão Flório
• Grantee: Flávia Martão Flório
• Host Institution: Centro de Pesquisas Odontológicas São Leopoldo Mandic. Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic (SLMANDIC). Sociedade Regional de Ensino e Saúde S/S Ltda (SRES). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are highly prevalent during childhood and may affect occlusion, phonetics, and aesthetics, with potential long-term consequences. This study aims to assess the impact of two strategies for disseminating a validated educational resource on immediate management of TDIs, targeting public school teachers in Porto Nacional, Brazil. This is a quantitative, analytical, and experimental study that will compare two educational approaches: (1) printed distribution of the comic book "Dentitos: Playing and Learning About Health - Dental Trauma", and (2) poster display with a summary of emergency measures and a QR code for accessing the digital version. The sample will consist of elementary and middle school teachers from six urban public schools, each with over 200 enrolled students. Schools will be randomly assigned to two groups: G1 (printed comic book) and G2 (poster with QR code). All participants will respond to a validated questionnaire at baseline, 15 days, and 3 months after the intervention to assess knowledge acquisition and retention. Engagement with the digital content will be tracked using Google Analytics. Data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, applying appropriate tests for the type and distribution of variables. It is expected that the poster may serve as a fast and accessible tool to convey essential information and stimulate further access to the full material. Findings will support the development of low-cost educational strategies for broader implementation in school settings and may contribute to public policy. National and international dissemination of results is planned to enhance the visibility and collaborative potential of the project. (AU)