PERIODONTAL DISEASE;

Knowledge, awareness and attitude of medical doctors. towards periodontal disease in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Periodontal disease and systemic diseases are inter-related, each influencing one another. Adequate
knowledge on periodontal disease among medical doctors will enable them to refer their patients to dentists for timely management. This
study aimed to assess knowledge, awareness and attitudes of medical doctors towards periodontal disease in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Settings and design: Cross sectional study on medical doctors working at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Materials and methods: The study involved 151 medical doctors drawn randomly and who are practicing at Muhimbili National Hospital
in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Data were obtained via a structured questionnaire and included demographic information’s, knowledge
regarding periodontal disease, their awareness and their attitude towards periodontal disease. They were entered into the SPSS statistical
software for analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated and association between variables was done using the chi-square
test. Results: Of the 151 questionnaires administered, 124 were returned (response rate of 82.12%). One hundred and eleven (89.5%)
medical doctors believed poor oral hygiene was the main cause of periodontal disease, only 49(39.5%) told their patients to brush
properly, 47(37.9%) believed that there was a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and systemic disease and only
35(28.2%) referred all patients with systemic diseases to dentists. 34(27.4%) believed that medical doctors have adequate knowledge
regarding periodontal disease and 18(14.5%) believed that the medical curriculum provides enough knowledge regarding periodontal
disease. Conclusions: Medical doctors had inadequate information about periodontal disease and this should be addressed in the
medical curriculum so as to enable proper patient management.