Knowledge and Practice Assessment among Dental Practitioners in Southern Region About Diagnosis and Treatment of Dental Caries – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim and Background: Dental caries and periodontal diseases represent critical public health concerns in contemporary times. The proficiency and approach of dental practitioners in diagnosing and treating dental caries can greatly influence the efficacy of management or treatment outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice level of dental practitioners in Southern, Saudi Arabia, on the adoption of diagnostic and treatment methodologies for managing dental caries.

Methodology: a descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional study involved 398 dental practitioners affiliated with the Department of Restorative Dentistry across four distinct universities. The questionnaire focused on assessing participants' knowledge and practices concerning dental caries. Subsequently, the collected data underwent statistical analysis employing appropriate software.

Results: The findings revealed that while clinical experience did not notably impact the knowledge and practices of the participants, the educational level of the practitioners exhibited a significant correlation with both their knowledge and practices (P=004 and 0.001 respectively).

Conclusion: In conclusion, enhancing knowledge could be achieved by integrating systematic protocols for caries detection and management into the dental curriculum. Moreover, future emphasis should be placed on the didactic teaching of ICDAS and ICCMS to further augment proficiency in this domain.