Investigating the understanding and attitudes of medical practitioners towards the interlink between periodontitis and systemic diseases: A Cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Abstract

Periodontitis ranks as the sixth most prevalent global ailment, impacting around 750 million individuals and standing as a prominent cause of adult dental loss. This study aims to investigate the dental awareness, viewpoints, and recognition of severe oral ailments with potential systemic health implications among distinct medical specialists: Gynecologists, Diabetologists, and Psychiatrists.A questionnaire based survey among three groups of specialist’s, viz. gynecologists (Group A), diabetologists (Group B), and psychiatrists (Group C) was done to gather insights into the participants' knowledge of periodontal disease and its links to systemic conditions. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis using Microsoft excel 2013.The findings revealed that 100% of diabetologists were cognizant of the correlation between periodontal health and its systemic implications. Among gynecologist’s 67% recognized the relationship between periodontal health, pregnancy, and women's well-being. Meanwhile, the majority of psychiatrists demonstrated appropriate referral practices when necessary. In contrast, only 47% of diabetologists who were aware of the connection initiated referrals for oral health assessments by dentists. Enhancing awareness and referral rates to dental professionals could potentially foster improved oral health, impacting diverse medical conditions. However, there exists an opportunity to motivate patients to seek dental care independently of their primary healthcare provider's specialization.