Pediatristlerin Çocuklarda Gözlenen Periodontal Hastalıklar ve Ağız Sağlığına İlişkin Bilgi, Tutum ve Farkındalıklarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Background: Having knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of dental and periodontal diseases and preventive oral health, conveying this information to the patients correctly and encouraging them is important to protect the oral health of children and therefore their general health. The aim of the cross-sectional, survey based study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of pediatricians about oral health and periodontal disease of children. Methods: 129 pediatricians (80 females, 49 males; mean age: 37.87 ± 8.21) participated in this study. Participants were directed to a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions about age, gender, occupational information, periodontal diseases and clinical practice routines and knowledge regarding oral health. Pearson Chi-Square, Fisher-Freeman-Halton, Kruskal Wallis and Dunn-Bonferroni tests were used to evaluate the data. Results: 62.8 % pediatricians examine periodontal health as well as teeth and the number of female doctors applying this assessment is higher than male doctors (p<0.05). Although 58.9 % of the physicians recommend tooth brushing with the first primary tooth erupts; 34.1 % of them recommend using dental floss together with tooth brushing. 54.3 % of the physicians recommend the first dental visit in the age range of 2.5-3. Most of the physicians (88.4 %) need more information about periodontal diseases. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it is suggested that the knowledge and awareness of pediatricians about the diagnosis and prevention of periodontal diseases should be improved. © 2022, Selcuk University. All rights reserved.