Parveen Sameena, Ara Syeda Arshiya, Preethanath Reghunathan S, Khan Samar Saeed, Osman Hind Ali, Homeida Husham E, Dawod Ogail Yousif, Alsayegh Abdulrahman A, Otayf Abdullah Y, Bajahzer Mohammed, Elamin Nahid Mahmoud Hassan
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, P.O.BOX 114, Jazan, 45142, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, AlBadar Dental College and Hospital, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.
BMC Oral Health. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):1543. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-05363-7.
The association between diet and oral health is complex, yet understanding the influence of nutrition on oral health among dental professionals is limited. This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia regarding the relationship between diet and oral health.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 211 dental professionals in Saudi Arabia using an 18-item questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v23.0. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the mean, standard deviation (SD), and proportions. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test assessed data normality, while the Chi-squared test and post-hoc Tukey analysis were applied to evaluate associations between variables.
The findings revealed that female practitioners (mean = 13.41, SD = 2.85) and older professionals had higher knowledge levels, with a total mean score of 12.33 (SD = 2.93). Significant correlations were observed between knowledge scores and age (ANOVA: F = 2.874; p = 0.024) and between knowledge scores and gender (t-test: t = 6.68, p < 0.001). Oral Medicine Specialists and Periodontists had the highest knowledge scores, with mean scores of 13.43 (SD = 2.87) and 13.63 (SD = 2.66), respectively, while General Dentists scored lower (mean = 10.49, SD = 3.12; ANOVA: F = 4.462; p < 0.001). Practitioners with less than five years of experience had significantly lower knowledge scores (mean = 11.14, SD = 3.23) compared to those with 5-10 years (mean = 13.40, SD = 2.34) and over 20 years of experience (mean = 12.69, SD = 2.22) (ANOVA: F = 5.016; p = 0.002).
Our findings reveal that dental professionals in Saudi Arabia have varying knowledge regarding the relationship between diet and oral health. While awareness exists, there are gaps in understanding the nutritional factors influencing oral health outcomes. Addressing these knowledge gaps through targeted educational interventions is essential, given the crucial role dental professionals play in promoting oral health and educating patients on the importance of nutrition. Enhancing this knowledge will improve patient care and contribute to better community health outcomes through informed preventive strategies and public health initiatives.
饮食与口腔健康之间的关联十分复杂，然而牙科专业人员对营养对口腔健康影响的了解有限。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯牙科专业人员对饮食与口腔健康关系的知识水平。
采用一份包含18个条目的问卷，对沙特阿拉伯的211名牙科专业人员进行了横断面调查。使用SPSS v23.0进行数据分析。描述性统计用于计算均值、标准差（SD）和比例。Kolmogorov-Smirnov检验评估数据正态性，而卡方检验和事后Tukey分析用于评估变量之间的关联。
研究结果显示，女性从业者（均值 = 13.41，标准差 = 2.85）和年长的专业人员知识水平较高，总平均分为12.33（标准差 = 2.93）。知识得分与年龄之间存在显著相关性（方差分析：F = 2.874；p = 0.024），知识得分与性别之间也存在显著相关性（t检验：t = 6.68，p < 0.001）。口腔医学专家和牙周病专家的知识得分最高，均值分别为13.43（标准差 = 2.87）和13.63（标准差 = 2.66），而普通牙医得分较低（均值 = 10.49，标准差 = 3.12；方差分析：F = 4.462；p < 0.001）。经验少于五年的从业者的知识得分（均值 = 11.14，标准差 = 3.23）显著低于经验为5至10年的从业者（均值 = 13.40，标准差 = 2.34）和经验超过20年的从业者（均值 = 12.69，标准差 = 2.22）（方差分析：F = 5.016；p = 0.002）。
我们的研究结果表明，沙特阿拉伯的牙科专业人员对饮食与口腔健康之间的关系有不同程度的了解。虽然有一定认识，但在理解影响口腔健康结果的营养因素方面仍存在差距。鉴于牙科专业人员在促进口腔健康和教育患者营养重要性方面发挥的关键作用，通过有针对性的教育干预来解决这些知识差距至关重要。增强这方面的知识将改善患者护理，并通过明智的预防策略和公共卫生举措为改善社区健康结果做出贡献。
