Evaluating General Dental Practitioners’ Knowledge About Appropriate Timing of Orthodontic Treatment in the North of Iran

Abstract

Background: Orthodontics is defined as a branch of dentistry that concerns the correction of malocclusion. In this regard, determining the most appropriate time for orthodontic treatment is of utmost importance. General dental practitioners (GDPs) are normally the first link of the treatment chain for patients requiring orthodontic treatment. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the GDPs’ knowledge of the appropriate timing of orthodontic treatment in Sari, Iran. Methods: This descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional study was performed on GDPs working in Sari in 2019. The statistical population included 380 GDPs, 186 of whom were selected. Data was collected using a 24-item questionnaire aimed to evaluate the GDPs’ knowledge level of the appropriate timing of orthodontic treatment. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 19. Results: In total, 142 out of 186 GDPs participated in the study with a mean age of 36.12 ± 10.15 years. 86 subjects (59.9%) had less than 10 years of work experience. Total mean (± SD) knowledge level of the GDPs was estimated at a moderate level (14.13 ± 3.79). Percentage of the knowledge levels considered as poor, moderate and good was 12, 70, and 18, respectively. There was a significant relationship between knowledge level and gender (P = 0.013). Meanwhile, no association was observed between the work experience of the participants and their level of knowledge (P = 0.393). Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, the total mean score of GDPs’ knowledge about the appropriate timing for orthodontic treatment in Sari was moderate, and only 12% of the participants had a poor knowledge level in this regard. It is notable that male subjects had a significantly higher knowledge level, and another analysis demonstrated the lack of effectiveness of work experience on the knowledge level of individuals.