Abstract
BackgroundGiven the importance of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), we tried to assess general dentists’ knowledge regarding etiology, diagnosis, and treatment in order to understand their attitude.Material and MethodsA sample of 130 general dentists answered a 16-item questionnaire on three areas – etiology, diagnosis, and management of common temporomandibular disorders – as well as a question on the need for continuous education regarding TMD management in common clinical practice in Spain. Given that the descriptive statistics achieved reflect significantly different values among means in each area, a variance analysis for repeated measurements was applied in order to contrast differences among etiology, diagnosis, and management knowledge levels.ResultsThe contrast test was based on Wilks’ Lambda, which assumed a value of 0.120 (F = 467.28; p<.001), demonstrating statistically significant differences among knowledge levels in the three dimensions. The effect size for these differences, measured by partial eta squared, was very high (η2p = 0.88). Such parameters were also analyzed to search for potential differences according to professional experience, with differences being exposed as non-significant at the 0.05 level: etiology (T = 1.60; p = 0.113), diagnosis (T = - 0.17; p = 0.868), and treatment (T = 1.10; p = 0.273).ConclusionsOur study found that, even though clinicians are generally skilled regarding the knowledge of the etiologic that explain the diagnosis of TMD, they have room for improvement in terms of TMD management compared to the other two areas studied. General dentists could benefit from specific educational programs enhancing TMD management skills. Key words:Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), knowledge and management. Clinical competence, postgraduate, continuing professional development. Surveys, education,orofacial pain.
Highlights
The current daily dental practice is marked by the constant evolution of knowledge and treatment options [1,2], the presence of a growing amount of patients with high expectations [3], and an increasingly higher need for cross-disciplinary cooperation [4]
They are usually written by a group of renowned academic and clinical experts, and they represent an agreement among their different perspectives on dental education and practice
This study was conducted to assess the attitude and awareness of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) among practicing general dentists, of which 95.4% were interested in attending temporomandibular disorders (TMD) continuing education programs
Summary
The current daily dental practice is marked by the constant evolution of knowledge and treatment options [1,2], the presence of a growing amount of patients with high expectations [3], and an increasingly higher need for cross-disciplinary cooperation [4]. Skill profiles are aimed at providing a support plan to develop and/or compare undergraduate dentistry study plans’ learning outcomes They are usually written by a group of renowned academic and clinical experts, and they represent an agreement among their different perspectives on dental education and practice. Even though TMD’s basic examination and clinical management are included in all Spanish dentistry schools’ syllabi, this field of orofacial diagnosis remains widely ignored in routine dental practice Patients presenting with these disorders are often misdiagnosed, undergo various treatment rounds for non-related disorders, and are referred to other specialists without a clear idea of who they should be referred to, which often leads to frustration, lack of satisfaction, and a compromised quality of life [11,12]. We try to evaluate Spanish general dentists’ awareness and attitude towards TMD so as to assess the quality of care received by patients and the need for TMD continuous education programs
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