Knowledge, attitudes, and practice behavior of dental hygienists regarding the impact of systemic diseases on oral health

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge levels of dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia regarding the association between systemic and oral disease in addition to evaluating their attitude about integrating this knowledge into clinical practice. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire of 102 items among 192 randomly selected dental hygienists practicing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by individual interview. The research tool was pilot tested among 12 dental hygienists (8 females and 4 males) to obtain feedback about clarity and objectivity. RESULTS: The response rate was 83%, and the majority of respondents were female (77.5%). The respondents’ knowledge about the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases was better than other conditions. The level of education was considered to be a significant predictor in many items related to risk factors. More than the half, rated the evidence linking periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus as strong; however, the knowledge level of oral-systemic evidence was less than expected. A high percentage of the respondents were confident and comfortable managing patients with systemic conditions. Most agreed that dental hygienists must be prepared efficiently to manage medically compromised patients. CONCLUSION: Dental hygienists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have low level of knowledge about the oral-systemic disease relationship. This study suggests that greater emphasis should be placed on this association in current and continuing education programs.