Newly graduated dentists’ knowledge of temporomandibular disorders compared to specialists in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: General dentists are often the first healthcare professionals to see patients with orofacial pain (OFP). OFP conditions associated with the temporomandibular joint are often confused with dentoalveolar disorders, which leads to mismanagement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among newly graduated dentists compared to OFP specialists in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing an anonymous validated questionnaire assessing professional knowledge regarding TMDs in newly qualified dentists and OFP specialists. The questionnaire interrogated four domains including chronic pain/pain behavior, etiology, diagnosis/classification, and treatment/prognosis. OFP specialists were used as the reference group. RESULTS: A total of 393 dentists participated, a response rate of 67.6% in newly graduated dentists and 77.3% in OFP specialists. The degree of agreement between newly graduated general dentists and OFP specialists was highest for the “chronic pain and pain behavior” domain. The consensus among specialists was highest for the “treatment and prognosis” domain and the least for the “chronic pain and pain behavior” domain. CONCLUSION: Newly graduated general dentists have limited knowledge of TMD in almost all domains compared to specialists. Given that a lack of knowledge of TMD can lead to clinical mismanagement, dental school curricula must address this important knowledge gap.