Gauging the knowledge, attitude and practice of interns and dentists about obstructive sleep apnoea—A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Context: Obstructive sleep apnoea is less known and lesser practised in dentistry. Dentists often struggle to educate, diagnose or offer treatment to the patient. Hence, the disorder of the patient and the opportunity for the dentist both go unnoticed. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding aspects of obstructive sleep apnoea among dental practitioners, faculty and interns in India. Methods and Material: A self-constructed validated questionnaire was prepared and circulated online among dental interns and professionals in India. Responses received from 237 participants were evaluated and statistically analysed. Results: Only questions about diagnosis and symptoms of OSA were correctly answered by more than 50% of the participants. In all other questions, the knowledge was poor. Only 11.4% of respondents felt that they are well equipped to diagnose OSA. The general attitude of the participants was favourable but with poor practice. Only 5.1% of participants were ever involved in the treatment of OSA. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of OSA among the population, along with widespread ignorance among dentists for the same as found in our study, there is an urgent need to spotlight OSA in the dental curriculum at an undergraduate level. To complement this, extensive training and motivation must also be provided so that dental graduates can identify, refer and participate in the treatment of OSA.