Knowledge, Attitude, and Barriers to Fluoride Application as a Preventive Measure among Oral Health Care Providers

Abstract

Objective To investigate the knowledge, attitude, and possible barriers to fluoride application among oral health-care providers in Kuwait. Methods A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 291 dentists. The questionnaire included four categories: dentists' characteristics, knowledge of and attitude towards fluoride application, factors influencing decision-making on prescription of fluoride, and the clinician's perception of own knowledge. Means, group differences, and logistic regression were calculated. Results 262 completed the questionnaire (response rate of 90%). Half of the participants (49%) reported that water fluoridation is the best method for caries prevention in children. Majority of the participants (80%) acknowledged that topical fluoride prevents dental caries, but only 40% frequently use it in their practices. Fear of overdose was a concern in 57% of the participants. About 31% believed that caries is a multifactorial disease and cannot be prevented. In addition, 32% of the dentists who thought caries is multifactorial and cannot be prevented stated that restorations take precedence over preventive therapy. Conclusion Despite the participants being in favor of topical fluoride application and believing in its effectiveness, certain barriers were apparent such as knowledge deficiencies, products labelling flaw, and lack of participation in effective continuing educational activities.

Pharmacotherapy and drug prescription: Do dental scholars have the proper knowledge?

“…Moreover, dentists' misconceptions about cariostatic mechanisms impair the adjustment of uoride prescription at optimal age ranges [24,25], which corroborates the ndings of this study. Furthermore, the poor knowledge level of dental scholars observed in this study suggests that learning de cits may affect simple guidance on the use of dentifrices and mouthwashes.…”

Knowledge and Attitude of Preschool Children Parents Towards Professional Topical Fluoride Therapy

“…In Wyne's study [15], age and gender were not associated with knowledge, and in Tahani's study, gender and economic status were not associated with knowledge [13]. In some studies, there was a relationship between knowledge and education [7,[21][22][23]31], but in Hendaus'study similar to our results, knowledge was not related to education [14]. This can be due to parental access to various sources of information and the impact of multiple factors on parental knowledge.…”

“…In addition to the role of parents, dentists also contribute to the history of PTF in children, so that in a study in the UK, only 14% of dentists used fluoride varnish for children with a history of interdental caries and children who had routine visits to the dentist also had a low history of getting instructions about dental caries prevention in diet, oral hygiene, and fluoride [22]. In the Akbar study [23], the most important reason why dentists did not apply PTF was about its effectiveness assurance. Also 31% dentists believe that caries is a multifactorial disease that can not be prevented by fluoride application.…”

Awareness of professional fluoride application and its caries prevention role among women in KSA

“…Lack of knowledge, inadequate participation in continuous learning activities, and product labeling issues may deter some dentists from practicing fluoride application and caries preventive measures. 23 Therefore, there is a compelling need for effective scientific meetings and lectures on PF application and other caries prevention methods. Furthermore, dental health facilities should encourage dental health practitioners to attend and participate in such activities to enhance their knowledge and awareness.…”