Mind the gap! A comparison of oral health knowledge between dental, healthcare professionals and the public

Abstract

The results of this survey demonstrate a knowledge gradient from dental professionals through to healthcare professionals and then to lay members of the community. The knowledge base observed in the dental group is reflected in the other two groups as would be expected albeit with a significant gap between each group. As expected the dental professionals are generally well informed, but not as well informed as could be expected.

Periodontitis Awareness Amongst the General Public: A Critical Systematic Review to Identify Gaps of Knowledge

“…The full text of the remaining 21 papers was retrieved, and six additional reports were excluded for investigating convenience samples 32–37 . Three papers were discarded for focusing on other aspects of periodontology 38–40 .…”

“…The full text of the remaining 21 papers was retrieved, and six additional reports were excluded for investigating convenience samples. [32][33][34][35][36][37] Three papers were discarded for focusing on other aspects of periodontology. [38][39][40] An additional set of two reports was precluded for using non-original data.…”

“…Moreover, oral health-compromising behaviors tend to cluster to each other, and they do not occur in isolation. 32 Thus, additional benefits could be expected from interventions for correcting the gaps in periodontal knowledge. Our results highlight the need for local, community-based investigations about periodontal knowledge.…”

Global burden of oral diseases: emerging concepts, management and interplay with systemic health

“…There is a re‐emphasis on prevention with tooth‐preserving operative intervention only provided as a last resort to more closely align upstream, midstream and downstream efforts at caries control, while seeking to reduce health inequalities globally (Pitts et al , ). The crucial issues going forward include closing the oral health knowledge gradient and transforming health education on caries prevention/control among all healthcare professionals and the public (Richards et al , ). A recent step forward is The ICDAS Foundation's International Caries Classification & Management System (ICCMS ™ ), which has been simplified into an implementation I CCMS ™ Guide for Practitioners and Educators by an international group (Pitts et al , ).…”

Knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear among students of two Chinese universities

“…Chu et al [11] reported a low level of awareness and knowledge of erosive tooth wear among adults aged 25 to 45 years in Hong Kong. A knowledge gradient regarding erosive tooth wear has been identified, with dental professionals having the most knowledge, followed by healthcare professionals and then laypersons [12]. However, the knowledge level of dental professionals is not as high as expected.…”