KNOWLEDGE OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE AND ITS MANAGEMENT AMONG MEDICAL FACULTY MEMBERS IN A TERTIARY MEDICAL CARE CENTER AT THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT: A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY

Background: According to World Health Organization, more than one billion people all globally suffer from severe
periodontitis. Terminal periodontitis is irreversible and results in loss of teeth. Thus, early diagnosis and prompt referral can prevent gingivitis leading to periodontitis. Further, gingival diseases can also be prevented through health promotion and specific protective measures. Periodontal disease and treatment awareness play a pivotal role in prevention. The doctors are the first point of contact for patients with dental complaints. They should be able to diagnose the condition and aid in prompt referral. Thus, this study intends to assess the periodontal disease and treatment awareness among teaching faculty in a tertiary medical care center in Southern Kerala.
Methodology: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 246 medical teaching faculty at
Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. Data collection was done using a pre-validated questionnaire
comprising of twenty questions on periodontal disease and treatment awareness. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solution) IBM statistics, trial version 25.
Results: Two hundred and forty-six medical teaching faculty responded to the questionnaire and 39.8% of the study
participants reported to have good knowledge in this regard. Misconceptions like scaling can cause loss of tooth enamel was believed by 88.6% of the medical teaching faculty. A statistically significant increase in knowledge score was found among those who visited the dentist at least once. There was no gender predilection and those with less than 10 years of experience was found to have a slightly increase knowledge score as compared to others.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for tailored education and training modules for medical faculty at all levels, focusing on early identification of periodontal disease and updates on conventional and advanced treatment modalities.