Knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical doctors towards periodontal disease

The study aimed to assess the knowledge of medical doctors on the association between periodontal disease and general health and their willingness to advise their patients to seek dental treatment. In a cross-sectional survey, randomly selected medical doctors (n = 267) practicing in Nellore District were interviewed through a questionnaire survey about their knowledge of periodontal diseases and the bidirectional relationship between general health and periodontal diseases. Data were analyzed through percentages. All the medical doctors (100%) were aware that there existed a relation between oral health and general health. But only 10% of respondents refer their patients to dentists without patients asking for referral. Very few respondents (21.3%) knew about different branches of dentistry. Screening and referral by healthcare professionals may benefit their patients by improving access to dental care. Therefore, there is a need to educate doctors about oral health and general health.