Knowledge and behavioral assessment of dentists toward screening and managing patients with head and neck cancer in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Widening the breadth of dentists' responsibilities to include screening all patients for life-threatening diseases, such as head and neck cancer (HNC), is crucial to improve survival rates and decrease morbidity.

AIMS: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and behavior of dentists toward screening and managing patients with HNC in Daudi Arabia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and behavior of dentists toward screening and managing patients with HNC in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study comprised a closed-ended electronic questionnaire sent to dentists including general practitioners, specialists, and consultants (n = 723). The e-questionnaire included questions that assessed dentists' behavior and knowledge toward screening and managing patients with HNC. The Chi-square test was used to establish relationships between categorical variables.

RESULTS: The response rate was 28.5%. Dentists obtained the dental and medical histories of 74% and 80% of their cases, respectively. Only 55% and 14% of dentists routinely ask their patients about smoking habits and family history of cancer, respectively. Additionally, only 13% and 12% always screen for HNC and were familiar with adjunct HNC screening tools, respectively. Approximately 75% of respondents identified HPV as a risk factor, whereas 54% and 41% identified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and poor oral hygiene as risk factors, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: There is an apparent lack of essential concepts of the behavior and knowledge in our dental community with respect to screening and managing patients with HNC. More emphasis should be placed on updating information on clinical practices and having dentists familiarize themselves with HNC screening methods and tools. Ultimately, the role of the dentist should include screening and detecting systemic diseases in dental settings.