Awareness among health care professionals regarding interrelationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases: A step towards interprofessional collaborative practice

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the level of awareness among health care professionals regarding interrelationships between diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontal diseases. A self-administered, structured questionnaire based on scientific literature, and practice was distributed among 100 non-oral health care professionals (NOHCP) and 100 oral-health care professionals (OHCP) for assessment of their awareness regarding DM and periodontitis interrelationship (DPI). One hundred fifty-four (154) participants who responded and returned the questionnaire were interviewed to avoid any obscurity pertinent to the questionnaire and to obtain their suggestions or recommendations. Twenty-seven participant’s questionnaires were excluded due to non-availability for interview to clarify the information given. Responses of 127 participants were finally statistically analyzed. Almost 79% of OHCPs were aware of the DPI. About 9% of OHCPs did not agree with DPI and 11% of them were “unaware” about the DPI. Similarly, about 65% of NOHCPs were aware of the DPI. About 15% of OHCPs did not agree with DPI and 19% of OHCPs were “unaware” about the DPI. A limited awareness was observed among health care professionals participating in the present study for DPI, highlighting a gap of knowledge, attitude, and practice for DPI, which was higher among NOHCP than OHCPs.