Influence of Dentists' Training and Access to Oral Pathology Services on Biopsy Decisions for Oral Mucosal Lesions.

Abstract

Introduction: Biopsy followed by histopathologic examination is an important tool for establishing the final diagnosis of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. The aim of this study was to examine dentists' perceptions and attitudes toward biopsy practices.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study collected data from dental surgeons via an online questionnaire, including questions on their behaviour with oral lesions and sociodemographic details. Descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted using JASP software with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: The study involved 348 dental professionals with an average age of 30.95 years (SD ± 9.24) and an average training period of 7.4 years (SD ± 8.45). Of the participants, 65.80% were female, and 58.05% held postgraduate degrees. Regarding the workplace, 67.53% of the participants worked in private clinics. Statistical analyses revealed a significant association between biopsy performance and various factors, including sex, access to oral pathology laboratories, the availability of anatomopathological reports during training, clinical specialisation, prior biopsy experience, and consulting with an oral pathologist. Logistic regression analysis indicated that biopsy performance during graduation and access to oral pathologists were predictors of clinical biopsy practices.

Conclusions: Although biopsy is essential for definitive diagnosis of oral lesions, many dentists do not routinely use it in practice. The decision to perform a biopsy was found to be influenced and predicted by previous experience with biopsies during undergraduate courses and access to an oral pathologist. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to improve educational strategies and clinical exposure during dental undergraduate training.