Oral-Systemic Health Awareness Among Physicians and Dentists in Croatian Primary Healthcare: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and self-confidence of physicians and dentists in Croatia regarding the relationship between oral and systemic health, focusing on periodontal disease and oral manifestations of systemic diseases.

Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among physicians and dentists in Croatian primary healthcare. The questionnaire addressed six thematic domains, including demographic information, knowledge, self-assessment, and clinical practice. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed.

Results: A total of 529 respondents were included (291 physicians and 238 dentists). The mean knowledge score for the association between periodontitis and systemic diseases was 6.8 ± 3.6 out of 15, indicating limited knowledge. For oral manifestations of systemic diseases, the mean score was 10.0 ± 3.8 out of 16, reflecting moderate proficiency. Dentists scored higher than physicians in both domains, though not significantly (p > 0.05). Routine oral mucosal examinations were reported by 89.5% of dentists and 43.0% of physicians (p ≤ 0.001). Only 21.3% of physicians correctly identified the link between periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes, compared to 58.8% of dentists. The primary barriers to effective clinical management were a lack of experience (52.7%) and inadequate education. While 68.3% of dentists felt adequately educated on oral-systemic links, only 22.7% of physicians reported the same.

Conclusions: Significant gaps in knowledge and confidence were observed, particularly among physicians. These findings underscore the need to integrate oral-systemic health topics into medical education and to promote interprofessional collaboration to improve patient outcomes.