Journal of Isfahan Dental School

Investigating General Dentists and Senior Dental Students' Awareness of Dental Precautions before, during and after Chemotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancers

Document Type : مقاله‌های پژوهشی

Authors

1 Graduated of Dentistry, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Diseases, School of Dentistry, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

4 Postgraduate Student, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Oral cancer is one of the most common cancer types and is among the top ten leading causes of death in the world. Chemotherapy often results in bone marrow suppression, and reducing leukocytes it weakens the immune system. This study was conducted to examine general dentists and senior dental students' awareness of dental precautions before, during and after chemotherapy in the year 2018.
Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional analytic one and, as far as the kind of research is concerned, it is an applied study. The data was collected based on field data collection method using a standardized self-report questionnaire whose measures of validity and reliability had been evaluated and confirmed to be adequate in previous studies. The population of the study comprised all of the general dentists (n = 1000) and senior dental students (n = 190) in Isfahan, and the sample comprised 140 participants. Data were analyzed via SPSS 22 software, and Chi-square.
Results: Among the students, the lowest and highest scores of awareness level turned out to be 7 and 16, respectively; however, among the dentists, the lowest observed score was 6, and the highest observed score was 16. The results indicated that the awareness level of the dentists and students under study was average. The mean knowledge score was 11.53 ± 25 and 11.74 ± 1.9 of 20 in dentists and students. There was no statistically significant relationship between the variables under investigation in this study (gender, age, years of job experience, the time passed since their dental private offices started to work) and the participants' level of awareness.
Conclusion: The dentists and students were not aware enough. The dentists and students' lack of motivation and their unawareness of the important role of both early diagnosis of cancerous or precancerous lesions and being aware of dental precautions for patients who undergo chemotherapy are among the reasons justifying the lower than expected awareness level of the dentists and dental students in this study.  
Key words: Chemotherapy, Oral cancer, Dental students, Dentists, Awareness

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Journal of Isfahan Dental School
Volume 16, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January 2021
Pages 353-364