Dentists’ Attitudes and Practices regarding Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder that affects almost 20% of the adult population worldwide. Undiagnosed or untreated OSA has a high mortality. Dentists can be the first healthcare workers to diagnose this condition.

Objective: This study explored the attitudes of dentists regarding OSA, and their management, referral, and treatment practices for OSA patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among dentists working in different dental teaching hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan, from September 2021 to March 2022. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect data, consisting of information including demography, and dentists’ knowledge and practices regarding diagnosis, management and referral of OSA patients.  The chi-square test was applied to check the association between dentists' participation in OSA management courses and their self-reported ability to identify OSA patients. The association between practitioners' designation and experience with attitude was also evaluated using chi square test.

Results: While 96.7% of participants knew about OSA, only 34% had confidence in their ability to identify high-risk OSA patients. Recognition of high-risk OSA patients was significantly associated with topic inclusion in the dental curriculum and attending additional courses on OSA management (p <0.05). Around 9.3% of participants frequently encountered OSA patients, and 35.3% regularly inquired about sleep history. Most participants preferred referring patients to physicians for management.

Conclusion: Dentists in teaching hospitals of Islamabad have a positive attitude towards managing and referring OSA patients, however there is a need for enhanced education and training in sleep medicine.