Assessment of the awareness of dental professionals regarding identification and management of dental patients with psychological problems in routine dental operatory: a survey.

OBJECTIVE The oral cavity is location for different conditions of local and systemic origin; many of them with controverted and or multifactorial etiology, where the psychogenic factors constitute an important variable to be considered. Keeping this in mind, this paper aims to assess the awareness of dental professionals of the role of psychological factors in certain dental conditions. Further the competency of the concerned dental professional was also evaluated in managing such cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS A random sample of 250 Dental Practitioners (DPs) was chosen from Punjab state dental council list. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using telephonic interviews as well as self-administered & structured postal questionnaires. A total of 223 dental practitioners were analysed by their responses, resulting in an overall response rate of 89.2%. Results were analysed using Chi square analysis. RESULT A significant number of dental practitioners agreed to the fact that dental diseases could be extensively associated with psychological problems. Further they also encountered & should be concerned with identification of such patients. In contrast to post graduates (P.G), a significant number of general dental practitioners (G.D.P) tend to ignore psychological problems of the dental patients. Further both G.D.P's & P.G's advocated that unnecessary dental treatment may be administered to such patients. Henceforth their skills have to be improved to handle such cases. CONCLUSION Orientation & education of dental professionals is required regarding dental patients with psychological problems. Introduction of psychology as a separate subject is also necessary with emphasis on oral psychosomatic disorders.