Knowledge and attitude of dental professionals towards shortened dental arch concept: A cross sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: This survey aims to investigate knowledge and attitudes among general dental practitioners (GP) and specialists/consultants toward the shortened dental arch (SDA) concept in Saudi Arabia. Method: A web-based survey was under taken in general dental practitioners (GP) and specialists/consultants in Saudi Arabia. A structured, close ended and selfadministered questionnaire consisting of demographic information and twenty items on the SDA concept was administered to the study participants. The questionnaire enquired about study participants' perspectives on the awareness, indication, contraindication, function, aesthetics and comfort of SDA therapy. It also probed about the risks related to SDA treatment (temporomandibular joint problems, tooth movement, speech). All the collected data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results: Most dental professionals were some familiarities with the SDA concept. Awareness of SDA concept differed significantly between male and female study participants (17.70%, 38.10%, 44.20% versus 13%, 53.10%, 33.90%; p=0.008). However, no such difference was observed between GPs and specialists/consultants (11.30%, 47.90%, 41.80% versus 28.40%, 37.60%, 33.90%; p=0.089). Almost 32.2% and 34.8% were unsure about the dental and oral comforts after SDA treatment. Most agreed that SDA provides an overall favorable periodontal prognosis (31.7%), useful in limited restorative treatment options (33.8%). Most participants agreed that the SDA does not lead to reduction in occlusal vertical dimension (30%) and TMJ problems (32.4%), allows keeping natural teeth for longer (32.66%) and reduces the risk of overtreatment (31.2%). Conclusion: Dental professionals showed insufficient knowledge and attitude towards SDA concept with gender and designation differences.