A Cross-sectional Survey on Dentist's Knowledge and Attitude towards the Application of Arnica Montana in Dental Practice

Introduction: Postsurgical oedema (PSE) is a common complication encountered in the dental field following different surgical procedures including wisdom teeth extraction and other periodontal and implant surgeries. Arnica Montana (AM) is a homeopathic agent which may represent as a safe, effective and an alternative agent for Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) medications to prevent or decrease the risk of PSE. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of practicing dentists and their experiences using AM supplements in their daily practice for management of PSE. Materials and Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional self reported electronic based study to survey practicing dentists on the application of AM in daily dental practice conducted from January to September 2021. The electronic survey included 13 questions on: 1) dentist's demographics and educational backgrounds; 2) knowledge related to AM supplement; and 3) previous experience, if any, with AM use for management of PSE. The survey was distributed to potential subjects and descriptive statistics was used to summarise the data, and presented as percentages and frequencies using Microsoft Excel for mac (Version 16.40). Results: A total of 84 subjects participated in the survey, out of which 23 (27.3%) were familiar with AM use in dentistry. Overall, 15 participants (65.2%) indicated preventions or reduction of PSE risk and pain and seven participants reported prevention and reduction of postsurgical discolouration and bleeding (30.4%) as potential indications for AM use. In total, eight participants (34.7%) have prescribed AM to patients before, mainly for external and internal sinus grafting (4/8; 50% for both) and surgical extraction of impacted teeth (2/8; 25%). Out of all, five participants (5/8; 62.5%) reported significant benefit with using AM following a surgical procedure and four participants (50%) reported numbness of the lips, altered taste sensation and increased bleeding as associated toxicities. Conclusion: From the present study the uses and user based experienced of the material AM in the field of dentistry can be well understood and analysed. This was the first survey to discuss the knowledge and application of AM among dentists from various specialties.