Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy DISE with Target Controlled Infusion TCI and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Published on: December 6, 2016
Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists Towards Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Manar Mohammed Alzahrani1, Abdullah Ahmed Alghamdi2, Somayah Abdullah Alghamdi1
1Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Background:
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Dentists should play an essential role in OSA screening, referral, and management. However, few studies have investigated dentists' knowledge and attitude towards OSA.
Objective:
This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding OSA amongst dentists and evaluate whether the level of knowledge affects their attitude towards OSA.
Methods:
Using the Google Forms platform, an online questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to all Ministry of Health dentists (N = 352). The questionnaire included 3 sections: demographics, knowledge, and attitude. Participant responses were stratified by professional title (general dentists, specialists, or consultants) and practice sector (primary health care centres or hospitals). Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one-way analyses of variance, and Pearson's correlation were used to analyse the data.
Results:
Of the 352 dentists, 191 responded to the questionnaire (54.55%). Although 80.6% of the respondents reported having previous OSA knowledge in the self-assessment question, 65.58% scored below 12 in the total knowledge scores, and 63.35% scored below 3 in the total attitude scores based on Bloom's cutoff. The mean total knowledge score was 9.86, while the mean total attitude score was 2.08. No significant differences between the mean total knowledge and attitude scores were found based on sex, professional title, or practice sector. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between total knowledge and attitude scores (P value = .001).
Conclusions:
This study showed that dentists had a low OSA-related knowledge and a negative attitude towards OSA, and a positive association was seen between knowledge level and attitude. Dental practitioners with high knowledge scores tended to have a positive attitude towards OSA. These findings suggest that dentists in Jeddah require more education and clinical training in sleep medicine to maximise patient benefits and minimise adverse outcomes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Sleep Apnea
The condition is more prevalent among...
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management
Other Pulmonary Disorders
Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or...
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract I: Health History
Subjective Data
Subjective data provides vital information about the patient's health history and symptoms. This data is typically collected through interviews in which patients describe their experiences, symptoms, and concerns.
Health history and...

