Assessing preventive dental care in Italy: insights from a KAP survey

Preventive dental care, despite its well-established benefits, is underutilized in many jurisdictions, including Italy, where a curative approach often prevails. An international KAP survey (Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, India, Argentina, Spain) was planned to assess the dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to preventive care, exploring the influence of age and gender, alongside factors like revenues and time. The present study specifically reports on the data collected from the Italian cohort, serving as a pilot within this broader international endeavour.

A cross-sectional survey on Italian dentists was conducted. The questionnaire, originally in English, underwent back-translation to ensure linguistic accuracy before evaluating knowledge, attitudes, and barriers. The data collected via Google Forms were analysed using STATA^® 18.0, with descriptive statistics, contingency table analysis, Cuzick's test and multinomial logistic regression being used.

Three-hundred-twenty-two questionnaires were completed (65.8% male, 34.2% female), with the 46-65 age group being the largest (50%). The distribution of participants across dental specialties varied significantly by gender: female dentists predominated in Pediatric Dentistry (84.6%) and Orthodontics (61.1%), while males were more prevalent in Oral Surgery (87.18%). Age significantly impacted knowledge of sugar intake (p = 0.04) and fluoride use (p < 0.01), with younger dentists showing higher knowledge. Knowledge on sealant application was significantly higher among males compared to females (p = 0.04). Age affected attitudes toward smoking cessation and providing oral hygiene instruction (p < 0.01). Males reported higher remuneration concerns (p = 0.03). Multinomial logistic regression identified female gender, first visit age, sugar consumption knowledge, and perceived knowledge deficit as significant predictors of the age-knowledge interaction.

Statistically significant age and gender disparities exist in knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to preventive dental care among Italian dentists. Younger dentists demonstrated superior preventive knowledge, while older dentists perceived greater knowledge deficits. Gender influenced knowledge and remuneration concerns. Educational interventions and policy changes are needed to integrate preventive practices, addressing age and gender-specific needs.