Clinical Practice and Diagnostic Confidence Regarding Pediatric Oral Mucosal Lesions Among Dentists, Pediatricians, and General Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Published on: June 17, 2025
Karmela Dzaja1, Lidia Gavic1, Ana Glavina2,3
1Department of Restorative Dental Medicine and Endodontics, Study of Dental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.
Background:
Pediatric oral mucosal lesions are common and may indicate local or systemic disease, yet their recognition in primary healthcare often depends on non-dental professionals.
Aim:
To assess the preparedness of dentists, pediatricians, and family/general practitioners for pediatric oral mucosal conditions based on self-assessed diagnostic confidence, clinical management, and referral behavior.
Methods:
An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 632 primary healthcare professionals (dentists: n = 262; family/general practitioners: n = 278; pediatricians: n = 92). The questionnaire assessed clinical exposure, self-assessed knowledge, diagnostic confidence, management practices, and referral patterns. Data were analyzed using chi-square or Fisher's exact test and the Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05).
Results:
Dentists reported significantly higher self-assessed knowledge and diagnostic confidence than pediatricians and family/general practitioners (p < 0.001). Good self-assessed knowledge of pediatric oral health was reported by 26.3% of dentists, compared with 7.9% of family/general practitioners and 6.5% of pediatricians. While most pediatricians (80.4%) and family/general practitioners (77.0%) reported routinely examining the oral cavity in children, independent treatment of oral mucosal lesions was more frequently reported by dentists (75.2%) than by pediatricians (52.2%) or family/general practitioners (70.9%) (p < 0.001). Referral patterns differed between groups, and willingness to attend future pediatric oral health education was high across all professionals (75.0-84.2%).
Conclusions:
Dentists demonstrated higher diagnostic confidence in pediatric oral mucosal lesions than pediatricians and family/general practitioners, who more often relied on referral. These findings support the value of targeted education and strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration in primary pediatric healthcare.
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