Assessment of the oral health knowledge, behavior and attitude of spreading oral health to patients among non-dental professionals: A cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China

Abstract Background Non-dental professionals (NDPs) should understand oral health-related knowledge to help patients maintain oral and general health. We investigated the oral health knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of NDPs regarding patient education and multidisciplinary collaborations for oral health. Materials and methods For this cross-sectional study, a web-based questionnaire of 34 questions was designed from the characteristics, oral health knowledge and access, and behavior and attitude of spreading oral health knowledge. A total of 406 NDPs at selected hospitals in the Chongqing region of China were included. Data were collected electronically and statistically analyzed using the chi-square test. Results Only 35.96% and 39.41% of respondents disagreed with “extraction can cause loosening of the adjacent tooth” and “tooth loss is a natural part of aging,” respectively. The correct answer rates to the other nine basic oral health knowledge areas ranged from 70.94–100%. The rates of complete correct answers among different education, professional titles, and working years groups exhibited significant differences (P˂0.05). 92.12% were aware of the oral healthcare needs before pregnancy, 67.48% agreed with cleaning the gum before the eruption of children's teeth. 26.60% and 15.27% of the participants were not aware of hazards of long-term lying drinking milk and mouth breathing, respectively. Only 57.14% and 56.16% knew the start time of dental cleaning for children and the relatively safe period of dental treatment for pregnant women, respectively. 73.40% were interested in oral health knowledge, and their favorite way was to consult dental professionals. 95.56% of respondents agree with multidisciplinary collaborations for oral health, while only 27.09% often carry out oral health education and guidance to the patients. 68.47% thought they would carry out oral health education in the future. Conclusion NDPs knew about common oral health knowledge, but knowledge of oral health care for special groups was insufficient. NDPs should improve their ability to educate the public on oral health and establish multidisciplinary collaborations.