Knowledge, awareness, and behaviors of endocrinologists and dentists for the relationship between diabetes and periodontitis.

Aims: This study aimed to compare the opinions of dentists and endocrinologists regarding diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis, and to investigate the possible effects on their practice.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 297 endocrinologists and 134 dentists practicing in southern China using two separated questionnaires. Questions were close-ended or Likert-scaled. Statistical analyses were done by descriptive statistics, bivariate and binary logistic regression analysis.

Results: Compared with endocrinologists, dentists presented more favorable attitudes for the relationship of DM and periodontitis (P<0.001). 61.2% of dentists reported they would frequently refer patients with severe periodontitis for DM evaluation, while only 26.6% of endocrinologists reported they would frequently advise patients with DM to visit a dentist. Nearly all of the respondents (94.4%) agreed that the interdisciplinary collaboration should be strengthened. The logistic regression analysis exhibited that respondents with more favorable attitudes were more likely to advise a dental visit (P=0.003) or to screen for DM (P=0.006).

Conclusions: Endocrinologists and dentists are not equally equipped with the knowledge about the relationship between DM and periodontitis, and there is a wide gap between their practice and the current evidence, especially for endocrinologists. It's urgent to take measures to develop the interdisciplinary education and collaboration among the health care providers.