Evaluation of knowledge among dentists on symptoms and treatments of temporomandibular disorders in Italy

Abstract

To determine the knowledge of general dentists and dental specialists on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in Italy, a web-based questionnaire including 20 multiple-choice questions was sent to all general dental practitioners and specialists in Italy. Mean score of diagnosis and treatment knowledge of all participants was 23.8 ± 7.3 out of 40 achievable scores. There was a significant difference between the knowledge of dentists and the variables of sex, age, and years of experience (p < 0.05). However, overall, it is not possible to state a significant difference between the final score of dentists with different specializations (p = 0.89). The results of this study showed an acceptable knowledge of participants regarding TMD.