Knowledge and attitude of dental health workers towards fluoride in Riyadh area

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the dentists and hygienists in the Riyadh area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards fluoride.

METHODS: One hundred and thirty dentists and hygienist working in dental clinics in Riyadh were randomly selected. Self-administered questionnaires covered the following areas: general information, the use and application of fluoride, pharmacodymanics and pharmacokinetics of fluoride. The subjects responded to each of the statements by ticking one of the 3-scaled options from "agree" to "disagree".

RESULTS: The majority of the respondents (65%) supported an assessment of the pattern of dental caries before fluoridating the water, 23% disagreed and 5% did not know. Also one hundred and three (79%) of the sample supported fluoridation of water, 16 (12%) disagreed, and 4 (3%) did not know. Fifty-five (42%) agreed that dental caries are expected to increase if fluoridating water is discontinued for one year, while 52 (40%) disagreed and 16 (12%) did not know. In addition, there was a low score concerning knowledge of side effects and toxicity of fluoride among health care workers. Overall, there was no statistical significance between academics and non-academics.

CONCLUSION: There was a good attitude and knowledge of fluoride as a preventive measure among dentists. This study also demonstrated that the majority of the health care professionals in Riyadh area were in favor of water and milk fluoridation, however; there was a lack of knowledge regarding side effects and toxicity.