Nationwide Exploration: Assessing Oral Microbiome Knowledge Among Dental Professionals in Saudi Arabia and Its Implications for Oral Health Care

Overview

Journal BMC Oral Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2024 Aug 31

PMID 39217310

Authors

Sameena Parveen

Ahmed Shaher Alqahtani

Mohammed Y Aljabri

Amal Bajonaid

Samar Saeed Khan

Ali Abdel-Halim Abdel-Azim Hassan

Tazeen Dawood

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between the microbiome and oral health is intricate, yet there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding the microbiome's impact on oral health. Integrating knowledge regarding the oral microbiome and its significance in oral and systemic diseases holds profound implications for dental professionals in patient care and professional development. This study assessed dental professionals' oral microbiome comprehension and knowledge levels in Saudi Arabia and its implications for oral healthcare.

Methods: Data were gathered using a cross-sectional design by administering a comprehensive online questionnaire to 253 dental professionals from diverse demographic backgrounds. The questionnaire, administered in English, was divided into four sections: (1) Microbiome awareness and understanding, (2) Diet, nutrition, and microbiome relationship, (3) Microbiome and oral and systemic diseases, and (4) Counselling, education, and implications. Statistical analyses were used to identify and understand underlying patterns, including descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, ANOVA, and post hoc tests. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was applied to assess self-rated knowledge.

Results: Of the 253 participants, 94.6% were familiar with the term "microbiome." Merely 13% of participants considered the oral microbiome to be the second most diverse, following the gut microbiome. About 39.9% of participants knew the connection between oral mucosal diseases and the oral microbiome. Furthermore, only 6.7% thought there was a connection between systemic diseases and the oral microbiome. Participant comprehension of oral microbiome questions averaged 9.19 out of 13, with 83.7% scoring "good". There were significant differences in knowledge scores among dental specializations (F = 7.082, P < 0.001) and years of professional experience (F = 4.755, P = 0.003). Significantly, 53.8% of participants had uncertain self-perceptions of their knowledge of the oral microbiome, while only 0.8% rated their understanding as 'very good'.

Conclusion: Our findings reveal that dental professionals have varying levels of awareness and comprehension of the oral microbiome. Despite widespread awareness, understanding its diversity and implications for oral and systemic health remains limited. It is essential to address these gaps in knowledge through future research and educational interventions, considering the vital part that dental professionals play in promoting oral health through personalised dietary recommendations, lifestyle changes, and hygiene practices. These initiatives may promote a robust oral microbial community, enhance patient outcomes, and advance oral healthcare locally and globally.

References

Sedghi L, DiMassa V, Harrington A, Lynch S, Kapila Y . The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease. Periodontol 2000. 2021; 87(1):107-131. PMC: 8457218. DOI: 10.1111/prd.12393. View

Kinross J, von Roon A, Holmes E, Darzi A, Nicholson J . The human gut microbiome: implications for future health care. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2008; 10(4):396-403. DOI: 10.1007/s11894-008-0075-y. View

Hasosah M, Qurashi M, Balkhair A, Alzahrani Z, Alabbasi A, Alzahrani M . Knowledge, attitudes, and understanding of probiotics among pediatricians in different regions of Saudi Arabia. BMC Med Educ. 2021; 21(1):68. PMC: 7819255. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-02499-w. View

Lim Y, Fukuma N, Totsika M, Kenny L, Morrison M, Punyadeera C . The Performance of an Oral Microbiome Biomarker Panel in Predicting Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018; 8:267. PMC: 6085444. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00267. View

Parveen S, Taneja N, Bathi R, Deka A . Evaluation of circulating immune complexes and serum immunoglobulins in oral cancer patients--a follow up study. Indian J Dent Res. 2010; 21(1):10-5. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9290.62800. View

Baumgardner D . Oral Fungal Microbiota: To Thrush and Beyond. J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2019; 6(4):252-261. PMC: 6827844. DOI: 10.17294/2330-0698.1705. View

Pang L, Zhi Q, Jian W, Liu Z, Lin H . The Oral Microbiome Impacts the Link between Sugar Consumption and Caries: A Preliminary Study. Nutrients. 2022; 14(18). PMC: 9503897. DOI: 10.3390/nu14183693. View

DU G, Wang Y, Chen J, Deng Y, Han X, Tang G . Potential association between Fusobacterium nucleatum enrichment on oral mucosal surface and oral lichen planus. Oral Dis. 2019; 26(1):122-130. DOI: 10.1111/odi.13232. View

Halboub E, Al-Maweri S, Parveen S, Al-Wesabi M, Al-Sharani H, Al-Sharani A . Zinc supplementation for prevention and management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a systematic review. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2021; 68:126811. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126811. View

10.

Elzayat H, Mesto G, Al-Marzooq F . Unraveling the Impact of Gut and Oral Microbiome on Gut Health in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Nutrients. 2023; 15(15). PMC: 10421146. DOI: 10.3390/nu15153377. View

11.

Lin D, Yang L, Wen L, Lu H, Chen Q, Wang Z . Crosstalk between the oral microbiota, mucosal immunity, and the epithelial barrier regulates oral mucosal disease pathogenesis. Mucosal Immunol. 2021; 14(6):1247-1258. DOI: 10.1038/s41385-021-00413-7. View

12.

Jeffcoat M, Geurs N, Reddy M, Goldenberg R, Hauth J . Current evidence regarding periodontal disease as a risk factor in preterm birth. Ann Periodontol. 2002; 6(1):183-8. DOI: 10.1902/annals.2001.6.1.183. View

13.

Bathi R, Taneja N, Parveen S . Rheumatoid arthritis of TMJ--a diagnostic dilemma?. Dent Update. 2004; 31(3):167-70, 172, 174. DOI: 10.12968/denu.2004.31.3.167. View

14.

Deo P, Deshmukh R . Oral microbiome: Unveiling the fundamentals. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2019; 23(1):122-128. PMC: 6503789. DOI: 10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_304_18. View

15.

Alamri A, AlKhater S . Evaluating the knowledge on microbiome and dysbiosis in allergic diseases among medical sciences students in Saudi Arabia. Clin Mol Allergy. 2022; 20(1):2. PMC: 8802525. DOI: 10.1186/s12948-022-00168-x. View

16.

Parveen S, Alhazmi Y . Impact of Intermittent Fasting on Metabolic Syndrome and Periodontal Disease-A Suggested Preventive Strategy to Reduce the Public Health Burden. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(21). PMC: 9657467. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114536. View

17.

Hegde S, Chatterjee E, Rajesh K, Arun Kumar M . Obesity and its association with chronic periodontitis: A cross-sectional study. J Educ Health Promot. 2019; 8:222. PMC: 6905353. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_40_19. View

18.

Zhuang Z, Shen L, Li W, Fu X, Zeng F, Gui L . Gut Microbiota is Altered in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018; 63(4):1337-1346. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180176. View

19.

Wiener R, Shockey A . Needs assessment for emerging oral microbiome knowledge in dental hygiene education. J Epidemiol Res. 2015; 1(1):1-4. PMC: 4524740. DOI: 10.5430/jer.v1n1p1. View

20.

Marchini L, Campos M, Silva A, Paulino L, Nobrega F . Bacterial diversity in aphthous ulcers. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 2007; 22(4):225-31. DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-302X.2006.00345.x. View