Sickle cell disease: knowledge and clinical practice of dental surgeons at Family Health Units

ABSTRACT Objective: This study analyzes dental surgeons’ knowledge and clinical practice regarding sickle cell disease (SCD) at Family Health Units in Recife, northeastern Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of dentists using a standardized questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: Out of 132 eligible dental surgeons, 124 (93.9%) were interviewed. Most of them were women (81.5%), aged between 28 and 39 years (53.2%), with more than 15 years of experience (52.4%). A percentage of 89.5% knew the definition and oral manifestations (53.2%) of the disease, but only 17.7% knew the dental care protocol. It was verified that 13.6% of the dentists who knew how to conduct the treatment had acquired this knowledge during their undergraduate studies. Conclusion: Regarding clinical practice, 71.8% said they would treat patients with SCD; however, 67.7% had never done that. Most dentists felt confident of performing dental procedures (82%) and their major difficulty was their lack of knowledge about the disease (57.1%). The findings suggest the need for the implementation of public policies for improving the qualification of dental surgeons who work in primary healthcare, thus minimizing risks during the dental care of SCD patients.摘要 研究目的：本研究针对巴西东北部累西腓市家庭卫生服务单元内的牙科医师，分析其对镰状细胞病（Sickle Cell Disease, SCD）的认知水平与临床诊疗实践现状。 研究方法：本研究为横断面研究，采用标准化问卷对具有代表性的牙医样本开展调查，数据采用描述性统计方法进行分析。 研究结果：本研究共纳入132名符合纳入标准的牙科医师，其中124名（93.9%）完成访谈。受访医师中，女性占比81.5%，年龄介于28~39岁者占53.2%，临床执业经验超过15年者占52.4%。89.5%的医师知晓镰状细胞病的定义，53.2%知晓该病的口腔临床表现，但仅17.7%了解对应的牙科诊疗规范。另有13.6%知晓该病诊疗操作的医师表示，其相关知识系在本科阶段习得。 研究结论：临床实践层面，71.8%的受访医师表示愿意接诊镰状细胞病患者，但其中67.7%从未实际接诊过此类病例。多数医师对开展牙科操作具备信心（82%），而主要执业困难为对该病认知不足（57.1%）。本研究结果提示，需制定公共卫生政策以提升基层医疗牙科医师的专业能力，从而降低镰状细胞病患者在牙科诊疗过程中的风险。