A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study to Assess the Knowledge of Oral Health Problems Among Diabetes Patients in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The aims of this study were:1) to assess the awareness of diabetes and its systemic and oral complications among adults with diabetes in Saudi Arabia, 2) to evaluate their behaviors toward maintaining proper oral hygiene and factors associated with adequate oral health knowledge, and 3) to identify what recommendations and improvements are needed in diabetic clinics in KSA. Methods: A validated questionnaire of six parts was distributed online to include all diabetes patients in Saudi Arabia. After applying the criteria, 400 diabetes responses were included. The data was analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 24. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analysis were used to report the results. Results: Participants' responses showed that older aged patients with type 2 diabetes and the longer duration of diabetes had higher levels of awareness regarding oral health. However, their knowledge about being at high risk for oral diseases was low compared to their awareness regarding systemic complications. Relatively lower percentages of the participants (55.9%) were aware that diabetes can make teeth and gums worse and that gum disease makes it harder to control blood sugar (24.8%). Almost two thirds of the individuals believed that they should have regular visits to dental clinics, but many barriers were identified for their irregularity or no visits. With regards to the participants' source of information, 52% learned from health care providers, and 50% from the internet. Conclusions: Our study revealed comparatively better results of awareness than previous studies reported in Saudi Arabia, however not to the desired standard. Therefore. both dentists and all healthcare providers should be encouraged to take the responsibility to promote proper oral hygiene practices among their diabetic patients in order to reduce the risk of having periodontal diseases. Further research is required to identify obstacles preventing those patients from having regular dentist visits.