Self-reported knowledge about dental caries at young age and variations between dental practitioners in the Ministry of Health in Bahrain

Objectives To assess basic knowledge on dental caries and its prevention especially in young children and variation thereof between dental practitioners working for the Ministry of Health in Bahrain. Materials and methods Self-reported questionnaire was sent to all dentists and dental hygienists. Results One hundred and thirty-four dental practitioners responded. The mean knowledge and practice scores for association between diet and dental caries was 64.9 +/- 20.1. Females scored higher than males (p = 0.011) and dentists scored higher than dental hygienists (p = 0.009). A low mean score 45.5 +/- 19.6 was observed in preventing dental caries in toddlers. Those >40 years of age and those with >15 years of experience have significantly higher scores than other groups (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001), respectively. Mean score for caring for children's teeth, which covered advice on fluoridated toothpaste, was 63.4 +/- 20.9. Younger dentists had higher score than those >40 years of age (p = 0.003). Mean score for frequency of fluoride varnish application was 64.4 +/- 15.8 with no significant variation between practitioners. Conclusion There is a need to reduce variations and update and improve dental practitioners' knowledge in regard to risks and prevention of caries at young age.