Table 2.
Distribution of responses to knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questions among three groups.
| Knowledge | Responding Correctly | p Value * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dentists, n (%) | Pediatric Dentists, n (%) | Pediatricians, n (%) | ||
| Which teeth erupt by 6 years of age? | 116 (99.1) | 78 (98.7) | 24 (22.9) a,b | <0.0001 |
| At what age do children stop teething? | 107 (91.5) | 78 (98.7) | 38 (36.2) a,b | <0.0001 |
| When should the child’s first dental visit occur? | 107 (91.5) a | 76 (97.4) | 78 (74.3) a,b | <0.0001 |
| At what age can children use a smear of fluoride toothpaste? | 105 (89.7) | 71 (89.9) | 53 (50.5) a,b | 0.074 |
| At what age can children can start using fluoride mouth rinse? | 69 (60.0) a | 63 (79.7) | 25 (23.8) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Until what age do children not need any fluoride supplement? | 90 (77.6) a | 73 (92.4) | 24 (22.9) a,b | <0.0001 |
| What is the PATF † with high adherence to teeth and low ingestion possibility? | 95 (81.2) a | 73 (92.4) | 10 (9.5) a,b | <0.0001 |
| What is the dose of PATF? | 82 (70.1) a | 75 (94.9) | 0 (0) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Which of the following statements are incorrect? (Correct answer: Close meals do not entail a risk of caries) | 116 (99.1) | 78 (100.0) | 66 (62.9) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Who may take fluoride tablets? (Correct answer: 7-month-old living in nonfluoridated area) | 50 (42.7) a | 55 (71.4) | 10 (9.5) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Practice | Responding “Often” or “Very Often” (“Willing” or “Very Willing” for Pediatricians) | p Value * | ||
| General Dentists, n (%) | Pediatric Dentists, n (%) | Pediatricians, n (%) | ||
| Inquire about feeding bottle use | 78 (67.2) a | 75 (94.9) | 79 (76.7) a | <0.0001 |
| Examine child’s teeth for caries | 114 (98.3) | 79 (100.0) | 61 (59.2) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Assess child’s risk | 92 (79.3) a | 76 (96.2) | 61 (58.7) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Assess fluoride intake | 40 (34.5) a | 60 (75.9) | 36 (35.0) a | <0.0001 |
| Provide counseling on tooth brushing | 111 (95.7) | 78 (98.7) | 78 (75.0) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Inquire about parents’ dental health | 58 (50.0) | 36 (45.6) | 68 (65.4) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Attitude | Responding Disagree (vs. Uncertain and Agree) | p Value * | ||
| General Dentists, n (%) | Pediatric Dentists, n (%) | Pediatricians, n (%) | ||
| Activities are not sufficiently important to include in physicians’ daily practice | 87 (74.4) | 65 (82.3) | 78 (75) | 0.387 |
| Dentists should perform these activities | 13 (11.1) | 14 (17.7) | 24 (23.1) b | 0.060 |
| Learning how to perform these activities is difficult for physicians | 50 (42.7) | 34 (43.6) | 32 (30.8) | 0.114 |
| Learning how to perform these activities is time consuming | 48 (41) | 31 (39.2) | 35 (33.7) | 0.512 |
| Fluoride varnish is difficult for physicians to apply | 53 (45.3) | 28 (35.4) | 28 (26.9) b | 0.018 |
| Physicians have no time for oral screening | 35 (29.9) | 19 (24.1) | 36 (34.6) | 0.303 |
| Physicians have no time for caries risk assessment | 35 (29.9) | 17 (21.5) | 34 (32.7) | 0.236 |
| Physicians have no time for fluoride varnish application | 40 (34.2) | 24 (30.4) | 17 (16.3) a,b | 0.009 |
| Physicians have no time for dentist referral | 64 (54.7) | 47 (59.5) | 79 (76.0) a,b | 0.003 |
| Physicians have no time for counseling parents | 29 (24.8) | 17 (22.4) | 52 (50.0) a,b | <0.0001 |
| Physicians are not sufficiently knowledgeable to perform these activities | 26 (22.4) | 12 (15.4) | 29 (27.9) a | 0.136 |
| Physicians are not sufficiently confident | 20 (17.1) | 10 (12.8) | 19 (18.3) | 0.596 |
| Patients are too young and uncooperative | 22 (18.8) | 14 (17.7) | 52 (50.0) a,b | <0.0001 |
* Chi-square test analysis (α < 0.05) between three groups; † PATF: professionally applied topical fluoride; a Statistically significant difference at p < 0.05 in chi-square test compared with pediatric dentists; b Statistically significant difference at p < 0.05 in chi-square test compared with general dentists.