Assessing the Knowledge of General Dentists regarding Antibiotic Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Infective Endocarditis before Dental procedures in Guilan Province, Iran in 2020

Infective endocarditis is a rare disease of the heart valves and endocardium, which can be developed after invasive dental procedures. To prevent this event, antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for patients with predisposing cardiac conditions. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of general dentists working in Guilan province regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of infective endocarditis.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 264 general dentists in Guilan province using a validated questionnaire. There were 157 males and 107 females. The questionnaire included 25 questions. The total score ranges from 0 to 25 with this classification: [0-12: low level, 13-17: moderate level and 18-25: high level]. Age, gender, clinical experience, place of work and participation in retraining programs of participants were also recorded. Data analysis was performed using T-test and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient with the SPSS version 24.

The mean knowledge score of the dentists was 14.43 and 53.2% of participants had moderate level of knowledge. 28.1% and 18.7% of dentists had a low and high level of knowledge, respectively. No significant differences were noted in the knowledge scores between the two genders and regarding age, clinical experience and participation in retraining programs (p-value >0.05).

The knowledge level of general dentists working in Guilan province was at  a moderate level. Therefore, it is better to take actions to improve the dentist’s knowledge regarding this topic.