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Impact of dentists’ years since graduation on management of temporomandibular disorders

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Abstract

Objectives

The aims were to assess the impact of the number of years since dentists’ graduation on appraisement of diagnostic needs and utilization of treatment options for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and to investigate whether increased knowledge in TMD is sufficiently considered in today’s dentist’s undergraduate curricula and, therefore, represented in more evidence-based TMD management in dentists with less years since graduation.

Material and methods

A questionnaire regarding knowledge and management of TMD was developed and was subsequently applied in a random sample of 400 dentists in a region in Northern Germany.

Results

Of the 222 dentists (response rate 55.6 %), participating in the study, the frequency of TMD treatment need in the general population was estimated at 21.5 %, with lower values in dentists with more years passed since graduation. Measures regarding utilization of standardized examination forms, perceptions of insufficient specialization, and referrals of patients to TMD specialists indicated a lower quality and certainty in TMD management in participants with less time since graduation. While the provision of splints was a well-established treatment option in initial TMD management of all participants, additional TMD treatment options were mentioned less often, with lower proportions of participants making use of these options within the first decade since graduation.

Conclusions

Evidence-based TMD management is not fully represented in dental practitioners in Germany. This might be due to an insufficient consideration of TMD management in the dentist’s undergraduate curricula.

Clinical relevance

Effective interventions to increase dentists’ knowledge and to change dentists’ practices in TMD management are required.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mrs. Stefanie Daniel-Schierz for translating and proofreading and Dr. Mike T John (University of Minnesota) and Mrs. Andrea Medina (University of Minnesota) for valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

      Daniel R. Reissmann, Alexandra Behn & Guido Heydecke

    2. Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

      Daniel R. Reissmann

    3. Department of Prosthodontics and Materials Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

      Oliver Schierz

    4. Department of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden

      Thomas List

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    1. Daniel R. Reissmann
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    Correspondence to Daniel R. Reissmann.

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    Daniel R. Reissmann and Alexandra Behn contributed equally to this work.

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    Reissmann, D.R., Behn, A., Schierz, O. et al. Impact of dentists’ years since graduation on management of temporomandibular disorders. Clin Oral Invest 19, 2327–2336 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-015-1459-7

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