Abstract:

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the awareness level of dental professionals on zoonoses and surveys and raise their awareness of the “one health” concept, which is a key policy that was adopted by veterinarians, physicians, and other health professionals to attain definitive outcomes in the fight against zoonoses. Methods: The study included dental professionals working at the state, private universities, and private clinics in Turkey who completed an 18-item online survey between March and April 2020. Results: This study included 603 dental professionals who completed the survey form. Participants that were specialized in pedodontics, oral and maxillofacial radiology, and restorative dentistry had a significantly higher level of knowledge about the types of zoonoses compared to nonspecialized participants. Similarly, participants who were specialized in oral and maxillofacial radiology had a significantly higher level of knowledge about the types of zoonoses compared to participants who were specialized in oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, prosthetic dentistry, and endodontics. Nevertheless, no significant difference was established among other fields of specialty about the knowledge level on the types of zoonoses. Contrarily, 96.19% of participants reported no knowledge about the “one health” concept. Conclusion: Activities on zoonoses should be promoted and training schemes should be conducted to inform dental professionals and other health professionals on zoonoses. Additionally, dental professionals and other health professionals need to learn about and adopt the “one health” concept.

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