Abstract:

Objective: Objective: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ), is often described as a side-effect of bisphosphonates within the dental school curriculum. However, as highlighted in the current literature, some antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs may also cause MRONJ. This study aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge of post-graduate dental students (PDSs) from different specialty/doctoral programs towards MRONJ. Methods: An electronic questionnaire containing 28 questions in 3 different sections focusing on demographic characteristics, general information, and clinical attitude, was prepared. Two-thousand PDSs from 27 universities were invited to participate in the survey in December 2021. The obtained data were evaluated statistically using descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square test (p=.05). Results: The response rate of the survey was 10%. The number of PDSs showed a homogeneous distribution for each specialty, whereas the number of women participants was higher than that of men (p<.05). In the general information section, the highest correct answer rates belonged to students from Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology departments. However, there was no statistically significant difference between different dental specialties regarding correct answer rates (p>.05). PDSs had higher rates of correct answers to general information questions about antiresorptive drugs than for antiangiogenic drugs. 92% of participants stated that they obtained their knowledge about MRONJ from their undergraduate education. Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal the necessity of updating the dental school curriculum in line with the current literature on MRONJ, as well as including more postgraduate courses on MRONJ during the specialty/doctoral education period.

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