General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review

<b>Objectives:</b> This systematic review aimed to evaluate general dentists and dental specialists’ knowledge regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis, referral, risk factors, and treatment. <b>Methods:</b> A systematic search of databases, including Web of Science,...

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Main Authors: Shahad A. Alkharouby, Sumayyah L. Alkhudhayri, Shahad L. Alhassani, Hamed S. Alghamdi, Rashed A. Alsahafi, Nivetha Mariappan, Mohammed A. Barashi, Hesham A. Alhazmi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Dentistry Journal
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/187
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author Shahad A. Alkharouby
Sumayyah L. Alkhudhayri
Shahad L. Alhassani
Hamed S. Alghamdi
Rashed A. Alsahafi
Nivetha Mariappan
Mohammed A. Barashi
Hesham A. Alhazmi
author_facet Shahad A. Alkharouby
Sumayyah L. Alkhudhayri
Shahad L. Alhassani
Hamed S. Alghamdi
Rashed A. Alsahafi
Nivetha Mariappan
Mohammed A. Barashi
Hesham A. Alhazmi
author_sort Shahad A. Alkharouby
collection DOAJ
description <b>Objectives:</b> This systematic review aimed to evaluate general dentists and dental specialists’ knowledge regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis, referral, risk factors, and treatment. <b>Methods:</b> A systematic search of databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and ProQuest, was conducted for studies published up to 25 September 2023, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Inclusion criteria included cross-sectional studies that assessed the knowledge of general dentists or dental specialists. A quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. <b>Results:</b> The seven included studies demonstrated varied knowledge levels among respondents regarding polysomnography as the gold standard for diagnosing OSA, with percentages ranging from 40.18% to 90%. While recognition of craniofacial structure as a risk factor for OSA was consistently high, knowledge about body weight as a risk factor varied. Additionally, the understanding of continuous positive airway pressure as the standard treatment showed discrepancies across the studies. <b>Conclusions:</b> Given that some of the included articles displayed a moderate to high risk of bias, the results highlight the varying levels of OSA knowledge among dentists and specialists across the studies. This indicates a potential need for targeted educational programs to improve their understanding and management of OSA.
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series Dentistry Journal
spelling doaj-art-b05a42bd0b364a558c92b2bd1b8d64232025-08-20T03:14:36ZengMDPI AGDentistry Journal2304-67672025-04-0113518710.3390/dj13050187General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic ReviewShahad A. Alkharouby0Sumayyah L. Alkhudhayri1Shahad L. Alhassani2Hamed S. Alghamdi3Rashed A. Alsahafi4Nivetha Mariappan5Mohammed A. Barashi6Hesham A. Alhazmi7College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Science, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaHarvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24211, Saudi Arabia<b>Objectives:</b> This systematic review aimed to evaluate general dentists and dental specialists’ knowledge regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis, referral, risk factors, and treatment. <b>Methods:</b> A systematic search of databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and ProQuest, was conducted for studies published up to 25 September 2023, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Inclusion criteria included cross-sectional studies that assessed the knowledge of general dentists or dental specialists. A quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. <b>Results:</b> The seven included studies demonstrated varied knowledge levels among respondents regarding polysomnography as the gold standard for diagnosing OSA, with percentages ranging from 40.18% to 90%. While recognition of craniofacial structure as a risk factor for OSA was consistently high, knowledge about body weight as a risk factor varied. Additionally, the understanding of continuous positive airway pressure as the standard treatment showed discrepancies across the studies. <b>Conclusions:</b> Given that some of the included articles displayed a moderate to high risk of bias, the results highlight the varying levels of OSA knowledge among dentists and specialists across the studies. This indicates a potential need for targeted educational programs to improve their understanding and management of OSA.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/187obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)knowledgedental specialistsgeneral dentists
spellingShingle Shahad A. Alkharouby
Sumayyah L. Alkhudhayri
Shahad L. Alhassani
Hamed S. Alghamdi
Rashed A. Alsahafi
Nivetha Mariappan
Mohammed A. Barashi
Hesham A. Alhazmi
General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
Dentistry Journal
obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
knowledge
dental specialists
general dentists
title General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
title_full General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
title_fullStr General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
title_short General Dentists and Dental Specialists’ Knowledge of Treatment, Diagnosis, Referral, and Risk Factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review
title_sort general dentists and dental specialists knowledge of treatment diagnosis referral and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea a systematic review
topic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
knowledge
dental specialists
general dentists
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/187
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