DENTISTS' KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REGARDING LEPROSY IN AN ENDEMIC AREA IN BRAZIL

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Ronald Jefferson MARTINS, Maria Emília Oliveira Gomes CARLONI, Suzely Adas Saliba MOIMAZ, Cléa Adas Saliba GARBIN, Artênio José Ísper GARBIN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
• Subjects: Leprosy; Attitude of health personnel; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946201658076; https://doaj.org/article/634f0ffbb58b4d5dae83d154191d62f8

SUMMARY This study aims to analyze the dental surgeons' knowledge about leprosy and its ways of transmission, clinical characteristics and treatment, besides analyzing their experience with respect to diagnostic suspicion and case referrals. The study population comprised 242 dental surgeons working in the public dental service of the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. A self-applicable questionnaire containing questions about the dental surgeon's profile was used, including his/her knowledge on leprosy, as well as his/her practices concerning the disease. The results showed a predominance of female dental surgeons (65.7%), with ages ranging between 30 and 39 years old (43%) and professionals having six to 10 years of experience since graduation. Concerning their time working in the Unified Health System (SUS), the highest percentage of dental surgeons referred more than 10 years. Regarding the knowledge about the disease, 30.6% did not know the efficacy of the treatment of leprosy, 47% did not know the disease had to be notified compulsorily and only 8.3% had received information about leprosy at work. Besides that, most of them mentioned feeling little security when treating patients with leprosy (61.6%). Thus, dental surgeons' deficient knowledge on issues related to leprosy may be highlighted.