Knowledge and Attitudes of Dentists in Afyonkarahisar City Center Regarding Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Abstract

Objective: The increasing tendency towards traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) practices in Türkiye and the world in recent years has made it important for dentists, who are im- portant members of the healthcare team, to know TCM and guide their patients correctly. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and atti- tudes of dentists working in the city center of Afyonkarahisar regar- ding TCM. Material and Methods: A 55-question survey consisting of 4 sections was designed to assess the participants’ knowledge and at- titudes regarding TCM. The survey was applied face-to-face to 121 dentists working in the public and private sectors in the city center of Afyonkarahisar. Results: In this study, 81% of dentists stated that they did not have sufficient knowledge about TCM applications and 95.9% did not have a certificate regarding TCM. In this study, the methods that dentists heard, knew, used and recommended the most were phytot- herapy, acupuncture, hypnosis, prayer, balnotherapy, cupping, yoga, meditation and music therapy. In addition, the average score of den- tists on the Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Medicine At- titude Scale was 32.04±6.27. It was observed that dentists would prefer TCM methods mostly because they have fewer side effects and can be used mostly for relaxation, stress and anxiety reduction. Conclusion: Although the study results show that dentists’ knowledge levels and education/certification rates regarding TCM are low, they reveal that their attitudes toward TCM methods are positive. TCM methods sho- uld be added to the dentistry education curriculum and dentists should be encouraged to attend TCM courses.