Teledentistry as a Supportive Tool for Dentists in Diagnosing MRONJ in Northern Cyprus

Abstract

Objective. This web-based survey, as a tool of teledentistry, is aimed at assessing the level of knowledge, attitudes, and awareness regarding MRONJ among dental professionals in Northern Cyprus. Methods. An online self-administered questionnaire about MRONJ was sent to all dentists in Northern Cyprus through Google Forms. The first part of the questionnaire consists of demographic and professional information, and the second part included questions about knowledge and awareness questions about MRONJ. The SPSS software was used for statistical data analysis. A Chi-square test was performed to compare between the groups. The significance level was set at $p<0.05$ . Results. A total of 112 dentists participated in this survey. The participants showed an insufficient level of knowledge regarding MRONJ, as only 56.6% of the participants stated that they had general knowledge about MRONJ. Regarding the practical questions of the survey, the participants showed poor knowledge about implant and tooth extraction procedures while a patient is using antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drugs, particularly the usage of oral antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drugs for less than 3 years. Participants showed adequate knowledge in terms of usage area of medications and administration of them. Conclusion. Teledentistry can be used as a supportive tool for dentists in diagnosing MRONJ. Similar to previous studies, the knowledge and awareness of MRONJ of dentists in Northern Cyprus were found to be inadequate. There is a significant need to provide more professional information as part of undergraduate programs so that the next generation of dentists can practice more confidently.