Analysis of Family Physicians’ Awareness and Knowledge about Orthodontic Treatment

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of awareness and knowledge of family physicians regarding oral and maxillofacial evaluations and orthodontic treatment. Methods: The survey was designed as 21 questions and sent to family physicians in Turkiye. The participants were asked about their age, gender, place of work, years of experience, regions evaluated during the routine examination, and level of orthodontic awareness and knowledge. Results: A total of 400 family physicians completed the survey. There was a significant difference in the referral rate of family physicians working in university hospitals (p 0.01), years of experience (p 0.001), whether evaluating the head and neck region (p 0.05), and the jaw positions during a routine examination (p 0.001) and for those who performed an intraoral examination and who checked dental crowding (p 0.001). When evaluating the head and neck region and dental crowding in routine examinations, a significant difference was found in the number of experienced family physicians (p 0.05). Conclusion: Awareness of the facial profile and having orthodontic knowledge was relatively high in the family physicians who participated in our study; however, their number of oral and maxillofacial evaluations were found to be low in routine examinations. It would be beneficial to organize seminars, conferences, and symposiums to increase the awareness and knowledge of family physicians on the oral and maxillofacial region and how to conduct efficient orthodontic evaluations.