Objective: To assess gynecologists' knowledge of the association between female sex hormones and periodontal health.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on gynecologists at various hospitals across the five areas of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into three parts, covering the participants' demographics, their knowledge about the association between periodontal health and female sex hormones, and the participants' practices regarding medications prescribed to treat their patients.
Results: During the study period, 203 gynecologists agreed to take part in this study. The overall mean percentage of knowledge regarding the association between periodontal health and female sex hormones among participants was 66.8%. Only 53.0% of participants reported that periodontal disease is a risk factor for preterm deliveries; 50.0% indicated that gingival changes could be induced by the long-term use of oral contraceptives and 35.1% agreed that periodontal health checkups must be regularly carried out for pregnant women.
Conclusions: Although the overall knowledge level of the gynecologists about periodontal health and female sex hormones was satisfactory, they showed an unsatisfactory level of knowledge about the association between periodontal disease and another aspect of women's health across their adult lifespan, such as the importance of a regular periodontal health checkup for pregnant women. Increased awareness amongst gynecologists may improve their level of knowledge about the effect and importance of periodontal health for women.
Keywords: female sex hormones; gynecologists; periodontal diseases; saudi arabia.