Evaluation of Mronj Knowledge in Senior Dental and Medical Students

Objectives: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a complication that occurs in patients receiving antiresorptive or antiangiogenic medical therapy. Treatment of MRONJ requires meticulous treatment planning and protocols. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the knowledge level of senior dentistry and medicine students about MRONJ. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 154 senior dentistry and medical faculty students. Data were collected using a structured electronic survey consisting of six sections. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23, and a P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: More than half of the sample (66.7%) had knowledge about antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs; 76.4% of those who had knowledge had heard about it during their university education. The underlying diseases that antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs target were unknown to the majority. Almost half of the sample (45.2%) could not identify any antiresorptive or anti-angiogenic drugs, and 62.5% of senior students of the Faculty of Medicine and 15.9% of senior students of Dentistry did not know that these drugs could cause jaw necrosis. Conclusion: Although the level of knowledge about MRONJ was higher among dental students for all departments in the survey, it was quite insufficient for both medical and dental students. Clinical Relevance: Enhancing knowledge of dentistry students and medicine students about MRONJ will be an important step in reducing and even preventing this public health problem, which is quite common in society.