RESUMEN
Periodontal disease and systemic diseases are inter-related, each influencing one another. Adequate knowledge on periodontal disease among medical doctors will enable them to refer their patients to dentists for timely management. This study aimed to assess knowledge, awareness and attitudes of medical doctors towards periodontal disease in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Cross sectional study on medical doctors working at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The study involved 151 medical doctors drawn randomly and who are practicing at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Data were obtained via a structured questionnaire and included demographic information's, knowledge regarding periodontal disease, their awareness and their attitude towards periodontal disease. They were entered into the SPSS statistical software for analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated and association between variables was done using the chi-square test. Of the 151 questionnaires administered, 124 were returned [response rate of 82.12%]. One hundred and eleven [89.5%] medical doctors believed poor oral hygiene was the main cause of periodontal disease, only 49[39.5%] told their patients to brush properly, 47[37.9%] believed that there was a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and systemic disease and only 35[28.2%] referred all patients with systemic diseases to dentists. 34[27.4%] believed that medical doctors have adequate knowledge regarding periodontal disease and 18[14.5%] believed that the medical curriculum provides enough knowledge regarding periodontal disease. Medical doctors had inadequate information about periodontal disease and this should be addressed in the medical curriculum so as to enable proper patient management