Abstract
Background: Orthodontists should be aware of the potential ramifications of certain medications that may affect the cellular and molecular biology of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine orthodontists' knowledge and understanding of the effects of numerous popular medications on OTM in Saudi Arabia. Materials and method: In this cross-sectional study, a structured, close-ended, and self-administered online questionnaire was sent to the orthodontists registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and were practicing in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of 24 items under the sections of Demographic and practice characteristics, medical history and medication awareness, and knowledge of the effect of medication on orthodontic tooth movement. A total of 138 orthodontists responded to the questionnaire. The data obtained from the participants were analyzed by applying descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: The total mean knowledge of medication in the study sample was 2.99 +/- 1.32. A large percentage of study participants were knowledgeable about the effect of Paracetamol (90%), NSAIDs (81.9%), and Bisphosphonate (71.0%) medication on OTM. On the contrary, the effects of prednisolone, losartan, propranolol, and statins family were known only for less than 20% of the sample. Comparison of mean medication knowledge of OTM across studied demographic variables did not yield any statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: The Saudi orthodontists who participated in this study lacked knowledge regarding the effects of common medications on OTM.