Use of Lasers in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery; a cross-sectional study done in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This cross-sectional survey was aimed to assess the use of Lasers in oral maxillofacial surgery. The study subjects comprised of general dentists and specialists/consultants having experience of 1-10 years, and more than 10 years. The use of Lasers in oral maxillofacial surgery was measured using 24 items questionnaire. After ensuring the reliability of the questionnaire, differences across gender, clinical position, and clinical experience were seen using a statistical measure Chi-square through SPSS to determine the statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Findings 52.7% of the participants were female, and 89.7% were general dentists, with the majority having experience between 1-10 years. They rank their current knowledge regarding laser use overall as average (36.3%) and about its use in OMFS as good (37.3%). Findings revealed that female participants participated more than males and practicing as general dentists having experience of 1-10 years of experience, have good knowledge of laser, and use it in their practice. General dentists were only aware of the use of laser in cosmetic surgery and consider it useful in different problems. Both groups often use lasers in their practice, while about the usefulness of lasers in different problems, both groups' opinions vary.

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