What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore dental patients' attitudes and awareness regarding disclosing their medical history to dentists.

April 19, 2026Open Access

Attitude and awareness of dental patients towards disclosure of medical history to dentists: a cross-sectional study

Key Points

The aim is to explore dental patients' attitudes and awareness regarding disclosing their medical history to dentists.
Conducted a cross-sectional survey using Google Forms for data collection.
Recruited Arabic or English-speaking adult patients who consented to participate.
The questionnaire assessed demographic information, attitudes, and awareness about medical history disclosure.
Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 29, employing various statistical tests.
622 responses were collected, with 67.5% of participants being female.
94.2% had prior dental treatment and 97.1% did not experience clinical complications.
76.4% indicated it is very important to inform dentists about previous complications.
Only 33.9% regarded morning appointments as very important for diabetic patients.
71.2% believed it is very important to inform the dentist about the month of pregnancy.

Abstract

Background Patients’ willingness to share their medical history is vital, yet some may withhold information due to various reasons. Aim To explore the attitude and awareness of dental patients towards the disclosure of medical history to their dentists in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional survey developed using Google Form was utilized for data collection. Adult Arabic or English-speaking patients who agreed to participate in the study were recruited. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: demographic information, patients’ attitude towards medical history disclosure (yes/no questions), and patients’ awareness about the importance of medical history (Likert-type scale). Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Fisher's Exact test, Kruskal Wallis and Mann–Whitney U -Tests were used for data analysis. Result A total of 622 responses were received . Most participants were females (67.5%), hold bachelor's degrees (66.9%), and aged 18–24(29.4%). The majority of participants (94.2%) had prior dental treatment and (97.1%) did not experience clinical complications. Moreover, (76.4%) of the participants reported it's very important to inform the dentist about complications previously experienced in the dental clinic. However, few participants think it is very important to choose morning appointments for diabetic patients (33.9%). Also, the respondents reported that it is very important to tell the dentist about the month of pregnancy (71.2%). Conclusion The findings suggest that adult dental patients in the current sample demonstrate a positive attitude towards disclosure of medical history to dentists. However, gaps in health awareness were identified. These findings highlight the potential role of patient education and interprofessional collaboration in improving patients’ health literacy.

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