Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyze the knowledge and attitudes of Brazilian Oral Medicine and Pathology (OM/OP) specialists about genetic diseases. METHODS: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with Brazilian OM/OP specialists, using a pre-structured online formulary. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS®). The questionnaire was sent to 273 specialists, members of the Brazilian Society of Stomatology and Oral Pathology (SOBEP). RESULTS: A total of 58 (21.2%) OM/OP specialists responded to the questionnaire. Most of the participants (67.2%) have declared attending theoretical courses on diagnosing and genetic testing for genetic diseases. Furthermore, 79.3% of participants reported that there are barriers to integration between the fields of Medical Genetics and OM/OP. Longer time working as a PhD was associated with knowledge of lesions predictive of genetic diseases (P < 0.05). Dental abnormalities and the presence of tumors, along with Gorlin-Goltz (nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome) and Gardner syndromes and neurofibromatosis, were the most frequently reported conditions and recalled by the responders of the survey. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited integration between Medical Genetics and OM/OP. However, there is considerable knowledge about oral manifestations as indicators of genetic diseases among OM/OP experts.