title: Eating disorders - knowledge, attitudes, management and clinical experience of Norwegian dentists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge, attitudes and clinical experience with regard to patients with eating disorders (ED) among Norwegian dentists.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2010, a questionnaire was sent to all dentists in Norway (N = 4282) comprising 33 questions related to demographics of the participating dentists, their knowledge of ED (general and oral health aspects), clinical experience, attitudes and perceived management preferences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participation rate was 40 % (47 % women and 53 % men). Their knowledge about ED was often retrieved from common media sources and the greater part of the participants reported they had seen very few patients with ED during their professional career. Female dentists reported superior knowledge about ED compared to males, but the former experienced greater difficulties to inform about the condition. Referrals of the patient to other health facilities were significantly more common among female compared to male dentists. The majority of dentists (76 %) reported a need of more education related to ED management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Norwegian dentists in this study reported limited clinical experience and insufficient knowledge regarding ED. There is therefore a need to increase both undergraduate and continuing education in this field, which can improve preventive and management measures that a dentist can provide for ED patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry - Cariology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 19, N-5009, Bergen, Norway. Ann-Katrin.Johansson@iko.uib.no.
authors.forename: Ann-Katrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry - Prosthodontics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Anders.Johansson@iko.uib.no.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Västerås, Sweden. eva.nohlert@ltv.se.|Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. eva.nohlert@ltv.se.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nohlert
authors.affiliation: Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders, R&D Unit, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet/ Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden. claes.norring@ki.se.|Department of Clinical Dentistry - Community Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. claes.norring@ki.se.
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Norring
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry - Community Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Anne.Aastrom@iko.uib.no.
authors.forename: Anne Nordrehaug
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Åstrøm
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Dental Education Center, Örebro, Sweden. ake.tegelberg@regionorebrolan.se.|Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. ake.tegelberg@regionorebrolan.se.
authors.forename: Åke
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Tegelberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D009909:Oral Health; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires