Usage of complementary and alternative medicine: A survey among Indian dental professionals

ObjectiveCAM therapies are used along with standard medical care. Though there are various medical evidences to prove the effectiveness of CAM therapies in managing medical problems, the evidence for the dental application are still lacking in India. This could be attributed to the non-availability or the insufficient knowledge regarding the use of CAM in dentistry. Hence it is necessary to obtain the baseline knowledge regarding the use of CAM therapies among dentists.MethodCross sectional questionnaire based survey.ResultsThere were mixed attitudes towards CAM approaches in dental practices. Lack of clinical knowledge and exposure during their graduation and inadequate scientific evidence can be attributed to their hesitation in practicing the CAM.ConclusionThough interested, dental practitioners were still cautious in putting CAM into clinical practice. Only very few dentist used CAM therapies and they limited their use to topical application for oral problems.