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Stem cells application in oral mucosal disorders: Awareness and knowledge of indian oral and maxillofacial diagnosticians – A cross-sectional study

Background: Regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and surgery coupled with advances in materials science form an alliance of emerging interdisciplinary fields that combines the principles of cellular and molecular biology and biomedical engineering to support intrinsic healing and replace or regenerate cells, tissues, or organs, with the restoration of impaired function. The present-day treatment modalities for oral mucosal lesions are not satisfactory. Various studies have shown the successful role of stem cell therapy in the treatment of precancerous conditions, oral ulcers, wounds, and mucositis. The awareness among and knowledge of oral medicine and radiology (OMR) specialists regarding the therapeutic application of stem cells for the treatment of oral mucosal disorders is a relatively unexplored arena. Aim and Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the awareness among and knowledge of OMR specialists regarding the application of stem cells for the treatment of oral mucosal disorders and compare the results based on age, area of work, and years of experience of the participants. Materials and Methods: The present study included a rapid, short, cross-sectional online survey. It was conducted using a web-based survey platform called Google Forms. A total of 203 OMR specialists were selected by simple random method for participating in the study. A self-administered, 10-point questionnaire in the form of an online survey was used to assess the awareness and knowledge of OMR specialists. A Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results and Conclusions: Overall, awareness and knowledge were found to be more in the participants below 29 years of age, doing specialty practice, and with an experience of fewer than 5 years. A significant association of age, and area of work with awareness and knowledge was observed.