Knowledge and awareness of sensory processing disorder and sensory-adapted dental care among pediatric dentists: A cross-sectional survey.

AIM: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of sensory processing disorder (SPD) and sensory-adapted dental care among pediatric dentists and to identify gaps in the recognition, assessment, and management of children with SPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 145 practicing pediatric dentists. A self-administered 14-item questionnaire was developed following a review of the literature to assess knowledge of SPD, awareness of diagnostic approaches, sensory-adapted dental environments (SADEs), and perspectives on caregiver involvement in the dental management of children with SPD. The questionnaire demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.622), and principal component analysis identified four components explaining 91.95% of the total variance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Pediatric dentists demonstrated moderate knowledge of the clinical manifestations of SPD. However, awareness of standardized diagnostic tools and SADEs remained limited. Most participants recognized the importance of caregiver involvement and environmental modifications in improving the dental management of children with SPD, highlighting important gaps in diagnostic awareness and sensory-informed clinical care. CONCLUSION: Pediatric dentists demonstrated reasonable knowledge of the clinical manifestations of SPD; however, important gaps remain in awareness of diagnostic assessment methods and sensory-adapted dental care strategies. These findings highlight the need to strengthen undergraduate and postgraduate training and continuing dental education to promote evidence-based, sensory-informed pediatric dental care.