Cementoblastoma’s suspect in clinical practice: a survey on 157 dentists of Veneto

OBJECTIVES The cementoblastoma is a rare benign odontogenic tumour. In literature, there are only case reports and case series: 141 papers and 258 cementoblastomas with histological diagnosis. The goal of this study is to appreciate dentists’ knowledges in Veneto about diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of a suspicious cementoblastoma and to check if a pathology and oral medicine’s centre could have a role in this topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS We send questionnaires to 200 Veneto’s dentists. We use Google Forms to write qualitative questionnaires with multiple choice and to analyse data of answers. The questionnaires have been written to be simple and fast. The survey is anonymous: people give us only informations about age and gender. RESULTS We got 157 answered surveys by cli nicians. 73.9% would prescribe a TC as first diagnostic step. 65.5% of them would make a incisional biopsy with histological exam than. On the other hand, 12.7% would make a pulp test to assess vitality of the tooth involved as first step. 63.7% of clinicians would perform an incisional biopsy before any therapy, 14.7% would remove immediately cementoblastoma within tooth, 21.6% would decide for a radiological follow up. 51% of all the clinicians would send the case to an oral pathology centre. 92% of dentists know about the risk of recurrence after the removal. DISCUSSION To get our goal we choose an informatic survey based on a standardized questionnaire. The data’s lack about cementoblastoma in literature does not give us an evidence-based diagnostic way or therapy. In the opinion of authors, it is rea sonable to assess vitality of tooth involved as first diagnostic step, because cementoblastoma have a similar radiological image of some inflammatory odontogenic lesions; than histological or radiological analysis can be made. In these cases, the histological exam is fundamental before deciding any treatment. In literature there is not a universal accepted treatment for this lesion, so we do not ask to dentists to choose between specific therapies. From our data, it is also reasonable suggest the importance of an oral pathology and medicine centre in the territory. CONCLUSIONS Dentists surveyed show good knowledges about cementoblastoma, less about its diagnosis and therapy. Perhaps it marks the im portance of a specialized center in the territory and the necessity for more papers about this topic. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Our initial hypothesis was the presence of a diagnostic and therapeutic problem between dentists about the management of cementoblastoma. Authors appreciate answers about cementoblastoma from a relatively big sample of dentists. Authors observe a good knowledge about this topic, but less in clinical management of this pathology. Therefore, it could be reasonable to send these cases to a pathology and medicine centre, as half of sample analysed suggest.