Self‐Reported Awareness of Periodontal–Systemic Health Associations Among Physicians: A Descriptive Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Rationale, Aims and Objectives Physicians' recognition of oral–systemic health relationships may support medical–dental communication, although its relationship with clinical practice remains uncertain. This study described overall and disease‐specific patterns of self‐reported awareness in a convenience sample of physicians in Türkiye and explored differences according to demographic and professional characteristics. Method This descriptive cross‐sectional online survey included physicians with at least 1 year of clinical experience who were recruited through professional networks. Following ethical approval, responses included in the final dataset were submitted between 17 March and 7 May 2026. Self‐reported awareness was assessed using a Turkish‐adapted 10‐item questionnaire that had not undergone formal cross‐cultural validation. The items formed a study‐specific summary index ranging from 0 to 40 (Cronbach's α = 0.847). Disease‐specific responses were treated as the primary findings, whereas the summary index and subgroup comparisons were secondary and exploratory. Results Among 109 physicians, the median summary index score was 34/40 (IQR: 30–38), and the mean was 33.26 ± 6.67. Twenty‐five participants (22.9%) attained the maximum score, indicating a substantial ceiling effect and limited discrimination at the upper end. Agreement was highest for the general oral–systemic relationship (98.2%), the impact of oral disease on quality of life (96.3%), and the periodontal disease–cardiovascular disease association (93.6%). Recognition was lower for chronic kidney disease (63.3%) and rheumatoid arthritis (54.1%). Exploratory estimates for sex, specialist status, and graduation year were imprecise, with confidence intervals including zero and allowing potentially meaningful associations in either direction. Conclusion In this convenience sample, self‐reported awareness was generally high but varied across specific periodontal–systemic associations. The findings represent self‐reported recognition rather than objective knowledge, competence, or referral behaviour and should not be generalised to physicians in Türkiye overall. Representative samples, validated instruments, and objective or vignette‐based measures are needed to determine whether self‐reported awareness is associated with oral‐health assessment or dental referral.