Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Barriers Regarding the Oral Microbiome and Exosomes Among Egyptian Dental Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

This study employs a structured, validated questionnaire as the index test to objectively assess dental professionals' knowledge of the oral microbiome and exosomes, alongside attitudes, readiness, and perceived barriers. The primary aim is to develop and compare Microbiome Knowledge Scores (MKS) and Exosome Knowledge Scores (EKS) across dental specialties, workplace settings, and years of practice. Secondary aims include evaluating attitudes and perceived barriers, assessing the relationship between self-rated and objective knowledge, and identifying predictors of higher knowledge levels. The study tests the null hypotheses that MKS/EKS do not differ across demographic or practice characteristics and that self-rated knowledge does not correlate with objective knowledge.