Knowledge and Attitude of Final Year Medical Students Towards Dentistry and Dental Consultation: A Questionnairebased Study

Abstract

Background: Several studies have reported poor awareness and knowledge of dental problems among the medical students. There is lack of literature assessing the knowledge and attitude of medical students about dental consultation. Hence there is need to explore the knowledge of medical students towards dentistry and dental consultation. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess knowledge and attitude of final year medical students towards dentistry and dental consultation Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 130 final-year medical undergraduate students studying in Krishna Institute of Medical sciences. A self-administered, close ended structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical students towards dentistry and dental consultation. Results: The knowledge of final year medical students about dentistry was found to be average. The majority of the students responded positively for dental consultation. The attitude of students towards dentistry showed somewhat negative response. Conclusion: Based on the findings of our study, medical curriculum should include dental health and disease related topics to improve the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students. Interdisciplinary collaboration among medical and dental fraternity will benefit the patients at large.