Spanish dental hygienist attitudes to dental radiological protection: assessment of a 1‐day pilot course

Abstract

To determine hygienists' knowledge of and attitudes to X-ray equipment and film processing, and to assess both after a 1-day course. One-hundred and four dental hygienists from the south-east of Spain attending a 1-day course in oral radiology. A questionnaire comprising different sections related with socio-demographic items, X-ray equipment and the processing of dental films was answered before and after a 1-day pilot course on radiation protection. The response rate was 89.42% (n = 93). Of the participants 94.6% were women, with a mean age of 29.52 (SD 6.861) and 7.20 years of professional experience (SD 5.089). The level of knowledge before the course was 48.28%, which increased to 85.62% after the course (P < 0.001). The prescribed standard was reached by <23.65% of those attending the course at the beginning. Although attending the course led to a considerable improvement, it did not always result in a high level of knowledge of basic radiation equipment and processing.