Knowledge Of Dental Students Research Articles

Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Management of Needle Stick Injuries at a Private Teaching Tertiary Care Hospital in Chennai City - A Cross Sectional Study

Background Needle stick injury NSI is a penetrating stab wound from a needle or any other sharp object that may result in blood-borne infections such as AIDS Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Exposure to contaminated needles may expose the recipient to blood that contains pathogens which pose a potential risk. Dental specialty involves the use of various small and very sharp instruments that are quite different from those used in medical care.Aim To assess the prevalence knowledge attitude and practice regarding the management of NSI among dental students.Material and methods The study used a questionnaire composed of 24 questions. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 251 dental students. 211 students were included in the study 50 interns 76 third year and 85 final year students. The questionnaire contained four parts Prevalence - to assess exposure to NSI Knowledge - to measure dental studentsrsquo understanding about NSI Attitude and Practice. A pretested selfadministered questionnaire was handed over to the students during their break time and was collected after half an hour.Results A response rate of 84 was recorded. The prevalence of NSIs in the present study was 18 which was significant p lt0.005. Regarding the diseases that spread through body fluids majority of the participants in all the three years acknowledged that HIV Hepatitis B Hepatitis C 73 70.9 55.1 respectively spread through body fluids which was not statistically significant. More than half of the third-year students n42 56.8 had not taken the Hepatitis B vaccination at the start of the course whereas more than 34th of the final year students n72 85.7 and interns n 43 86 were vaccinated which was statistically significant p lt0.001. Majority of the students included in the study were not taught about post exposure prophylaxis technique as a part of their curriculum.Conclusion Overall knowledge of dental students regarding NSI improved with seniority. Additional training programme regarding the management of sharp injuries for dental students is needed and staff should teach students regarding the reporting guidelines. It is important to train dental students about preventing life threatening diseases to ensure safe and successful clinical practice.

Knowledge and Perception of e-Cigarettes among Dental Students in Riyadh Region Saudi Arabia.

Background:Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Dentists play a vital role in tobacco abstinence and counseling. Dental institution being a foundation for a clinical practice from where they can practice and implement the habit of tobacco counseling. E-cigarette can be availed over-the-counter and can be used as alternative to conventional tobacco smoking to reduce ill effects of tobacco.Objectives:The aim of this study is to assess dental student's knowledge, prevalence, and perception about e-cigarette.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done on 400 dental students studying in different universities at Riyadh region, KSA. Questions related to prevalence, knowledge, and awareness about e-cigarette were asked.Results:Forty-four percent of participants were found to be smokers, 26% of the participants had used an e-cigarette themselves with 21% currently using the same.Conclusion:This effective therapeutic tool should be known well by the upcoming budding and professional practicing dentists with through knowledge of each dimensions, merits and demerits of the same to develop positivity in inculcating and encouraging in patient tobacco abstinence program.

Evaluation of general dentist's and dental student's knowledge about emergency management of dentoalveolar trauma in Bojnurd, North Khorasan, Iran

Background: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are one of the most common dental problems among children and adolescents, which usually occur in the anterior parts of the mouth and have great impact on the patient's physical and mental health. Therefore, dentist's knowledge and effective measures in the treatment of TDI are the most important factors in improving the prognosis of these teeth. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of general dentists working in Bojnurd and also 6th-year dental students about the treatment of such injuries. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was provided to 70 general dentists and 6th-year dental students, including personal information and questions related to the knowledge of general dentists, on how to deal with various TDIs by available methods. Data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-square test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and analysis of variance, Spearman's, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: Regarding general dentists' knowledge about dentoalveolar trauma: 39 (55.7%) were moderate, 28 (40%) were good, and 3 (4.3%) were excellent. The mean value knowledge of dentists and dental students was 8.18 ± 1.98. There was no significant relationship between age, gender, place of work, university of study, desire for education, and self-evaluation of dentists and level of awareness (P = 0.26, P = 0.61, P = 0.47, P = 0.93, P = 0.35, and P = 0.57, respectively). Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that majority of the participants are moderately aware of TDIs and the type of treatment, and due to the increasing prevalence of dental trauma and its high complications, especially in children, the need to make appropriate plans to update the level of knowledge of general dentists in the management and treatment of TDI increases.

Diş Hekimliği Lisans Öğrencilerinin HIV/AIDS Hakkındaki Genel Bilgi Düzeyleri ve Tutumlarının Değerlendirilmesi: Anket Çalışması

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge of dental students about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and to assess their attitudes toward AIDS patients. Material and Methods: A total of 689 dental students from different grade level, studying at 32 different universities in Türkiye participated in the survey, which was conducted between January 2021 and March 2021 using the Google survey tool and investigated dental students' general knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS. Participants were presented with a questionnaire consisting of 3 questions on demographic information, 10 questions on general knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and 10 questions assessing their attitude toward HIV/AIDS. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. The chi-square test was used to compare percentage, mean, and analytically expressed data in descriptive statistics. Values with p0.05). The 5th-grade students answered the question about HIV/AIDS oral lesions more correctly than the other grades (42.5%). The most 4th grade students answered 'Yes' to the question about concern of HIV transmission when treating patients (73.1%). Conclusion: The main findings were the students' low level of knowledge about oral HIV/AIDS lesions and their anxiety when treating HIV/AIDS-positive patients. Dental students should be trained to improve their knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDS.

REU Dental Students Knowledge about Protection Methods and the COVID-19 Infected Patients' Treatment Protocols in Prosthodontics: A Cross-Sectional Study

REU Dental Students Knowledge about Protection Methods and the COVID-19 Infected Patients' Treatment Protocols in Prosthodontics: A Cross-Sectional Study

Faculty and dental student knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning the prescribing of opioids: Informing curricular change

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding the prescribing of opioids and addiction in a dental school population. Predoctoral dental students, residents, and dental faculty were surveyed about their beliefs, awareness, opinions about, and prior training in the prescribing of opioids, current prescribing practices, and confidence with risk mitigation strategies. Demographic information collected included gender, race/ethnicity, faculty/student role, year of birth, and year of graduation. Responses were received from 220 faculty and students (n = 47 and n = 173, respectively). Both faculty and students agreed that opioids were overprescribed for the treatment of dental pain. A majority of faculty and dental students (DS)3 + DS4 and DS1 + DS2 students expressed no or limited prior training in (1) the approved state opioid guidelines (75%, 79%, and 95%, respectively), (2) the identification/assessment of substance use disorders (68%, 81%, and 92%, respectively), and (3) patient education to accompany the prescribing of opioids (71%, 80%, and 92%, respectively). A majority of faculty reported moderate or extreme confidence in their clinical skills related to the prescribing of opioids (75%), their ability to identify patients with substance use disorders (55%), and their ability to discuss addiction risk and secure storage of opioids (65%). In contrast, DS3 + DS4 and DS1 + DS2 students expressed significantly less confidence and training. Faculty and students agreed that the role of a dentist included risk mitigation, but reported actions did not match their beliefs, reportedly due to lack of time, less confidence, and the assumption that a pharmacist would assume risk mitigation conversations. A cohesive curriculum across the four predoctoral years is needed focusing on factual knowledge about the prescribing of opioids, safe prescribing, and confidence with patient communication and risk mitigation strategies. In addition, a need for parallel faculty development synchronized with and reinforced by curricular content was identified.

Knowledge of Dental Students from Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina about Dental Care of Oncology Patients.

The central role of the dentist in the treatment of oncology patients is to care for the patient’s oral cavity before, during, and after radio/chemotherapy. The aim of this research was to determine the knowledge of dental students from five universities in three neighboring countries, Croatia (Split, Rijeka, and Zagreb), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), and Slovenia (Ljubljana), about oncology patients’ dental care. A total of 140 students in their fourth, fifth, and sixth year of dental medicine studies participated in this research. A questionnaire with 36 specific questions was designed for this research and included questions about dental care of oncologic patients before, during, and after the oncology therapy. Most students are familiar with the incidence and most common type of head and neck tumors, while knowledge about tumor treatment and the side-effects of radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy is weak. Students did not show satisfactory knowledge about osteoradionecrosis, which is the most serious side-effect of radiotherapy; therefore, the emphasis on additional education should be greatest in this area. Teaching staff should be aware of lack of student knowledge and try to offer more information and practice in providing dental care for oncology patients.

Child physical abuse: knowledge of dental students in Hamburg, Germany.

This study was aimed at evaluating the levels of knowledge of child abuse among students attending the School of Dental and Oral Medicine at the University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. This cross-sectional study utilized a self-administered and structured questionnaire, consisting of 23 multiple-choice questions; the questionnaire focused on rating the students' knowledge of and ability to diagnose child abuse. Each question was analysed with simple descriptive statistics. The students (181) were aware of their legal and ethical responsibilities towards the children and their parents. More than two-thirds (69.6%) responded positively when asked whether a dentist should be legally responsible to report cases of child abuse brought to their attention. The majority of the students (96.1%) agreed that dentists had an ethical duty to report such cases. However, the students were unable to define or describe the signs, symptoms, and social indicators of child abuse. Approximately 93.4% of the students lacked basic training related to child abuse, while 95.7% of them indicated that there was insufficient training in issues related to child abuse. There is a general lack of information regarding child abuse among dentistry students. The majority of the students showed interest in the topic of child abuse and neglect, but were unable to clearly identify the signs and symptoms. More lectures and workshops relating to child abuse should be available to all dentists to reinforce their knowledge as well as to strengthen their confidence when confronted with suspected cases of child abuse.

Awareness Regarding Oral Aphthous Ulcers and its Risk Factors Among BDS and MBBS Students-A Cross-Sectional Survey

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to assess the awareness regarding oral aphthous ulcers and its risk factors among BDS and MBBS students in private institute of Karachi, Pakistan. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a private institute of Karachi Pakistan for the duration of six months. Medical and dental students of age more than 18 years of either gender were enrolled in the study using non-probability convenience sampling technique. Pre-designed proforma was used to collect data regarding demographics, history of recurrent aphthous stomatitis and knowledge of oral aphthous ulcers and its risk factors. The knowledge score of 4 out of 6 was considered as adequate knowledge. SPSS version 25 was used to analyze data. RESULTS: Of 150 participants, the mean age was reported as 22.94±1.65 years (range: 21-25 years). In those 150 participants 46 were males (30.7%) and 104 were females (69.3%). Overall mean score of knowledge was 4.35±1.29. Wherein 73% had adequate knowledge regarding oral ulceration and its risk factors. The dental students had significantly higher proportion of adequate knowledge regarding oral ulceration than medical students [p=0.024]. CONCLUSION: Overall students had good knowledge of oral ulceration and its risk factors, wherein knowledge of dental students was better than medical students. KEYWORDS: Oral ulcers; Recurrent Aphthous stomatitis; awareness, oral ulceration, risk factors, eating habits

Dental Students' Knowledge and Attitudes about Human Papillomavirus Prevention.

The purpose of the current study was to assess knowledge and attitudes about human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccination for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) prevention in first-year through fourth-year dental students. Methods: In this cross-sectional quantitative study, surveys assessed knowledge and attitudes about HPV, HPV-related OPC, and HPV vaccination of incoming first-year dental students (D1), outgoing first- and second-year dental students (D1–D2), and outgoing third- and fourth-year dental students (D3–D4). After completing a 40-item pre-training knowledge and attitude assessment survey, a one-time, one-hour national HPV training session was conducted. An 8-item attitudinal post-survey was completed after training. Results: Of 173 participants (75.9% response rate), over 85% did not know that the rate of HPV is not highest among women in their 30s, and only 11% to 28% knew that smoking-associated OPC is more deadly than HPV-associated OPC. While participants overall expressed willingness to administer the HPV vaccine, the willingness of dental students to do so in their future practice tapered off progressively through dental school year categories (p < 0.001). Among outgoing D1–D4 students, the one-hour HPV training increased participants’ self-perceived ability to describe the burden of HPV disease, discuss the importance of HPV vaccination for cancer prevention, and provide needed HPV vaccination information to parents (all p ≤ 0.004). Conclusions: Understanding deficits in dental student knowledge and attitudes across the 4 years of dental school may help dental educators better understand the timing and content needed for effective HPV training in the dental school curriculum to reduce HPV-associated OPC prevalence.

A Dental School Survey Assessing Dental Student Knowledge, Attitudes and Prescribing Behavior Regarding Opioid Use and Abuse

Purpose/Objectives: While improvements have been made in the amount of opioid prescriptions written by dentists, studies continue to show wide variability in opioid prescribing practices among dentists, suggesting additional education in this area is needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate opioid knowledge, attitudes and prescribing behaviors among dental school students. Methods: The authors conducted a web-based survey of dental students at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry from 2016 through 2018. The survey was comprised of demographic information, student knowledge of clinical and regulatory interventions to reduce prescription opioid abuse, student attitudes and knowledge regarding the magnitude and causes of opioid misuse and abuse, and student opioid prescribing patterns. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether calendar time or progression in the dental program were associated with differences in survey responses. Results: The response rate was 43.67% for a total of 586 dental student participants over the course of this study. The knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding opioid use and abuse among dental students was influenced by both the dental school program curriculum as well as the passage of time during which the evolution of students views and awareness about opioids impacted their responses. Conclusions: Misperceptions and a lack of knowledge influence dental student attitudes and behaviors related to prescription opioids. Understanding the influence of the dental school curriculum and the passage of time on dental students’ knowledge, attitudes, and prescribing behavior may assist in guiding the development of dental curriculum to improve best practices in pain management and prevent the misuse, abuse, and diversion of prescription opioids. Academic dentistry plays a significant role in targeting gaps in student knowledge and understanding that will lead to the development and consistent implementation of best practices for pain management and safe opioid prescribing in dentistry

Self‐reported knowledge, attitudes, and practice of final‐year dental students in relation to child abuse: A multi‐centre study

The number of child abuse cases is increasing worldwide; therefore, it is important to educate individuals having contact with children about it. This includes dentists who play a pivotal role in detecting and reporting child abuse. To identify and compare the final- year dental student's knowledge, attitudes, and practice in relation to child abuse. A 38- item and four- part online questionnaire was distributed to students of 11 dental schools in 10 countries. SPSS and GraphPad Prism were used for data analysis. The levels of statistical significance were determined using a chi- square test. P≤.05 was considered to be statistically significant. A total of 660 students completed the survey. Fifty- six percent of the students received formal training on child abuse, and 86% wanted additional training. The knowledge of child abuse was significantly higher in Australia, the United States, and Jordan compared with other countries. Internet (60.3%) was commonly used as an information source for child abuse. The study showed that dental students lack knowledge and experience in recognizing and reporting child abuse. Most respondents indicated a desire for additional training; therefore, dental schools should review what they are currently teaching and make changes as appropriate.

Digital anatomy table in teaching-learning process of the temporomandibular joint anatomy.

The use of teaching resources and digital objects has gradually been incorporated into dental schools. This study aimed to evaluate the digital anatomy table in teaching-learning process of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy and the student's perception regarding this resource. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 41 undergraduate dental students. Knowledge assessment tests were applied at different time intervals: before and after the TMJ theoretical class, after the practical class on prosected specimens and after the use of digital anatomy table. The medians of the scores obtained in the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table) were descriptively analysed and submitted to Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Student-Newman-Keuls statistical tests. The perception survey was conducted at the end of the study. When the teaching strategies were compared amongst each other, the medians of the scores with the digital anatomy table were significantly higher than after the theoretical and practical classes. At the end of the research, there were no differences amongst the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table). Regarding the perception, the majority of the students reported that the digital anatomy table helped them to understand the content of the theoretical class. It was concluded that learning with the use of the digital anatomy table did not increase the knowledge of dental students with respect to the TMJ anatomy. The students' perceptions of the digital anatomy table were positive and that it could be used as an additional resource in the teaching-learning process.

Avaliação do nível de conhecimento de acadêmicos de Odontologia sobre emergências médicas

Emergências médicas são imprevisíveis e o cirurgião-dentista deve estar preparado para reconhecer e atuar frente a esses casos. No entanto, parece existir uma insegurança diante de tais situações, provavelmente devido às dificuldades de diagnosticar e conduzir esses eventos. Assim, esse estudo se justifica pela necessidade de avaliar o conhecimento dos acadêmicos frente a emergências médicas. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar o nível de conhecimento sobre emergências médicas de graduandos em Odontologia. Esta pesquisa de natureza quantitativa, descritiva e exploratória, foi realizada com acadêmicos do Curso de Odontologia da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, do sexto ao décimo períodos. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio da aplicação de um teste com nove questões objetivas sobre emergências médicas. Os dados foram analisados e os resultados expressos em percentagens, médias e desvios-padrão. Os resultados mostraram que de uma amostra de 100 estudantes, sendo 21% homens e 79% mulheres, 99% têm interesse em participar de um curso de emergências médicas; 4% se julgam preparados para atuar nestes casos, 10% se consideram capazes de fazer uma reanimação cardiopulmonar e 79% obtiveram pontuação considerada como insuficiente no teste. Concluiu-se que os alunos não se mostraram preparados para atuar em casos de emergências médicas.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS

To assess the level of knowledge of Brazilian dental students about organ donation and transplantation. The 477 undergraduate Brazilian dental students, in the first or in the last year of the course, were questioned from March 2011 to June 2012. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and differences between groups were analyzed by the chi-squared test. Only 84 (18%) reported having already attended to some class about the topic organ transplantation. Students reported knowing the brain death definition, but they did not know how the diagnosis of brain death is made (P =0.148). Students in the first and fifth years did not know about the maintenance care of potential organ donors (P=0.148) and how to approach the family about donation in case of brain death (P=0.561). Our study has demonstrated a lack of knowledge about organ donation and transplantation among undergraduate students in the four dental schools investigated. Nationwide, curriculum implementation is suggested in order to prepare dental care professions to integrate a transplantation team. Further investigation is necessary in order to evaluate dental student knowledge in other Brazilian regions.

Fuerza de unión por micro-expulsión del sellador de conductos radiculares a base de minerales en conductos con diferentes ahusamientos.

Objective: Biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of oral lesions. Correct management and care of biopsy at all steps (before, during and after obtaining a biopsy) is highly important to provide proper tissue samples for microscopic assessment by pathologists. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge of dental students (DSs) and general dentists (GDs) on post-oral biopsy instructions. Material and Methods: A questionnaire including two parts was used: 1) Demographic data and self-evaluation of biopsy knowledge by the participants and 2) 11 items about the correct oral biopsy storage and transport to a histopathology laboratory. The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed by STATA. Results: 48 GDs and 131 DSs participated in this study. The knowledge score of the DSs (5.43±2.01) was significantly lower than GDs (8.33±1.78) (p&lt;0.05). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between GDs' knowledge and their working experience, age, gender and the university they graduated from. However, there was a significant relationship between DSs' school year and their knowledge. Conclusion: The findings showed that the knowledge of DSs was lower than GDs. Since, these students will care for the oral and dental health of the community in the future, upgrading their training (by improving the quantity and quality of theoretical and practical training) is necessary to both understand the different aspects of biopsy, and to be familiar enough with proper oral biopsy storage and transport processes.

Brazilian dental students and COVID-19: A survey on knowledge and perceptions.

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the knowledge and perceptions of Brazilian dental students about COVID‐19 and the undergraduate clinical practice during the COVID‐19 outbreak by a self‐administered Web‐based questionnaire.MethodsA social network campaign on Instagram was raised to approach the target population. The survey covered demographic and academic profile, general knowledge, preventive measures and perception about COVID‐19. Descriptive statistics were used to identify frequencies and distributions of variables, which were compared by type of institution and current year of enrolment using the Chi‐square or Fisher's exact tests (α = 0.05).ResultsA total of 833 valid responses were received over 10 days. Students were able to identify the incubation period, main symptoms and contagious routes of the disease but struggled in recognising the name of the virus responsible for the pandemic. Hand washing before and after a dental appointment with a patient (97.7%) followed by the use of barriers to protect mucosa (97.2%) were the more frequently recognised measures to prevent COVID‐19 spread in the dental office. As for the perception of COVID‐19, 73.2% of the dental students perceived the disease as severe, whilst only 11.1% of them thought that COVID‐19 is severe only for people presenting risk factors. Dental student's knowledge and perception were associated with the type of institution and year of enrolment.ConclusionIn summary, the dental students demonstrated an acceptable general knowledge about COVID‐19, but dental schools will need to address gaps in knowledge, preventive measures, and perceptions to ensure a safer return to in person activities.

Awareness and knowledge of undergraduate dental students about the signs and symptoms of Corona viral infection (COVID-19), and the required infection control measures to prevent its spread

BackgroundCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) is considered a highly contagious disease with flu-like symptoms and causing relatively high level of death. It can be transmitted from a person to another through droplets and that makes the dentists at high risk of infection. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the awareness and knowledge of dental students about the signs and symptoms of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to evaluate their awareness about the required infection control measures during the dental treatment to control the spread of the disease. A questionnaire was formed using Google forms and distributed among dental students and interns in different universities in Cairo, Egypt. Questions were about signs and symptoms of COVID-19, attitude of the dentists toward dental treatment of suspected patients and the required personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control measures at the dental clinic.ResultsThe majority of the participants strongly agreed/agreed that COVID-19 is a highly dangerous disease, Participants reported that the most common symptom is difficulty in breathing (89.4%) followed by fever (84.4%). Face shield was the most recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) during dental treatment (98.6%) followed by disposable gown (96.3%). The majority of participants (84.8%) recommended using 70% ethyl alcohol as the first method to disinfect surfaces in between dental visits, followed by sodium hypochlorite.ConclusionsDental students and interns in Cairo, Egypt, have good knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 and the necessary precautions required to provide adequate dental treatment for the patients during the pandemic COVID-19; however, the importance of infection control should be highlighted for both clinical and preclinical dental students, to provide safe dental treatment to the patients as well as protection of the dentists and healthcare workers.

Assessing dentist and dental student knowledge of and attitudes towards shared decision-making in the United Kingdom.

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a partnership between healthcare professionals and patients when choosing care. To measure knowledge of, and attitudes to, SDM amongst undergraduate dental students and dentists in the UK. Cross-sectional online questionnaire for 4th and 5th year dental students and dentists in the UK. The questionnaire included attitudinal questions, knowledge of SDM relative to the evidence base and preferred approach to decision-making. The questionnaire identified perceived learning needs and preferred method for SDM teaching for dentists and dental students. Respondents were invited to participate via social media, mailing lists and CPD courses. Respondents included 266 undergraduates and 130 dentists. SDM was defined by the people involved, components of the discussion, approach to decision-making and expected outcome. Attitudes to SDM were generally positive although concerns were expressed about patients wanting professionals to make the decision, straying from the professionals' preferred option and compatibility with clinical guidelines. Respondents reported a preference for decision-making to involve patients, but this tended to be an informative rather than deliberative approach. Respondents were least sure of the evidence about the impact of SDM on adherence, choices and health outcomes, and the best approach to risk communication. Respondents from both groups reported an interest in learning more about SDM and its integration into clinical practice. Knowledge of, and attitude to, SDM in UK dentists and dental undergraduates is generally positive; however, a demand for further SDM training was identified.

Knowledge and Perception of Dental Students Towards Hepatitis B &amp;amp; C Infection in a South Indian Dental College

Objectives: This study was carried out to assess the knowledge and perception towards HBV&HCV infection among clinical dental students and to compare the variations between participants belonging to different year of study. Study Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at a South Indian Dental college and Hospital. Methods: A study was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of 100 dental undergraduates towards hepatitis B&C infection. A self administered close ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: The knowledge of dental students regarding hepatitis C was found to be lacking in comparison to hepatitis-B. There was found to be some negativity in the perception of dental students towards treating hepatitis-B&C patients, however it was higher towards hepatitis-C. Conclusion: Improvising awareness and knowledge towards hepatitis C can be stressed in dental institutions to equip dental students to treat patients ideally and counseling can be introduced for improvisation of attitude towards treatment HBV and HCV positive patients. Funding Information: Self funded by primary investigator. Declaration of Interests: There are no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Approved by Institute Ethics Committee; Ref.No-IEC/TDCH/042/2019.