JOURNAL OF UPDATES IN PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY - Volume 3 Issue 1, January - June 2024

Pages: 13-21

Date of Publication: 03-Sep-2024

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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Private Dental Practitioners Towards Preventive Dental Measures of Pediatric Patients in Namakkal District: A Questionnaire Based Study

Author: D Keerthika, Murugesan Gawthaman, Selvaraj Vinodh, Muthusamy Manoharan, Mohanraj Kamatchi, Kruthika Murali

Category: Pediatric Dentistry

Abstract:

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of private dental practitioners in Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, regarding preventive dental practice.

Material and Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey using a 20-item closed-end questionnaire. We analyzed the data using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0, employing statistical tests such as the frequency test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's rho correlation test.

Results: A total of 200 dental professionals participated in the study, with 47.5% being male and 52.5% female. Of the participants, 68% were under the age of 35, while 32% were 35 years or older. Qualification distribution showed that 47.5% were dental graduates and 52.5% were dental specialists. We observed a highly significant difference in knowledge compared to attitude and practice. The mean±SD scores were 7.84±2.139 for knowledge, 3.11±0.955 for attitude, and 3.51±1.143 for practice. Statistically significant correlations were found between attitude and practice (0.246, p<0.0001).

Conclusion: Dental practitioners in Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, demonstrated substantial knowledge and a positive attitude toward preventive dentistry, and they generally adopted preventive measures in their practice.

Keywords: Pediatric, preventive dentistry, knowledge, and attitude.

DOI: 10.54276/JUPD.2024.3104

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.54276/JUPD.2024.3104