Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives To investigate the current and intended future use of dental dams (DDs) and attitudes regarding DD use among final-year dental students at two levels (undergraduate and college) in dental schools in Chongqing, China.Design A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted fro...

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Main Authors: Jing Yang, Haofeng Jiang, Lu Shen, Yuhan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2022-07-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e059148.full
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author Jing Yang
Haofeng Jiang
Lu Shen
Yuhan Zhang
author_facet Jing Yang
Haofeng Jiang
Lu Shen
Yuhan Zhang
author_sort Jing Yang
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To investigate the current and intended future use of dental dams (DDs) and attitudes regarding DD use among final-year dental students at two levels (undergraduate and college) in dental schools in Chongqing, China.Design A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2021.Setting Chongqing Medical University (CQMU, undergraduate level) and Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College (CQTGMC, junior college level).Participants A total of 245 final-year dental students.Main outcome measures An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to dental students less than 1 month before graduation. Students were asked about the DD training they had received, their attitudes towards some aspects of DDs, their current DD use and their intended future DD use in adult or child patients and in various dental procedures.Results A total of 238 valid questionnaires were returned (response rate=97.1%, CQMU=96.2%, n=76; CQTGMC=97.6%, n=162). A total of 47.5% of respondents used DDs on real patients during their internships (CQMU=59.2%, CQTGMC=42.0%, p<0.05). Whether in restorative procedures or endodontic treatment, the most common reason for not using DDs was a ‘lack of knowledge and experience’, followed by ‘DDs could not be provided by internship institutions’. Although the advantages of DDs were recognised by most students from the two schools, 52.9% thought DDs were difficult to apply (CQMU=42.1%, CQTGMC=58.0%, p<0.05). A total of 92.1% of CQMU respondents and 95.1% of CQTGMC respondents expressed their willingness to use DDs after independent practice in the future.Conclusions Although final-year students have a clear awareness of the advantages of DDs and are very enthusiastic about future DD use, the current DD utilisation rate is low. Education about DDs should be continuously improved in many aspects, and the advantages of using DDs in clinical dentistry should be further emphasised at dental schools.
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spelling doaj-art-0f154d362f2d40ddbad825d6fb6c4ca72025-01-31T13:05:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-07-0112710.1136/bmjopen-2021-059148Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional studyJing Yang0Haofeng Jiang1Lu Shen2Yuhan Zhang3Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, ChinaCollege of Clinical Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, Municipality, ChinaCollege of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Municipality, ChinaDepartment of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, ChinaObjectives To investigate the current and intended future use of dental dams (DDs) and attitudes regarding DD use among final-year dental students at two levels (undergraduate and college) in dental schools in Chongqing, China.Design A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2021.Setting Chongqing Medical University (CQMU, undergraduate level) and Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College (CQTGMC, junior college level).Participants A total of 245 final-year dental students.Main outcome measures An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to dental students less than 1 month before graduation. Students were asked about the DD training they had received, their attitudes towards some aspects of DDs, their current DD use and their intended future DD use in adult or child patients and in various dental procedures.Results A total of 238 valid questionnaires were returned (response rate=97.1%, CQMU=96.2%, n=76; CQTGMC=97.6%, n=162). A total of 47.5% of respondents used DDs on real patients during their internships (CQMU=59.2%, CQTGMC=42.0%, p<0.05). Whether in restorative procedures or endodontic treatment, the most common reason for not using DDs was a ‘lack of knowledge and experience’, followed by ‘DDs could not be provided by internship institutions’. Although the advantages of DDs were recognised by most students from the two schools, 52.9% thought DDs were difficult to apply (CQMU=42.1%, CQTGMC=58.0%, p<0.05). A total of 92.1% of CQMU respondents and 95.1% of CQTGMC respondents expressed their willingness to use DDs after independent practice in the future.Conclusions Although final-year students have a clear awareness of the advantages of DDs and are very enthusiastic about future DD use, the current DD utilisation rate is low. Education about DDs should be continuously improved in many aspects, and the advantages of using DDs in clinical dentistry should be further emphasised at dental schools.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e059148.full
spellingShingle Jing Yang
Haofeng Jiang
Lu Shen
Yuhan Zhang
Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
BMJ Open
title Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
title_full Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
title_short Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
title_sort attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final year dental students in chongqing china a cross sectional study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e059148.full
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