CBCT: knowledge, attitude, and practice among dentists
摘要
CBCT is an established diagnostic technique in oral medicine due to a relatively low dose and cost and high resolution. However, the use of CBCT should be restricted to situations where conventional dental radiography does not provide sufficient information.
MethodsWe aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Russian dentists towards the use of CBCT. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among dental professionals of various specialties. The 15-minute survey consisted of four sections: demographic characteristics, knowledge (nine questions), attitude (five questions), and practice (eight questions). A Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare these variables in the groups. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the proportions. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was calculated to reveal pair-wise correlation between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores.
ResultsWe analyzed 388 questionnaires. Most respondents showed a fair (42.5%) or poor (42.5%) knowledge of CBCT. We found a significant influence of the specialty and workplace (government-funded vs. private clinics) on the knowledge score. 90% of dentists demonstrated a positive attitude towards the use of CBCT. The attitude score was significantly influenced by the following factors: specialty, experience, gender, and workplace. While a vast majority of the respondents (92%) used CBCT in their practice, more than half of the participants (50.3%) never had training on CBCT performing and/or interpretation. The use of CBCT varied among different specialties, but no significant differences were found among dentists working at different workplaces and those with different clinical experience.
ConclusionsThe surveyed dentists had insufficient knowledge of CBCT, but commonly prescribed this imaging modality and demonstrated positive attitude towards it.