Background: Pediatric patients have high unmet needs. There are only a handful of pediatric dentists in Pakistan. Thus, the dental services of child patients are provided by other dentists. The aim of this study was to assess the attitude and practice of dentists towards clinical pediatric dentistry in Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among the dentists in Pakistan. A validated questionnaire was used.
Results: A total of 372 dentists participated in the study. These included 122 (32.8%) males and 250 (67.2%) females. The majority of the participants (n = 272, 73.1%) were between the ages of 25 and 35 years. As compared to other dentists, a significantly greater number of general dentists (n = 84, 40.6%; p < 0.008) had received any training in the behavioral management of children. Operative dentists reported practicing more of the various procedures in child patients (pit and fissure sealants, stainless steel crowns, pulpectomies, fluoride varnishes, pulpotomies and restorations), as compared to the other dentists. Even though the operative dentists performed more of these procedures, more than 50% of them still did not frequently perform any of the procedures. A total of 244 (65.6%) expressed their approval of wanting to attend pediatric dentistry courses, if available.
Conclusion: There is a major gap in the need and practice of pediatric dentistry. More training needs to be conducted at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels for dentists.
Key words: Pediatric dentistry, Continuing dental education, Dentists awareness, Dentists attitude, Clinical dentistry
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