Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Jul 2002)
The knowledge and practices of general dentists in selecting type of radiography
Abstract
Background and Objective: The aim of dental care is improvement of oral health. Although the radiography is useful in detection of diseases, but it can be harmful because of its Ionization ray. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of general dentists and giving them further information about proper prescription of radiography. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study was done on all general dentists in Babol during 2001. A questionnaire was prepared on the basis of questions about prescription of different kinds of intra and extra oral radiography and also some questions about their occupational experiences and university where they were graduated. Data was analyzed by SPSS soft ware, Chi-square and T-test. Findings: From 65 general dentists, 19 (29.2%) were female and 46 (70.8%) were male. The average score of their knowledge and practices in females (8.6 and 15) was higher than males (7.7 and 14.2) (P=0.358 and P=0.023, respectively). The knowledge scores of graduated dentists from famous universities (Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Mashhad, Isfahan and Shiraz universities) in comparison to other universities was lower (P=0.878) but the score of practice was equal in both groups (P=0.99). The score of knowledge and practice of dentists with 10 years experience or more in comparison to those with less than 10 years experience was higher (P=0.545, P=0.33, respectively). Conclusion: It seems that some dentists do not pay enough attention to correct principles of radiography prescription so with continuous instruction, they should be familiar with new guidelines.
