Knowledge of Iranian dentists about cone beam computed tomography. A questionnaire study

Introduction: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), is a relatively new imaging technique in dental and maxillofacial fields, with versatile abilities and applications. If the advantage of CBCT is well understood and established; the technique will be properly applied in dental planning and treatment along with tremendous benefits to the patients. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge of Iranian dentists about CBCT. Materials &methods: A researcher made questionnaire, including 18 questions was used to assess the knowledge of Iranian dentist participating in an international anniversary conference. Data were extracted and analyzed using SPSS software version 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The student T test and spearman correlation coefficient were used to compare the relationship between knowledge scores and independent variables. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The mean score of knowledge about CBCT achieved by general practitioners was 7.45 and that of specialists was 8.73, which may be categorized as average. There was no significant difference in knowledge about CBCT between male and female dentists (P=0.33) and also there was no relation to age (P=0.54) and years of experience of dentists (P=0.88) in this regard. The knowledge about CBCT was higher in specialists dentists (P=0.002). Conclusion: The knowledge of Iranian general dentists about CBCT is not at ideal. Educational and post educational training programs should be considered to improve it.