Knowledge and Use of Evidence-based Dentistry among Iranian Dentists

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and use of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among Iranian dentists. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire among dentists attending the 52nd National Annual Congress of the Iranian Dental Association in Tehran in April 2012. The questions covered the participants level of knowledge and use of EBD. Results: The mean knowledge score of the 310 respondents was 3.66 ± 1.19 out of a maximum of 5. The majority of the dentists had little (56.1%) or no (20.7%) knowledge of EBD. The main reported barrier to the use of EBD was lack of time (44.1% of respondents) with 42.8% of dentists using the Internet less than one hour per week. Conclusion: EBD was not a familiar concept to these Iranian dentists; the majority of them preferred consultation with colleagues over seeking evidence from electronic databases.