Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude of Dental Students of Tehran and ShahidBeheshti Universities of Medical Sciences about Evidence-based Dentistry

Abstract Background and Aim: Evidence-based dentistry is an approach to oral health that requires a reasonable combination of scientific evidence with the dentists’ diagnostic and clinical practice as well as patients’ needs and treatment priorities. The aim of this study was evaluation of awareness, attitudes and self- assessed knowledge of dentistry students about EBD in governmental universities in Tehran. Materials and Methods: Subjects included junior students of dentistry studying in Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences. Sixty-five subjects were evaluated, among which 85% answered the questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to the students before and after their courses to evaluate student’s aware-ness, attitude and self- assessment knowledge. Chi- square and T- test were used to analyze the results. Results: Totally 80% of students had a fair or poor awareness about EBD. Almost, all the students had a correct attitude about EBD and 80% had a correct attitude about the steps. The mean male student’s knowledge was significantly higher than that of female counterparts. Also, there was a significantly positive correlation between student’s knowledge score and self- assessed knowledge about EBD. Conclusion: Despite good attitudes about EBD, there is a deficiency in student’s knowledge, so an appropriate plan is suggested to resolve this problem. Key Words: Dentistry Students - Evidence-Based Dentistry