Asfia Saeed, Fatima Suhaib, Hashmat Gul, Muhammad Kaleem.
Assessment of dentists attitude and practice regarding preventive dentistry in teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi.
Pak Oral Dental J Jan ;36(4):610-4.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the attitude and practice of dentists working in academic institutes of Rawalpindi, regarding preventive dentistry and to identify barriers in the implementation of preventive dental care. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Armed Force Institute of Dentistry (AFID) and Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS), Rawalpindi. The developed questionnaire collected demographics data and professional characteristics of the participants. Questions to assess frequency and type of general preventive measures including counseling regarding oral hygiene implementation, smoking cessation and diet modification, practiced by the participants were included. The frequency and type of comprehensive chair side preventive procedures performed by the dentists and their perception regarding perceived barriers in provision of preventive dental care was also recorded. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. For categorical variables, percentages and frequencies were calculated. Chi-square test was applied to compare and analyze the association between experience and provision of preventive practices. Majority of the dentists reported that they counseled their patients regarding oral hygiene measures (85%), smoking cessation (83.9%) and diet modifications (79.7%). Home fluoride treatment was prescribed more often (83.9%) as compared to provision of in-office fluoride treatments (50.3%) and pit and fissure sealants (62.2%). Statically significant difference (p <0.05) was seen in provision of pit and fissure sealants and in-office fluoride treatment on the basis of gender, professional characteristics and clinical experience. Regarding barriers in provision of preventive measures, lack of patient awareness (59.4%) was rated highest followed by low priority in dental curriculum (12.6%). The study showed that the attitude and practice of dental practitioners working in teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi, for preventive dental care was encouraging with a scope of further improvement.

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