Evidence-Based Dentistry Among Iranian General Dentists and Specialists: A Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Study

Abstract

Background: The use of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) as the integration of investigations and clinical decisions has been a focus of attention in recent years. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of EBD among Iranian dentists in 2019. Methods: A total of 140 self-administered questionnaires with 57 items were distributed among dentists in the 2019 exhibition of Iranian dentists. Moreover, 60 self- administered questionnaires were sent to five different dentistry schools in Iran. The analyses were carried out using the Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Pearson correlation. Results: A total of 119 fully-responded self-administered questionnaires were analyzed in this study. The dentists attending EBD workshops obtained significantly higher scores of knowledge. The Cochrane Library, manufacturer’s brochures, and evidence-based guidelines were used the least for clinical decisions. Consultation with colleagues, use of textbooks, and personal judgment were mostly utilized for clinical decisions. In addition, 93.3% of the participants stated sensible uncertainties in their clinical decisions. The most important barriers to EBD were the need for long discussions with patients, lack of skills in the critical appraisal of articles, and lack of motivation in dentists with the incidence rates of 62.2%, 62.2%, and 39.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Due to the low levels of EBD knowledge among Iranian dentists, it is recommended to give further close attention to increasing the knowledge in this regard. However, their high enthusiasm for participation in EBD workshops and enhancement of EBD skills is promising.