How do dental faculty members relate to Evidence-Based Dentistry?

Abstract

Building the rationale to critically appraise scientific evidence on the best approach for each patient requires incorporating the Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) model, preferably into undergraduate dental courses. This approach would favor the diffusion of EBD culture amongst dental professionals. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the relationship of dental faculty members with the EBD model. The study was conducted in 2018 with all 23 dental faculty members (100% response rate) of a community university. They responded the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ) and a set of supporting questions involving sociodemographics, search for information, proficiency of foreign languages, and perceived need for knowledge on issues related to EBD. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. A total of 73.9% of faculty members claimed having been prepared to search for scientific evidence and 69.5% are aware of connected computer systems for research. Scientific journals, the internet, courses, and colleague opinions were the main sources of information. Reading and comprehension of foreign languages was limited to 30%. The practice and attitudes towards EBD by dental faculty members were positive, with the lowest mean value of 4.85. Knowledge and skills related to EBD had lower mean values, which coincided with a relatively high perceived need for knowledge on EBD. Dental faculty members present a positive attitude towards the EBD model, have been trained to search for scientific information and acknowledge the existence of institutional structure for applying and teaching EBD. On the other hand, knowledge and skills associated with EBD may require improvement.

Survey of Dental Students’ Self-Perceived Practice, Attitude, and Knowledge Toward Evidence-Based Dentistry in Indonesia

“…However, they appeared to be less frequent in critically appraise the evidence. These findings accord with the previous study, 19 which assessed practice, attitude, and knowledge of dental faculty members in Brazil using EBPQ. Studies by Khami et al, 3 and Straub-Morarend et al, 4 also showed that dental students had a low confidence level and were less capable of conducting the critical appraisal.…”

“…However, critically appraising the literature's quality is crucial in EBD practice to obtain the best relevant scientific evidence. 19 This study revealed that the overall dental students had a positive attitude toward the implementation of EBD, with the majority strongly agree that evidencebased practice is fundamental to professional practice. These results are in line with those previous studies in other countries.…”