Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice among private dental practitioners toward preventive measures of pediatric patients in durg-bhilai city

Abstract

Introduction: The old saying “prevention is better than cure” holds true when applied to preventive dental care. It is vitally important for the general health and well-being of the individual to take the necessary steps to prevent the occurrence of major dental problems. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) emphasizes the importance of initiating professional oral health intervention in infancy and continuing through adolescence and beyond. Materials and methods: Around 109 available private general dental practitioners of Durg-Bhilai city (within city limits) made up the (convenient) sampling frame of the study. These entire dentists were identified and contacted. But, out of 109 dentists, only 92 were surveyed. BDS graduates and MDS (other than pedodontists) were included in the study. Dentists who were not willing to participate were excluded from the study. The sample size was calculated based on the total number of dentists practicing in Durg-Bhilai city limits. Conclusion: A statistically significant correlation was found in-between the knowledge and practice score (0.368), knowledge and attitude (0.269); attitude and practice (−0.257).