A Survey of the Knowledge of General Dentists about the Accurate Prescription of Dental Radiographic Techniques in Rasht, Iran

Radiography is among the most effective paraclinical methods used for accurate diagnosis and treatment in dentistry. Considering the possible risks of X-ray exposure for patients, dentists are professionally obliged to have adequate knowledge in the accurate prescription of various radiographic techniques to minimize unnecessary radiographs. The present study aimed to survey the knowledge of general dentists regarding the correct prescription of various radiographic techniques in Rasht, Iran.
In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 126 practicing dentists were visited and asked to complete designed questionnaires. Knowledge level of the participants was evaluated in nine domains regarding the accurate prescription of oral radiographs, and each domain was compared in terms of age, gender, and work experience. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 21 using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis test.
Overall knowledge of the general dentists about the accurate prescription of oral radiographic techniques was acceptable. The highest knowledge level was observed in the pediatric field (78.6%), followed by the Bitewing techniques (54%) and panoramic radiography (40.5%). The lowest knowledge level was denoted in the case of high-risk patients for caries (40.5%). No significant association was observed between the gender and knowledge of the dentists (P=0.333), while age had a significant correlation with the level of knowledge (P=0.024).
Despite the acceptable overall knowledge of the dentists, the level of knowledge was variable in the nine studied domains. Therefore, it is recommended that retraining courses be implemented based on valid guidelines in order to improve the knowledge of dentists about dental radiographic techniques, particularly in cases of high-risk patients for dental caries, periapical techniques, and periodontal techniques.