Evaluation of Yazd Dentist’s Knowledge, Attitude and Performance of Aesthetic Management of Anterior Composite Restorations in 2020

Nowadays, due to the rapid development of new resin restorative materials and extensive media advertising concerning the importance and impact of a beautiful smile, there is an increased demand for the restoration of anterior teeth; thus, the beauty of smile is rendered as a major concern for patients and dentists.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 165 general dentists in Yazd City, Iran were selected by random sampling. Of these, 158 dentists completed the study questionnaire, including 5 demographic items and 38 more items in three parts: knowledge, attitude and performance. Gleaned data were analyzed with SPSS 16 using T-test, one-way ANOVA, descriptive statistics (frequency/percentage).

In this study, 39.9% of dentists were male and 60.1% were female. There was no statistically significant correlation between the scores of attitude and knowledge with gender, age, history of activity, and the university of dentists' study (P>0.05). Yet, a statistically significant correlation was observed between the average attitude scores of dentists who participated in training courses and the dentists who did not participate in training courses (P<0.05).

Based on the results of the present study, dentists had average knowledge and poor attitude regarding the aesthetic management of anterior composite restorations. However, participation in courses and workshops on aesthetic management of anterior composite restorations had a great impact on dentists' attitudes. Moreover, most dentists were not satisfied with the Dental School's training regarding anterior composite restorations.