Evaluating the Awareness of Dental Students and General Dentists in Isfahan City Regarding Orthodontic Treatments

Proper planning of orthodontic services at a communal level requires a clear understanding of the correct approach to providing orthodontic treatments to different population groups. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness of orthodontic treatments among general dentists and dental students in their last two years of study in Isfahan city.

In this analytical descriptive and study, 75 dental students in their last two years of  study at faculty of Dentistry, Isfahan Azad University ,and 75 general dentists in Isfahan City were randomly selected. Participants were given a questionnaire consisting of two parts: the first part was related to background information, and the second part contained 25 questions aimed at determining the level of awareness. Data was analyzed using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman correlation tests (α= 0.05). 

The results showed no significant difference in the mean scores between dental students, and general dentists (P=0.301). However, women demonstrated a significantly higher level of awareness compared to men (P=0.002).The level of awareness did not differ significantly with age (P=0.124) or work experience of dentists (P=0.848).  Furthermore, here was no significant difference in the mean scores of 6ths and 5th year students. (P=0.91).

The level of awareness of general dentists and dental students in their last two years of study was medium with women demonstrating a higher level of awareness. The level of awareness was not influenced by age, work experience, and year of entering the university.