ABSTRACT
Background: Differential exposure to a profession will affect an individual's knowledge and perception. The extent to which this occurs among Nigerian preclinical dental students in respect of the dental profession is still to be documented. Aim: To compare the knowledge and perception of dentistry among preclinical students in an old versus a new dental school.Methods: A 10-item questionnaire designed to assess knowledge and perception of dentistry and the dental profession was distributed among preclinical dental students of University of Ibadan (old school) and University of Port Harcourt (new school). The information gathered were compared and statistical differences were computed using SPSS version 14.0. Results: Clear disparities were observed between the two schools in three important aspects; i. understanding of the scope of dentistry; ii. awareness of advanced specialty options in dentistry; iii. knowledge of the relevance of some course content. Conclusion: University of Ibadan students appear to have a better knowledge of the dental profession compared to the students from the University of Port Harcourt. Formal familiarization programme for high school and preliminary dental students is advisable to provide proper motivation for prospective dental students