ABSTRACT
Dentistry is a skill-based profession. Various specialisations are found in this field and several short-term certificate courses are also taking birth to cater to the need of newly graduated student population who want to set up practices afresh. We wanted to assess the attitude and knowledge of undergraduate dental students towards various specialisations. METHODSA cross-sectional survey of all final year dental undergraduates and house surgeons was carried out by distributing semi-structured questionnaire to 212 undergraduate dental students from various colleges in South Coastal Karnataka and Kerala region.Statistical analyses were carried out using chi‑square test and Fisher’s exact test. RESULTSThe study found that 89.6% (n= 190) respondents desired to pursue a specialisation. 91% (n=111) of the total final year students and 87.8% (n=79) of total interns desired to specialise. Majority of them were females 76.9 % (n=163). Oral surgery was the first choice of specialisation amongst final years and conservative & endodontics among interns. Least preferred was oral pathology. CONCLUSIONSAttitude and knowledge of students varied widely with respect to gender, year of study, and external influencing factors. Females were more inclined to specialisation despite the obstacles they would face.
ABSTRACT
Diagnosis and treatment planning is one of the essential measures before starting any treatment and must include considerations of the biological, psychological, social, and economic status of the patient in addition to the obvious dental problems. Patients who approach a dental surgeon for treatment usually demand realistic replacement of the lost tissues, be it hard or soft tissues. Patients usually have an unrealistic expectation about the replacement and always think that artificial substitutes will surpass the natural tissues lost both in aesthetic and functional aspects. It is impossible to the dental surgeons to deal with few patients if he is not able to assess the mental attitude of the patient and programme his treatment accordingly. It is the greatest challenge to the dental surgeon to meet the patients mind and satisfy his expectations. This article aims to provide a review of the mental and emotional factors involved in prosthodontic treatment and the methods to develop the right attitude towards the patients. Literature has recognized a relationship between psychology and dentistry and has attempted to describe the factors that require consideration during dental therapy. A practical approach to patient management now replaces the theoretical approaches. It is imperative to understand the individual carrying the ailment and his/her psychological background as familiarity with the biological and organic aspects of disease alone is not passable for the successful prosthodontic rehabilitation. Mental attitude of the patient helps us visualise the prognosis of treatment in prosthodontic patients especially the geriatric patients.