ABSTRACT
Introduction: Internet has become ubiquitous with the advent of smartphones. The dental fraternity keeps themselves updated and share knowledge through webinars, video conferences, research publications, etc. Hence, the internet serves as an imperative tool for dissemination of information. The usage of internet in dental education can be exploited to the fullest, especially due to the increased ownership rates of smartphones. Materials and Methods: A total of 490 students from four dental colleges in Tamil Nadu were asked to fill a close-ended questionnaire to assess the knowledge and attitude of dental students toward internet usage in smartphones. This study was conducted from November 2016 to January 2017. Results: The response rate was 100%. Almost all the students (98%) had knowledge on browsing. The percentage of internet use in smartphones were the highest (55.2%) followed by computers or laptops at home (26.5%). About 34.6% of students used internet in smartphones daily. More than half of the students (52.2%) used internet in smartphone at least 2–3 h a day. About one quarter (23.4%) of students used internet on a daily basis while 29.59% of students accessed the internet thrice a week for searching content related to dentistry. The preferred source for collecting dental-related information was through the internet (28.9%) and textbooks (28.5%). Conclusion: Dental students have considerable knowledge in using the internet for dental education and some of them utilize internet more frequently because of the possession of smartphones.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Dental graduates have a professional responsibility of being competent in managing the complications in exodontia, a very commonly performed procedure. Aim: The aim of this paper was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of senior dental students toward the management of complications in exodontia. Materials and Methods: Four hundred dental students participated in the study voluntarily. Verbal consent was obtained after elaborating the purpose of the study. A short validated questionnaire consisting of 12 close-ended multiple choice questions was distributed to all the students. The questionnaires were collected back and results from fully filled questionnaires were tabulated in Microsoft Excel 2007. Results: Nearly 93.4% of the students perform extractions in their practice on a routine basis. Among those 32.5% of the students have encountered complications, out of which only 20% of the students are confident in managing them. The remaining 64.8% of students who have not encountered complications are not confident in managing the same. Conclusion: This study revealed the need for increase in cases which will in turn help the students to transfer their theoretical knowledge into professional skills.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Research is important in medical and dental sciences to improve healthcare. Faculties play an important role in research productivity and student motivation in research. Aim: The aim of this paper was to assess the attitude and experiences of dental post‑graduate teachers toward article writing and reading and to discuss the barriers faced by them. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 dental post‑graduate teachers from various Dental Colleges in South India participated as the study group. A questionnaire relating to publishing practices was distributed, and the results were analyzed. Result: Majority of the study group (82%) were involved in the publication with many (48.4%) doing so for career progression. Journal prestige was the main reason for selection of journals. Lack of time was the main reason for those not involved in the publication. Conclusion: This study revealed the positive attitude of teachers toward scientific reading and writing. They only require motivation and time.