Attitude of dental students towards public health and other dental specialities as professional careers

ABSTRACT

This investigation was carried out to study attitudes of Egyptian dental students concerning dental public health. A sample of time of 2084 dental students was selected. The results showed that dental students regarded dental public health career as less successful, exciting, rewarding, valuable, reputable and meaningful than the other two dental professions private practice and dental teaching careers. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female students, attitudes towards career in "dental public health". A statistically significant difference was found between students in different dental Faculties in their attitudes towards career in dental public health, as dental students in El-Mansoura and El-Azhar Universities had more favourable attitude than those in other Universities. Dental students expressed neutrality when asked to define the degree of attractiveness of the "career in dental public health" [the mean score was 3.88]