Acceptance of Minimally Invasive Dentistry Among US Dentists in Public Health Practices.

PURPOSE: Little is known about use or acceptance of minimally invasive dentistry (MID) in the USA, particularly in public health settings. The purpose of this study was to assess opinions concerning MID among dentists in public-health practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the views of dentists in public-health practices concerning MID using an online survey instrument among National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) and American Association of Community Dental Programs (AACDP) members. Specific questions focused on diagnostic and preventive techniques, and whether MID was considered to meet the standard of care in the US Results: Overall, 86% believed that MID met the standard of care for primary teeth, and 77% did so for permanent teeth. The majority of respondents also agreed that fluoride varnish prevents caries and atraumatic restorative techniques (ART) are an effective caries treatment for children and adults. According to logistic regression results, dentists who had continuing education courses in MID and agreed that ART was an effective treatment for adults were more likely to report that MID met the standard of care for permanent teeth. Subjects who believed that fluoride varnish was effective as caries prevention for children were more likely to view MID as meeting the standard of care for primary teeth. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be a paradigm shift toward a MID philosophy, and most responding public health dentists believed that MID meets the standard of care for primary and permanent teeth in the US.

Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavior: A Multi-Institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of a Population of U.S. Dental Students.

The aim of this study was to help inform faculty and curriculum leaders in academic dental institutions about the knowledge, skills, perceptions, and behavior of an institutionally diverse population of dental students with respect to evidence-based practice (EBP). A survey utilizing the validated Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation instrument developed by Hendricson et al. was conducted in 2012 with fourth-year dental students at seven geographically dispersed U.S. dental schools. The survey addressed elements of EBP knowledge, attitudes toward EBP, behavior in accessing evidence, and perceptions of competence in statistical analysis. A total of 138 students from the seven schools participated. A slight majority of these students correctly responded to the knowledge of critical appraisal questions. While the students demonstrated positive attitudes about EBP, they did not report high levels of confidence in their critical appraisal skills. The findings also showed that the students accessed various sources of evidence with differing frequencies. The most frequently accessed resources were colleagues, the Internet (excluding Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and textbooks. The results of this study help to identify areas for improvement in EBP education in order to advance dental students' preparation to become evidence-based practitioners.