Fourth Year Dental Students' Confidence Level in Treating Pediatric Dental Patients

Abstract

University of Washington Abstract Fourth Year Dental Students’ Confidence Level in Treating Pediatric Dental Patients Tiara B. Brown Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Assistant Professor Ana Lucia Seminario, DDS, PhD, MPH School of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: To determine characteristics of the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Pediatric Clinical Rotation and dental students’ demographic factors associated with fourth year dental students’ high levels of knowledge, experience, and confidence in treating pediatric patients. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to fourth year dental students. Demographics, previous dental experiences, future practice plans, and pediatric rotation experiences as well as information on students’ self-rated levels of knowledge, experience, and confidence on seventeen treatment and diagnosing categories were collected. Data on dental encounters accomplished by the students’ was also collected and consisted of the patient’s age and the type of treatment provided. ANOVA and 2 Sample t-tests were used to evaluate association between the students’ demographic factors and their self-reported knowledge, experience, and confidence levels. Results: Sixty-nine percent of students participated in this study and one hundred percent reported willingness to treat children. The majority of the procedures that students were exposed during their clinical rotation were preventive. There were no statistically significant associations with any of the characteristics of the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Pediatric Clinical Rotation or any of the students’ demographic factors. Conclusions: This study provided information on the age of patients, number and type of procedures the students treated. Students had high numbers of preventative procedures; therefore, they would be more willing and likely to conduct these procedures on young pediatric patients in their future practice which, as a result, would increase the number of general dentists treating pediatric patients.