Bridging the Gap: Dental Students' Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)

BACKGROUND

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) face significant barriers in accessing dental care, resulting in poorer oral health outcomes compared to the general population. To reduce dental healthcare disparities, dental professionals must develop positive attitudes and acquire the necessary skills to treat PWDs effectively. This study aimed to assess the experiences, education, training levels, and attitudes of dental students and interns toward PWDs, and to explore the relationships between their exposure to PWDs, their education/training regarding managing PWDs, and their attitudes toward PWDs.

METHODS

Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. From May to June 2023, a pretested, validated online questionnaire (developed based on existing survey instruments and modified to fit the study context) was distributed to 98 eligible dental students and interns at King Faisal University. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for analysis.

RESULTS

The response rate was 88.78%. There was a statistically positive correlation between students' exposure to PWDs and their attitudes (p < 0.05). Statistically significant relationships were found between students' education/training and their attitudes towards educational experiences and instructors (p < 0.01) and interpersonal interactions with PWDs (p < 0.05). No statistically significant relationship existed between the year of study and future encounters with PWDs (p = 0.176). Additionally, 42.5% of students felt inadequately prepared to treat PWDs, and 88.5% expressed a desire for further education. Notably, 20.7% reported no training on PWDs, while 70.1% preferred clinical education.

CONCLUSIONS

The study underscores the importance of exposure and training in shaping dental students' attitudes toward PWDs. Dental schools should prioritize structured teaching, greater contact with the disabled community, and hands-on experiences to ensure dental professionals are both well prepared and positively inclined to treat PWDs. These findings have significant implications for improving dental education curricula.

Survey on the attitudes and perceptions of Swiss dental practitioners and dental students toward treating patients with disabilities and sensory impairments

AIMS

This study evaluated the attitudes and perceptions of private dental practitioners (PPs) and students on treating patients with disabilities and sensory impairments.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A multifaceted questionnaire was used to assess the participants' attitudes on providing care to persons with disabilities and sensory impairments [visual (VI) and hearing (HI)]. The survey evaluated different aspects of the participants' attitudes that included integrity, altruism, perceived barriers, and theory of planned behavior (TPB). One hundred twenty participants [students: n = 73, practitioners (PP): n = 47), with a mean-age of 27.7 ± 5.3 years, completed the survey (response rate: 100%). Fourth-year students scored better than the PP in integrity (p = .019). For altruism, the students scored better than PPs (vs. fourth-year: p = .009, vs. fifth-year: p = .031). There were no differences between the participant groups for the overall assessments of the TPB (p = .213), VI (p = .863), and HI (p = .261).

CONCLUSION

Dental practitioners and students revealed a positive attitude, with few barriers, towards treating individuals with disabilities/sensory impairments and considered the training in the field of special care dentistry as a necessary part of the dental education. Furthermore, a demand for an increase in the hands-on practical experience in treating individuals with disabilities/sensory impairments during the undergraduate study curriculum was identified.

Training dental hygiene students to care for patients with disabilities

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a novel training programme on dental hygiene students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about caring for individuals with disabilities.

METHODS

A mixed methods approach was used. Students from five dental hygiene programmes based at community colleges completed a two-hour didactic training session to supplement their existing special care dentistry coursework. Students completed an original 14-item pretest and posttest before and after the training that assessed attitudes and beliefs, and two validated posttests that assessed knowledge. Afterwards, students completed a clinical rotation in an advanced care dental clinic at a local academic institution, gaining hands-on experience with equipment and patient treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to report training scores, types of services rendered, and modifications to treatment. Student comments about their experiences were assessed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Two hundred and ninety-four students completed didactic training, and 261 completed clinical rotations. Posttest scores indicated positive improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. All students provided direct patient care. Sixty-nine percent treated patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities; 75% placed silver diamine fluoride or fluoride varnish. Altered patient positioning was used by 70.5%. Most students (95.4%) reported that their experience positively changed their attitudes towards caring for patients with disabilities in the future. Eight themes emerged, notably increased comfort and confidence, a willingness and desire to treat patients, the acquisition of new skills, and clinician behaviours of empathy and compassion towards others.

CONCLUSION

Training can help prepare dental hygiene students with the confidence and skills to address the oral health needs of individuals with disabilities.

Practicing Dentists' Self-Efficacy and Associated Factors in Managing the Treatment of Adults with Mental and Physical Disabilities: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Provision of oral healthcare to adults with mental and physical disabilities (AMPD) remains a challenging area across various healthcare systems. The present study aimed to assess self-reported efficacy and investigate factors associated with self-efficacy in the management of AMPD among practicing dentists in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A pilot-tested, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 1000 dentists. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed on the collected responses. Results: Among the respondents (54%), 43% were males. Only 14% described their self-efficacy in managing AMPD as "High". Multivariable regression analyses revealed significant associations between "High" self-efficacy and male gender (Odd ratio (OR) = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.16-4.89), experience practicing dentistry for 11 years or more (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.04-4.47), specialization in pediatric dentistry (OR = 3.98, 95% CI = 1.31-12.07), previous experience in managing AMPD (OR = 4.23, 95% CI = 1.59-11.22), and awareness of regulations for managing AMPD (OR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.42-4.38). The interaction of gender x age was significantly associated (p = 0.028) with "High" self-efficacy. Gender-stratified analyses revealed a significant association between age and "High" self-efficacy among male dentists only. Conclusions: The findings of the present study highlight that a large percentage of dentists reported "Low/Moderate" self-efficacy in managing AMPD, particularly among female dentists. However, further studies are required to verify the factors associated with self-efficacy in the present study, and to identify other factors that may influence self-efficacy in managing AMPD.