Evaluation of senior dental students' general attitude towards the use of rubber dam: a survey among two dental schools

Attitude of Dental Students Toward Rubber Dam Application: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction The rubber dam (RD) system is globally recognized as an indispensable component of dental treatments, ensuring the highest standards of care. The use of RD isolation profoundly impacts the clinical aspects of dental procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of dental students toward the use of RD, with an emphasis on evaluating the factors influencing its use among students at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to a population sample of 203 undergraduate dental students in their clinical years at Umm Al-Qura University. Questions covered various aspects, including the frequency of RD use, perceptions of its effectiveness, and prospective intentions for its future use, as well as factors influencing these attitudes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software Version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). In addition, the chi-square test and Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test were used for the comparison of the data at a significance level of p<0.05. Results The questionnaire was completed by 191 participants, with a response rate of 95.5%. Of the students, 189 (99%) used RD during operative procedures for adhesive restorations. Furthermore, 157 (82.2%) students agreed that proper isolation cannot be achieved without RD application. All the advantages of RD application were recognized by 165 (85.9%) of the students. Notably, there was a significant association between the factors limiting the RD application and the students' academic year (p<0.05), with senior students reporting fewer limitations. Responses indicated that 163 (85.3%) of the students received satisfactory training for RD and 165 (86.4%) students had a high intention to continue using RD following graduation. Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the results presented a positive attitude toward RD use. However, there is a continued necessity to enhance education and advocate consistent RD application for improved patient care and clinical outcomes.

Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the current and intended future use of dental dams (DDs) and attitudes regarding DD use among final-year dental students at two levels (undergraduate and college) in dental schools in Chongqing, China.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2021.

SETTING

Chongqing Medical University (CQMU, undergraduate level) and Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College (CQTGMC, junior college level).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 245 final-year dental students.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to dental students less than 1 month before graduation. Students were asked about the DD training they had received, their attitudes towards some aspects of DDs, their current DD use and their intended future DD use in adult or child patients and in various dental procedures.

RESULTS

A total of 238 valid questionnaires were returned (response rate=97.1%, CQMU=96.2%, n=76; CQTGMC=97.6%, n=162). A total of 47.5% of respondents used DDs on real patients during their internships (CQMU=59.2%, CQTGMC=42.0%, p<0.05). Whether in restorative procedures or endodontic treatment, the most common reason for not using DDs was a 'lack of knowledge and experience', followed by 'DDs could not be provided by internship institutions'. Although the advantages of DDs were recognised by most students from the two schools, 52.9% thought DDs were difficult to apply (CQMU=42.1%, CQTGMC=58.0%, p<0.05). A total of 92.1% of CQMU respondents and 95.1% of CQTGMC respondents expressed their willingness to use DDs after independent practice in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

Although final-year students have a clear awareness of the advantages of DDs and are very enthusiastic about future DD use, the current DD utilisation rate is low. Education about DDs should be continuously improved in many aspects, and the advantages of using DDs in clinical dentistry should be further emphasised at dental schools.

THE PREVALENCE OF RUBBER DAM AMONG DENTISTS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To assess the actual prevalence of rubber dam usage among general dentists.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: Surveyed participants were offered a questionnaire containing 14 questions about gender, country of origin, clinical experience, time and place of acquisition of skills of rubber dam, as well as the frequency of its usage.

RESULTS

Results: 30.69% of dentists always use rubber dams for direct restorations; 74.26% always use rubber dams during root canals treatment; 36.3% always use rubber dam for bonding indirect restorations.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: The prevalence of rubber usage among general dentists shows positive growth dynamics, but the frequency is still considered insufficient.

Attitude of Dental Students towards the Rubber Dam Use in Operative Dentistry

Aim:

Operative dentistry and endodontics are the two major areas where rubber dam is used extensively with special emphasis to train students on its application during dental curriculum. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the attitude of dental students toward the use of rubber dam in operative dentistry clinics along with emphasis on evaluation of its prospective application after graduation.

Materials and Methods:

A structured questionnaire-based analysis was performed among internship students of a dentistry program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questions were based on training, latex allergy, and selection of jaws for application of rubber dam and prospective use of rubber dam during practice.

Results:

A completed questionnaire by all participants (n = 110) was analyzed and subjected to statistical analysis. Around 80.9% of the students agreed that adequate and satisfactory training for rubber dam placement was imparted while 59.1% agreed that they enquire about latex allergy before placement of rubber dam. Further, 85.5% of the students planned to use rubber dam for all procedures after graduation.

Conclusion:

A promising response was exhibited by this group of future dentists toward the application of rubber dam during restorative procedures.

Modern endodontic practices among dentists in India: A comparative cross-sectional nation-based survey

Introduction:

More than 41,000 root canal treatments (RCTs) are performed every day and about 25 RCTs are performed every week by an endodontist. The success rate of endodontic treatment ranges between 86% and 98%; however, the failure rates cannot be ignored which can range up to 20% of the treated cases due to a varied number of reasons including incorrect adoption of working techniques and usage of inappropriate materials. The present study aimed at comparing the practices of various levels of dentists toward RCT in their daily practice.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire-based study was conducted among the dental practitioners who have completed the Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) curriculum in India and postgraduate students in various dental colleges in India. The sample size was achieved to be 1601 at the completion of the study. The response rate for the study was 80.05%. All the dentists practicing RCT either in the clinic or in the college and willing to participate in the study were included in the study. A self-structured questionnaire was used as study tool. SPSS was used to analyze the data.

Results:

A total of 26.7% of the PG students (endodontists) used rubber dam. Majority of the dentists preferred hand instruments (62.36%) over rotary. Almost half (53.09%) of the postgraduates belonging to other branches reported to prescribe drugs.

Conclusion:

The present study showed a varied profile of the dentists with most of them following the basic protocols and techniques of international standards.

Why dentists don't use rubber dam during endodontics and how to promote its usage?

Background

This survey study aimed at investigating the frequency of rubber dam use during root canal treatment, identifying influencing factors for not using it by Saudi general dental practitioners (GDPs) and endodontists. It also aimed at identifying measures that increase rubber dam usage.

Methods

After obtaining an ethical approval, two pilot studies were conducted on staff members at Taibah University College of Dentistry and a group of GDPs. A final online survey was constructed comprising 17 close-ended questions divided into six categories: demographics, endodontic practice, rubber dam use, alternative isolation methods, reasons for not using rubber dam, and measures and policies that increase its usage. The survey was emailed to 375 GDPs randomly selected from the dental register and all endodontists (n = 53) working in the western province, Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square and Linear-by-Linear association tests at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

The proportion of endodontists who used rubber dam (84.8 %) was significantly greater than that of GDPs (21.6 %) (p < 0.001). Significantly the highest proportion (40.5 %) did not use rubber dam because of unavailability at working place. Most rubber dam none-users (69.25 %) used a combination of other isolation means. The highest proportion of those who used rubber dam were working in the governmental sector (54.3 %). Among rubber dam users, the greatest proportion graduated from Saudi Arabia (57.8 %) compared to those graduated from Egypt (34.3 %) and Syria (22.4 %). There was a significant correlation between the patterns of rubber dam use during undergraduate training and its usage after graduation (p = 0.001). The highest proportion of participants (48.1 %) reported better undergraduate education as the most important factor that would increase rubber dam use in dental practice.

Conclusions

Using of rubber dam was not common in Saudi general dental practice. Dentists must follow the recommended standards of care. Place of work and patterns of using rubber dam during undergraduate study were the most influencing factors. Better undergraduate education was the most important proposed measure to increase its usage. The combination of cotton rolls and saliva high-volume ejector or gauze was the most common alternative to rubber dam isolation.