Tıp ve diş hekimliği fakültelerinde ağız – diş sağlığı eğitimi yeterli mi? Öğrencilerin bilgi düzeylerinin karşılaştırılması

Is oral-dental health training in faculties of medicine and dentistry

sufficient? A comparison of students’

knowledge levels<o:p></o:p>

Abstract<o:p></o:p>

Objective: Awareness of

oral-dental health needs to be improved, disseminated and maintained due to the

frequent occurrence of dental problems in Turkish society. The purpose of this

study was to determine the level of oral-dental health knowledge among Medical

and Dentistry Faculty students. This was deemed especially pertinent as these

students will be responsible for propagating higher levels of awareness and

assisting activities aimed at overcoming the deficiencies identified. Method:

247 clinically active students at the Erzurum Atatürk University, Faculties of

Medicine and Dentistry participated in this descriptive study. Data was

collected via a questionnaire. Participants’ demographic data were recorded and

their knowledge of oral-dental health was measured. Results: Males represented 55.9% of the participants in the study. Students’

mean age was 24.7±1.9 years; 46.2% were dental faculty students and 53.8%

medical faculty students. Levels of correct responses to questions concerning

oral-dental health among medical faculty students ranged between 4.5% and

66.9%, while those of dental faculty students ranged between 29.8% and 97.4%.

Significant variation in information levels was observed between dental and

medical faculty students (p<0.05). Conclusions: Although

the oral-dental health knowledge among the future dentists was generally

adequate, basic knowledge among the future physicians was not generally at an

adequate level. It would therefore be useful for medical faculties to add

oral-dental health to pre-graduation training.<o:p></o:p>

Key words: Oral-dental

health, medical training, levels of knowledge of oral-dental health<o:p></o:p>