Year : 2020

Volume : Volume 11

Issue : Issue 1

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Stuti Kumari.
stuti.singh011@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  The Dental Council of India expects graduating dentists to be competent at treating all tooth related disease. In Prior studies it was found that dental undergraduates have low levels of self-confidence with respect to endodontic treatments. Aim and objective: The main aim of this study is to explore the self-confidence of undergraduate dental students at a dental college in Bihar in performing root canal treatment, and to investigate their insight of the quality of their endodontic education. Material and method: An anonymous questionnaire, based upon one used in a 2015 study at Cardiff University, was distributed to all (n = 102) undergraduate students. The results were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS).  Result: There was a 59% (n = 60) response rate and a significant (p < 0.01) difference in confidence levels for root canal treatments (RCTs) completed between these students. All (100%) interns felt confident in completing anterior RCTs, and 91% felt confident in completing posterior RCTs. The majority (93%) of final year students felt confident in completing anterior RCTs, and 77% felt confident in completing posterior RCTs. Over one-half (56%) of 3rd year students felt confident in anterior RCTs and 17% in posterior RCTs.

Keywords: undergraduate, root canal treatment, self-confidence.