La Prensa Médica

Study of Pediatrician Knowledge Level about Children Oral/Dental Health during Residency Program between 2012 and 2014 in Medical Universities

Mohammad Nasiri, Shima Salehi and Ali Reza Negahi

Background: Since dental caries is a common problem in society, community health indicators must be developed to include it. So dental care in children is very important and should be considered in the evaluation of early childhood. So, this study was conducted to evaluate pediatrics’ knowledge about oral/dental problems during residency program in educational hospitals affiliated to the medical universities in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we evaluated 205 pediatricians at residency program about their dental care knowledge for children at Tehran educational hospital by approved questionnaire. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and central index tests. Results: 205 pediatricians in residency program were participated in this study. 67.8% was female and 32.2% was male. The average score obtained in the questionnaire was 6.51 in female group and 6.28 in male group. The difference of scores was not significant between the groups. In total, the average was 6.43 with 1.64 SD. 72.7% had moderate knowledge and 27.3% had good knowledge about children dental care. Conclusion: This study showed, pediatricians’ knowledge about children dental care during residency program was not appropriate. According to the key role of pediatricians in dental health, care training should be added in residency program. And also they should be trained in clinics.