Inclination and Impediment towards Preventive Dentistry among Practising Dentists in Bangalore City- A Cross Sectional Study

Objective: Despite the proven effectiveness of preventive dentistry, its acceptance and implementation is still far from being a success. The current study attempts to assess the inclination (attitudes) and impediment (perceived barriers) towards preventive dentistry of practising dentists attached to dental colleges, in Bangalore city.

Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among clinicians attached to dental colleges in Bangalore city. A total of 176 practising dental faculty, completed a pretested and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire collected information regarding demographic details, characteristics, attitudes and perceived barriers towards preventive dental care. Data was analysed using SPSS version 19. Chi square test, ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation was used.

Results: The attitude and barrier towards preventive dental care was compared among age, gender, years of practice, designation and specialization respectively. A significant result was obtained for attitude among specialization (p=.001). Both attitude (p= 0.04) and barriers (p= 0.002) had a significant result when compared among designations. Attitude and perceived barriers towards preventive dental care were correlated with years of experience and it was seen that as the experience increases, attitude becomes positive and perceived barriers become low.

Conclusion: Dentists’ have a positive attitude towards preventive dental care but their perception towards the barriers might have an impact on its implementation.