Dental students’ behavioural intent after comprehensive exposure to special care dentistry: a survey in two dental universities

Abstract

<p><strong>Aim and Objectives</strong><br>To assess dental students' intentions to treat people with disabilities (PWDs), from two dental universities after didactic and clinical training regarding treatment provision for PWDs.</p><p><strong>Methodology</strong><br>Students from the class of 2023 in Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health A.T. Still University (ATSU) (n=77) and the Université Clermont Auvergne in France (n=62) were recruited. The response rate was 100% in Arizona and 98.4% in France. A validated and standardised international tool was employed to assess the attitudes and intended behaviours of undergraduate dental students concerning the treatment of PWDs. Responses to question one were reported as the percentage of respondents answering ‘Yes’ while questions two to nine were reported as means and standard deviations. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests served for statistical analyses.</p><p><strong>Results</strong><br>The mean age of respondents (N=139) was 26.8 years. Most (56.5%) were female. The dental students from universities in France and Arizona had a positive intention (85.9%) to treat PWDs. The means calculated for the length of time needed to provide care for this patient was of greater concern to students from Arizona (1.84) than France (0.95). The legal obligation was more important to students from France (2.10) versus Arizona (1.39). Arizona’s students were more confident (0.30) that they could treat this patient compared to French students (-0.65).</p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong><br>The dental students’ intention to treat PWDs at both universities was positive. The levels of clinical exposure, healthcare systems and cultural expectations may have accounted for the differences seen between universities that offered exposure to PWDs.</p>