Oral Health Knowledge and Attitudes among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iatreia.324Keywords:
Attitude, Knowledge, Oral HealthAbstract
Introduction: Oral health is closely related to attitudes, practices, and knowledge, the latter being essential for maintaining good oral health.
Objective: To identify the knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health among dental students, based on the evidence reported in the literature.
Materials and methods: A bibliographic review of the scientific literature was conducted in the PubMed, BVS, and BBO Odontología databases. The inclusion criteria were: (a) studies published between 2000 and December 2021, with dental students as participants, designed as either bibliographic reviews or quantitative studies, and written in Spanish or English; (b) studies addressing knowledge and attitudes toward oral health; and (c) studies with a prospective design.
Results: The search was carried out using Boolean operators and the keywords “knowledge,” “attitudes,” “oral health,” and their Spanish equivalents. The same strategy was applied across all databases. Study selection and evaluation were based on compliance with the inclusion criteria and the PICO and SPIDER methodologies.
Conclusions: The studies reviewed highlight the impact of prevention and awareness among dental students on the promotion and care of oral health.
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