Attitudes towards prosthodontic clinical decision-making for edentulous patients among dental students

Aim: The aim of the study is to describe the attitude of year three dental students towards prosthodontic clinical decision-making for edentulous patients. Objective: The objective of the study is to describe the attitude of year three dental students towards prosthodontic clinical decision-making for edentulous patients and to identify whether there are gender differences in these attitudes. Background: Decision making is an essential part of all healthcare delivery. Clinicians need to appraise a wide range of factors prior to arriving at a decision that represents optimal care for their patient. These factors include clinical factors, patient values, the available research evidence, clinical guidelines, their previous clinical experience and medico-legal implications. Reason: The edentulous state is a chronic condition and prosthodontic interventions will inevitably require multiple treatment sessions and long term care. Therefore proper decision making is required. Result: 83% of the dental students acknowledged an influence from their own person values on their presentation of material to patients who are in the process of choosing among different treatment options and 89% thought their edentulous patients were satisfied with the decision making process when choosing among different treatment options, 73% of dental students supported a strategy of negotiation between patients and clinicians( shared decision making).