The Knowledge And Awareness About Cbct Amongst Dental Students At Various Levels Of Education In Telangana Region: A Cross Sectional Survey

Background: - The current study aimed to investigate awareness, general attitude and perspectives of a sample of dental students belonging to various levels of education residing in Telangana region regarding their knowledge and future expectations of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: An anonymous questionnaire consisting of 11 questions was distributed among 365 dental students which included final BDS students, interns, and Post-Graduation (PG) students belonging to KNR University of Health Sciences, Telangana. They were contacted through E‑mail and they have completed an online questionnaire. The data were collected, sorted and analysed in view of the objectives of the study, using descriptive analysis and Chi‑square tests of significance. Results: The results of this survey are indicative that education level and place of work had a significant effect on awareness regarding the use of CBCT in daily dental practice. It was found that out of 365 individuals who participated in the study, 135 of them were final year BDS students, 85 were interns and 145 were PG students. The rate of awareness about CBCT varied among the three groups with statistically significant difference (P<0.05) for various criteria. Conclusions: This study showed that having a higher education level and being in a tertiary workplace improved CBCT knowledge which in turn increased the number of patient referrals when the indications justified it for better diagnosis. Observing the positive attitude, it was concluded that students should be provided with thorough practical knowledge and efforts should be made to improve their practical knowledge.