Knowledge and acceptance of recent evidence based clinical recommendations on dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral cancer and tooth wear among intern dental students. Across-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based clinical guidelines are vital for effective preventive dentistry, yet their uptake among future dentists remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the knowledge and acceptance of recent evidence-based dental guidelines among intern dental students from public (Mansoura University) and private (Delta University) faculties in Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 320 intern students using a validated Arabic questionnaire covering four domains: dental caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, and tooth wear. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Private university students showed higher overall knowledge and acceptance scores (44.1, 43.8), while public university students exhibited slightly lower knowledge but greater acceptance in some domains (42.4, 45.3). The highest scores were seen in the periodontal disease domain. Significant differences were noted in knowledge and acceptance related to dental caries and oral cancer (P < 0.05). A higher proportion of "undecided" responses among public students indicated greater uncertainty. CONCLUSION: Both public and private university students showed moderate to high knowledge and acceptance level of evidence-based preventive guidelines. While statistically significant differences were found in some domains, effect sizes were sometimes modest with a little tendency towards private faculty students. These findings underline the need to strengthen evidence-based education across dental curricula to improve clinical readiness.