Factors influencing dental students to attend for eye examination.

This investigation sought to determine those factors influencing dental students to attend for eye examination together with the frequency of such tests and level of eyesight correction. A questionnaire was constructed and circulated to all clinical dental students attending lectures and practical classes in Dundee over a 1-week period. This ascertained the age and sex of the respondents and gathered information on what had prompted each individual to attend for eye examination. The knowledge of any visual problems and their correction was also ascertained. All 114 questionnaires that were distributed were completed. The mean elapsed time interval since the last eye examinations was 1.81 (standard deviation = 1.19) years. The frequency of attendance was not affected by gender. Those who had had their eyesight corrected were significantly (P < 0.01) more likely to attend for examination every 2 years than those without correction. Good eyesight is important for the practice of dentistry and, although this is well recognized, it is apparent that the need for regular testing has not been understood by all. Strenuous efforts should be made to ensure that this message is impressed upon dental undergraduates from an early stage in their careers so that they may undergo screening every 2 years throughout their professional careers.