Prajna Pramod Nayak1, Vamsee Krishnam Raju2, Vanishree Nanjundaiah3, Ramesh Laksmikantha4, Sushma Shankar Nayak5, Nandita Kshetrimayum6. 1. Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences , Manipal, Karnataka, India . 2. Student, Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences , Bangalore, Karnataka, India . 3. Professor and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences , Bangalore, Karnataka, India . 4. Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences , Bangalore, Karnataka, India . 5. Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Index Dental College , Madhya Pradesh, India . 6. Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences , Imphal, Manipur, India .
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Dentistry, being one of the healing professions, has an obligation to society that its members will stick on to high ethical standards of conduct. In India, studies done to assess whether the dental practitioners adhere to ethics in their line of work are very meager. AIM: The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of ethics in their line of work among practicing dentists from various dental colleges in Bangalore, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 258 practicing dentists attached to various dental colleges in Bangalore city of Karnataka, India. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the knowledge and practice scores according to gender and qualification. One way ANOVA was used to compare knowledge and practice score according to practice type and practice period. RESULTS: Mean knowledge score among males is 8.9 as compared to 9.43 among females and mean practice scores among males was 8.25 as compared to 8.29 in females. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean knowledge and practice scores among graduate dentists and specialists. Mean knowledge score among graduate dentists was 8.44 as compared to 9.36 among specialists and mean practice scores among graduate dentists was 7.7 as compared to 8.53 in specialists. CONCLUSION: A significant association between the knowledge and practice scores was observed, implying that with an increase in knowledge, there was also an increase in the practices of ethics among study population.
INTRODUCTION: Dentistry, being one of the healing professions, has an obligation to society that its members will stick on to high ethical standards of conduct. In India, studies done to assess whether the dental practitioners adhere to ethics in their line of work are very meager. AIM: The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of ethics in their line of work among practicing dentists from various dental colleges in Bangalore, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 258 practicing dentists attached to various dental colleges in Bangalore city of Karnataka, India. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the knowledge and practice scores according to gender and qualification. One way ANOVA was used to compare knowledge and practice score according to practice type and practice period. RESULTS: Mean knowledge score among males is 8.9 as compared to 9.43 among females and mean practice scores among males was 8.25 as compared to 8.29 in females. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean knowledge and practice scores among graduate dentists and specialists. Mean knowledge score among graduate dentists was 8.44 as compared to 9.36 among specialists and mean practice scores among graduate dentists was 7.7 as compared to 8.53 in specialists. CONCLUSION: A significant association between the knowledge and practice scores was observed, implying that with an increase in knowledge, there was also an increase in the practices of ethics among study population.
Entities:
Keywords:
Dentistry; Ethical issues; Professional education; Specialists