Knowledge, attitude and performance of dentists about Fissure Sealant application in Ahvaz city

Tooth decay is one of the most common preventable infections in childhood. Currently, the most effective way to reduce occlusal caries is Pit and Fissure sealants. Since different factors, including knowledge, attitude and performance of dentists, can influence the use of fissure sealant, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and performance of dentists in Ahvaz about pit and fissure sealant application and techniques. In this descriptive cross sectional study, 147 dentists in Ahvaz selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire included the demographic characteristics of the dentist (including age, sex, years of clinical experience, participation in retraining). The second part contained a number of questions regarding the attitude, knowledge and performance of dentists about fissure sealant and its application. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude were 9.1 +/- 1.8, 33 +/- 3.9, respectively. In terms of performance, 62.6% of dentists always, 62.6% occasionally and 22.4% rarely used fissure sealant. Data were analyzed by T-test, chi-square, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient and descriptive statistics. Analysis was performed using SPSS software. The results showed that dentists had moderate knowledge and attitude about using fissure sealant in Ahvaz. So, training programs and emphasizing the importance of sealant use in prevention of dental caries is recommended.