Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior in Managing Patients with HIV/AIDS Among a Group of Indian Dental Students

With increasing numbers of people with HIV/AIDS receiving oral dental care, dentists should have sufficient knowledge of the disease, and their attitude should meet professional expectations. HIV and AIDS-related knowledge among dental students provides a crucial foundation for efforts aimed at developing appropriate education on these topics. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess the HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes amongst the 460 dental students of the Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly (UP), India. A self-administered survey consisting of fifty-three structured questions was conducted with the students. Overall, the response rate was 79.7 percent. The total mean knowledge and attitudes scores were 78.8 percent (excellent) and 77.7 percent (positive). There was no statistically significant difference between the knowledge and attitude scores of males and females. Regarding oral manifestations, Kaposi's sarcoma and candidiasis were the most identified. The results indicated that the students' knowledge on HIV/AIDS generally increased as they progressed through the curriculum, but their utilization of all barrier techniques for infection control and clinical protocol lacked consistency and compliance. Hence, there is a need to address, more clearly, the students' misconceptions and attitudes towards the disease.