Effectiveness of a program on evidence-based dentistry in dental students

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is an approach to oral healthcare by combining the best scientific evidence and clinical diagnostics, clinical expertise of the dentist, and the patient's treatment needs and preferences. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an education program on EBD offered in a community-dentistry course in improving knowledge and attitudes of students in this regard. STUDY METHODS: By a quasi-experimental study design, 64 senior dental students of Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan recruited in a controlled trial. All of the students were randomized as intervention (32) and control (32) groups. A course-based educational program on EBD was randomly assigned to one group. Actual knowledge, self-assessed knowledge, and attitudes, before and after education, were measured in both groups. A questionnaire consisted of 40 items developed by the researcher was used after confirming its validity and reliability. The difference between mean scores at two timelines were measured and compared in three fields by paired t-test and independent t-test analysis via SPSS version 20 software. RESULTS: While the mean scores of actual and self-assessed knowledge and attitude were not significantly different between two groups at the beginning of the program (P > 0.05), the mean scores of all fields in the intervention group were significantly more than those of the control group after education (P < 0.001). The effect size of intervention was 86%, 62%, and 57% in three fields, respectively. There was not a significant difference between mean scores of three fields in the control group, after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Due to the poor knowledge and attitudes of students and improved knowledge and attitudes of the intervention group after education, the education program seems to be effective. Durability of educational impact and evaluating evidence-based performance can be studied in the future.