EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF RESIN INFILTRATION AMONGST MALAYSIAN PEDIATRIC DENTAL SPECIALIST & POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Received 2024-02-19; Accepted 2024-03-26; Published 2024-03-27

Abstract

Objectives: (i) To evaluate the educational experiences, attitude and practice of resin infiltration (RI) amongst Malaysian Paediatric Dental Specialists and post-graduate students (ii) to determine the relationship between their educational experiences and attitude in the practice of RI in children.  

Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire distributed online to Malaysian Association of Paediatric Dentistry (MAPD) members from December 2022 to February 2023. Demographics, educational experiences, attitudes, and RI use were measured. Descriptive data, Cronbach alpha coefficient, and Pearson correlation tests were obtained.

Results: Out of the 110 invited members, 30 surveys were completed, with a response rate of 27.3%. The knowledge subscale comprised 19 items (α=0.84), and the attitude/practice subscale had 11 items (α=0.77). A total of 46.7% agreed that their undergraduate training had prepared them well to use RI with paediatric patients. 93.4% of respondents felt their training in paediatric graduate programs had informed and adequately prepared them for RI usage. Most respondents expressed interest in learning more about RI (100%) and attending continuing education course (93.3%). The respondents positively viewed RI, especially its aesthetic benefit (100%). Only 16.7% of respondents used RI frequently, while others used it rarely (63%) or never (20%). There was no correlation between education experiences and attitude in using RI (r=0.14: p<0.46).

Conclusion: While the correlation was not significant, this study showed the need to incorporate RI into the dental curriculum. Hence, expanding undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional education in RI should be strengthened.