Assessing dental students’ attitudes towards the dental care of the underserved in community

Abstract

Dental students play a vital role in providing oral health care to underserved populations. However, little is known about their attitudes towards providing care to these populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of dental students towards the dental care of underserved populations in the community. A total of 248 dental students from a private Philippine university participated in this study. They answered a self-administered questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards dental care for underserved populations in four domains: societal expectations, dentist/student responsibility, personal efficacy, and access to care. Results showed that majority of dental students had positive attitudes towards providing care to underserved populations. The students believed that it was important for dentists to provide care to these populations, and they felt that they had a responsibility to do so. The students also felt that they could provide effective care to underserved populations, and they believed that these populations should have access to dental care. There were no significant differences in the students' attitudes towards providing care to underserved populations based on their year in school, sex, community or volunteer work experience, area where they lived, social class based on family monthly income, or means of paying for the dental school. Findings of this study can be used to develop programs and initiatives to increase the number of dental students who are interested in providing care to underserved populations.