Evaluation of mobile phone and social usage among dental students as an educational and clinical adjunct in Davanagere City, South India – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: Social media has significant potential to improve education. Social networks serve as invaluable yet often overlooked educational tools, benefiting trainees and experienced clinicians. In the health-care sector, social media makes it easier to share information where gaps in knowledge exist, giving a holistic picture. There is a deficit in information regarding social media usage and smartphones among dental undergraduates. Hence, this study aimed to assess and evaluate the social media usage of dental undergraduates and postgraduates in Davanagere City, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in College of Dental Sciences, Davanagere, Karnataka, India. The participants’ responses were then computed into a Microsoft Excel worksheet, evaluated with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, IBM version 21.0, and interpreted. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: A total of 268 participants participated. About 77.2% were female (n = 206) and 22.8% were male (n = 61). There was found to be a lack of awareness regarding dental health education apps which is indicative of the need to include more application-based academic curricula strengthened by recent advances in technology. Conclusion: The study found a great increase in smart phones as well as social media among dental students but there is a great need to raise awareness among students regarding subject related databases.