Jaws of knowledge: an analysis of temporomandibular joint insights in dental training—a quasi-experiment study

Abstract

Objectives To access the knowledge of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the dental college on basic anatomy, physiology, clinical examination, and pathology of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Materials and Methods A total of 610 undergraduate and postgraduate students of dental college, were included in this study. The questionnaire was pretested for validation and distributed online through Google forms. Results A pairwise comparison showed that the percentage of correct answers for interns significantly differed from that of IV Bachelor of Dental Surgery ( P =0.050) and postgraduate students ( P =0.048) (below average up to 6 correct answers, good 7-11 correct answers, excellent 12 or more correct answers). Conclusion TMJ diseases are common in daily life but frequently go undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of clinical expertise. This demonstrates the necessity of providing instructions that give students in-depth knowledge and abilities for TMJ issues in clinical practice.