Spanish dental hygienist attitudes to dental radiological protection: assessment of a 1-day pilot course.
OBJECTIVE
To determine hygienists' knowledge of and attitudes to X-ray equipment and film processing, and to assess both after a 1-day course.


METHODS
One-hundred and four dental hygienists from the south-east of Spain attending a 1-day course in oral radiology.


METHODS
A questionnaire comprising different sections related with socio-demographic items, X-ray equipment and the processing of dental films was answered before and after a 1-day pilot course on radiation protection.


RESULTS
The response rate was 89.42% (n = 93). Of the participants 94.6% were women, with a mean age of 29.52 (SD 6.861) and 7.20 years of professional experience (SD 5.089). The level of knowledge before the course was 48.28%, which increased to 85.62% after the course (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The prescribed standard was reached by <23.65% of those attending the course at the beginning. Although attending the course led to a considerable improvement, it did not always result in a high level of knowledge of basic radiation equipment and processing.
Martínez-Beneyto
Y
Y
Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. yolandam@um.es
Camacho-Alonso
F
F
Alcaraz-Baños
M
M
López-Jornet
P
P
Perez-Lajarin
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology*; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013679:Technology, Radiologic / Q000193:education