Use of dental radiography among Lithuanian general dentists.
OBJECTIVE
To gather information about the radiographic facilities and techniques used by Lithuanian general dentists.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to all 2879 Lithuanian dental practitioners registered on the Lithuanian Dental Chamber licence registry data list. The questionnaire was made with multiple-choice answers. Respondents were invited to choose the only one category of answer that best fitted their clinical attitude. Questions included in the present survey concerned general and specific information regarding peculiarities of radiographic imaging. Only answers of respondents who are licensed as general dentists were included in this study.


RESULTS
From the 2850 questionnaires mailed 1532 were returned. The response rate was 53.8%. Of the total responses 1431 questionnaires were received from licensed general dentists. Of total 956 dentists practiced in urban and 576 dentists in rural areas. 61.6% of respondents had access to an intra-oral radiographic unit in their practice and 91.5% of them used dental radiography always or often as the diagnostic tool. To support the film packet in the patient's mouth alternatively film holder or patient's finger was used by 48% of respondents, while film holder was used only by 19.3% of dentists.


CONCLUSIONS
Recently graduated dental practitioners more common used diagnostic radiography in endodontic pathology than dentists with a longer time from graduation. Film holder was not a popular device among general dental practitioners to perform periapical radioraphs. It is important to improve the existing dental curriculum to ensure the necessary competency when using dental radiography and film holders routinely in clinical practice.
Peciuliene
Vytaute
V
Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius university, Zalgirio 117, 08217, Vilnius. vytaute.peciuliene@mf.vu.lt
Rimkuviene
Jurate
J
Maneliene
Rasma
R
Drukteinis
Saulius
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011331:Private Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult