title: Attitudes of final-year dental students to bleaching of vital and non-vital teeth in Cardiff, Cork, and Malmö.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine attitudes of final-year dental students in Cardiff, Cork and Malmö towards tooth whitening. Following receipt of ethical approval, pre-piloted questionnaires were distributed to final-year dental students in Cork, Cardiff, and Malmö as close as possible to graduation. The questionnaire sought information relating to various opinions and attitudes towards the use of bleaching techniques including safety of bleaching, confidence in the provision of bleaching, recommendations to patients, teaching received, awareness of restrictions on the use of bleaching products and management of simulated clinical scenarios. Eighty three per cent (n = 116) of questionnaires were returned. Cork dental students had the most didactic teaching (2-h vital, 1-h non-vital bleaching) compared to Cardiff or Malmö students (0 h each). More Cork students regarded bleaching as safe (76%, n = 28) than Cardiff (70%, n = 32) or Malmö (36%, n = 12) students. More than 50% of Cork students feel they know enough about bleaching to provide it in practice, significantly more than Cardiff (< 25%) or Malmö (< 25%) students. The majority of students would provide vital bleaching after qualification (100% (n = 37) Cork; 82% (n = 27) Malmö; 76% (n = 35) Cardiff). In simulated clinical scenarios, more Cork students would propose bleaching treatments (89%n = 33) than Malmö (64%n = 21) or Cardiff (48%n= 22) students. Variations exist in the attitudes and approaches of three European dental schools towards bleaching. Dental students need to be best prepared to meet the needs of their future patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Cardiff University Tissue Engineering & Reparative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatherell
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ericson
authors.forename: A S M
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gilmour
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003770:Dental Offices; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D004497:Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007494:Ireland; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010545:Peroxides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D012449:Safety; D012646:Self Administration; D012649:Self Concept; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D014070:Tooth / Q000187:drug effects; D014073:Tooth Bleaching / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D058205:Tooth Bleaching Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000628:therapy; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital / Q000473:pathology; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014852:Wales
chemical_list: D010545:Peroxides; D058205:Tooth Bleaching Agents; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D014508:Urea; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide