Application of the extended theory of planned behavior to predict dentist intention and behavior in providing caries preventive care for preschool children.

BACKGROUND: Various studies show a gap between evidence-based recommendations and the preventive practice of dentists. This study aimed to create and assess an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model on dentists' intentions to do caries preventive measures and related barriers experienced by dentists. METHODS: A total of 362 general dentists from 34 Indonesian provinces were included in this study. A self-administered online questionnaire consisted of three sections: dentist characteristics and practice pattern, TPB questionnaire, and dentist perceived behavior regarding preventive care for pediatric patients. The questionnaire was distributed and the data was analyzed through structural equation modeling. RESULTS: TPB's extended version is a fit and relevant model, explaining 55.3% of dentists' intentions to undertake preventive procedures and 17.8% of preventive practices. Perceived behavioral control was the most powerful predictor of intention (44.2%) and practice (8.8%), while parental barriers were the most significant barrier to provide preventive care (18.9%). CONCLUSION: Extending the TPB by taking barriers from multiple stakeholders as a consideration has a higher predictive level for preventive practices. Each barrier should be addressed through oral health programs and policies, and dentists must be taught to overcome these barriers (through formal or continuing education) in order to maximize caries prevention strategies.

Validity of mother-child self-perceived oral health for the assessment of 5 years old children's oral health in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious condition that has a negative impact on young children's quality of life. Mothers' perceived need for oral health care plays an important role in their children's oral health behavior. This study aimed to compare mother and child self-perceived and dentist-evaluated needs for oral health care. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 266 preschool children aged 5 years old and their mothers. A self-administered questionnaire to the mothers and interviews with the children were used to assess the perceived needs of oral health care. The mothers were asked to rate their children's oral health and determine if they needed dental treatment. The children were also asked how they felt about their oral health and whether they had any tooth decay. Agreement between mother and child regarding the child's oral health was assessed. The evaluated needs were assessed clinically using the dmft (decayed, missing, and filled teeth [primary dentition]) and pufa (pulpal involvement, ulceration, fistula, and abscess [primary dentition]) indices. The perceived and evaluated needs were compared using spearman analysis to determine their correlations and the validity of the perceived needs compared to the clinical examination was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), and likelihood ratio (LR). RESULTS: The prevalence rate of ECC was 89.4%, with 35% having at least one condition from untreated caries (pufa > 0). Mothers and children have a fair agreement regarding the child's oral health (ICC = 0.335). When comparisons were conducted between perceived and evaluated conditions, Mother's rating about their child's oral health showed the strongest correlation to dmft index (r = 0.372; p < 0.001). Several accuracy parameters done in this study (AUC, Sn, and Sp) did not meet the acceptable threshold. The sensitivity and specificity were the highest when comparing mothers' perceived need for their child's dental treatment to the dmft index (Sn = 96.7%) and pufa index (Sp = 88.1%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared to the dentist's assessment, the mother and child self-reported oral health statuses showed lower accuracy in assessing the child's condition. But, the mothers in this study were better than their 5-year-old children at perceiving their child's oral health care needs. As a result, these subjective assessments can be used as a complement, but not as a substitute, to the actual clinical evaluation.

The validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Summated Xerostomia Inventory.

OBJECTIVE: To validate and determine the reliability of the Indonesian version of the Summated Xerostomia Inventory (SXI-ID) questionnaire. BACKGROUND: Xerostomia is a common problem in older people, and the SXI is increasingly being used to measure it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SXI questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted to create an Indonesian version (SXI-ID), which was assessed for validity and reliability in a cross-sectional study of older adults living in nursing homes in Jakarta, Indonesia. Each participant signed an informed consent and was interviewed with the SXI-ID. A subset of participants was interviewed again after two weeks. A standard question was used to check criterion-related validity, by plotting the mean SXI-ID scale scores against the ordinal response categories of the standard question. The reliability check included Cronbach's alpha, total and inter-item correlation, and intraclass correlation for internal consistency, along with test-retest reliability. RESULTS: A total of 110 older adults participated. Cronbach's alpha value for the SXI-ID was .85, and the intraclass correlation coefficient value for test and retest in 15 participants was .9. The SXI-ID total score showed a strong positive correlation (.87) with the global question. There was a consistent ascending gradient in mean SXI-ID scores across the ordinal response categories of the global item. CONCLUSION: The SXI-ID is psychometrically valid and reliable for measuring xerostomia in the Indonesian population.

The use of internet platforms for oral health information and associated factors among adolescents from Jakarta: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The growth of the internet has increased its use to obtain health information including oral health information (OHI). This study assessed Indonesian adolescents' use of different internet platforms to obtain OHI and factors associated with this use. METHODS: A cross-sectional study surveyed middle school students in five regions in Jakarta in 2019. Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed demographics, oral health practices (toothbrushing and dental visits), the presence of dental pain, using internet platform to obtain OHI and type of information searched for. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between using the internet for OHI (Google, Social Media (SM), both or none) and the independent factors: demographics, oral health practice, dental pain and whether participants search for causes, symptoms, prevention or treatment of oral diseases (ODs). RESULTS: Most of the 521 participants were female (55.7%) with mean age = 13.4 years. Almost all of them (93.7%) searched the internet for OHI through Google (40.7%) or Google with SM (36.1%). Searching for OHI over SM was significantly associated with toothbrushing (OR = 4.12, 95% CI = 1.43, 11.89) and less dental visits (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.60). Searching Google for OHI was significantly associated with looking for information about causes (OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 1.33, 10.26) and treatment (OR = 6.17, 95% CI = 2.23, 17.03) of ODs. CONCLUSIONS: Most adolescents used Google to seek OHI. Oral health practices and types of OHI searched for differed by internet platform. Dental health professionals should consider using internet-based interventions to promote oral health to this age group.

Intention to provide tobacco cessation counseling among Indonesian dental students and association with the theory of planned behavior.

BACKGROUND: Use of tobacco is a serious public health problem in Indonesia that requires a multidisciplinary approach by healthcare providers to address it. The study assessed the intentions of undergraduate students in dental schools to provide tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) and their association with the constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in October 2019 using an electronic survey for dental students in Indonesian dental schools (n = 30). The survey assessed schools and students' characteristics and eleven statements assessed their perspectives toward TCC based on the TPB using a 5-point Likert scale. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify components within the items of perspective. Multilevel linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between intention to provide TCC and the constructs of the TPB as identified in the perspectives' items using TPB controlling for confounders. RESULTS: About 1288 students participated from 30 dental schools, 83.3% females with mean age = 21.5 years with average intention to provide TCC = 4.3 out of 5. They had above average positive attitude about provision of TCC being the dentist's role (mean = 3.8 out of 5). PCA identified two components: confidence in their own abilities and perception of favorable environment with average scores = 3.2 and 2.7 out of 5. Intention to provide TCC was significantly associated with more positive attitude recognizing TCC as a dentist's role (B = 0.10, P < 0.0001), greater confidence in skills to provide TCC (B = 0.17, P < 0.0001) and less perception of favorable environment supportive off providing TCC (B = - 0.20, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Indonesian dental students' intention to provide TCC can be explained by the constructs of the TPB. Development of dental curricula promoting professional responsibility toward TCC should be given attention. Improving students' attitude and confidence potentially may support their patients' efforts to quit smoking.

Validation of self-reported oral health among Indonesian adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: With the recognition of health as a subjective state, self-reported oral health has been applied in many epidemiological studies. However, the validity of self-reports may vary across different age groups and socio-cultural backgrounds and by using different tools. This study aimed to assess the validity of self-reported oral health of 15-year-old Indonesian adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used data from the Indonesian National Oral Health Survey, a part of the Indonesian Basic Health Survey 2018. The study included 572 15-year-old Indonesian adolescents. We compared the presence of clinically assessed dental caries, tooth loss, and fillings following the World Health Organization Basic Health Survey method and questionnaire-based self-reported oral conditions using McNemar test. The sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), and likelihood ratios (LRs) of self-reports were calculated using clinical assessment as the reference standard. The overall accuracy of self-reports in identifying the clinical condition was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: Self-reports significantly underestimated the clinical presence of caries (39.3% and 67.1%) and overestimated the clinical presence of tooth loss (9.3% and 4.2%) and filling (4.7% and 2.4%, p < 0.05). All self-reported conditions had higher Sp (at least 70.3%) than Sn (max 54.2%) and the AUC for all self-reported conditions were < 0.7. Self-reporting the presence of fillings had the highest LR+ = 11. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reporting oral health in Indonesian adolescents had low accuracy. Further studies of other methods of self-reporting are needed before they can be used to assess adolescents' oral health in epidemiological surveys.

Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health issue and has had a major impact on education. Consequently, half way through the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020, learning methods were delivered through distance learning (DL). We aimed to evaluate the student perspective of DL compared to classroom learning (CL) in the undergraduate dentistry study program at the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia. METHODS: An online questionnaire was sent at the end of the semester. A total of 301 students participated in the study. RESULTS: Duration of study influenced student preference. Higher number of first-year students preferred DL compared to their seniors (p < 0.001). Students preferred CL for group discussion, as DL resulted in more difficult communication and gave less learning satisfaction. Only 44.2% students preferred DL over CL, although they agreed that DL gave a more efficient learning method (52.6%), it provided more time to study (87.9%) and to review study materials (87.3%). Challenges during DL included external factors such as unstable internet connection, extra financial burden for the internet quota and internal factors such as time management and difficulty to focus while learning online for a longer period of time. CONCLUSION: Despite some challenges, dental students could adapt to the new learning methods of full DL and the majorities agreed blended learning that combined classroom and distance learning can be implemented henceforth. This current COVID-19 pandemic, changes not only the utilization of technology in education but the pedagogy strategies in the future.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Indonesia version of the self-efficacy oral health questionnaire for adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy can be interpreted as a self-belief that one has successfully committed to a specific situation or maintained a specific behaviour. AIM: We aimed to test the reliability and validity of a cross-cultural adaptation of the self-efficacy oral health (SEOH) questionnaire in the Indonesian language among adolescents and to understand the diverse perspectives of oral health self-efficacy related to gender. DESIGN: A cross-cultural adaptation of the SEOH self-administered questionnaire was completed followed by a dental caries examination. Sample size estimation suggested 341 adolescents aged 12-13 years. Eleven junior high schools were clustered and randomly selected from six districts across Jakarta, Indonesia. RESULTS: The SEOH was reliable with interclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha values of 0.86 and 0.86, respectively. Significant results for the construct and discriminant validity analyses were observed. There was no significant difference in terms of the total score between males and females, but there was a significant difference in terms of the psychology control domain. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results provide evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the Indonesian version of the SEOH questionnaire for adolescents across Indonesia.

Tooth wear among five-year-old children in Jakarta, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of tooth wear among preschool children in Jakarta, Indonesia, and examine the risk factors associated with its occurrence. METHODS: An epidemiological survey was conducted with a cross-sectional study design. The participants were recruited via cluster sampling. Tooth wear was clinically assessed by one examiner using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) criteria. The children's caries experience was also recorded. The parents of the participating children completed a self-administered questionnaire to answer demographic questions about the children and gather information about the children's diet and oral health behaviors as well as the parents' dental health-related knowledge. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 752 five-year-old children were invited to participate, with 691 (92%) enrolling in the study. Tooth wear occurred in 23% (161/691, BEWE > 0) of the participants, in which 78% (125/161) had at least one moderate tooth wear status (BEWE = 2). The consumption of citrus drinks, fruit juice, and vitamin C supplement drinks, together with the child's caries experience, the father's education level, and the family's socioeconomic status, were significantly associated with tooth wear. CONCLUSIONS: The five-year-old preschool children in Jakarta had a relatively low prevalence of tooth wear. Those consuming more acidic drinks, those with a higher socioeconomic status, and those with an absence of caries experience had a higher risk of tooth wear.

Attitude toward and awareness of medical-dental collaboration among medical and dental students in a university in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Medical-dental collaboration expands patients' access to health services, improves healthcare outcomes, and reduces the burden and cost of care, especially for those with chronic diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate the attitude toward and awareness of medical-dental collaboration among medical and dental students attending the Universitas Indonesia. METHODS: All medical and dental students at the Universitas Indonesia were invited to participate in a web-based questionnaire survey that contained eight questions on attitudes toward medical-dental collaboration and two questions regarding awareness of dental-medical collaborative practices. The demographic backgrounds of all participants were obtained. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were employed for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,432 questionnaires were distributed, and 1,137 (79%) were appropriately completed. In general, 992 (87%) students had a positive attitude toward medical-dental collaboration. Dental students had a more positive attitude than medical students (odds ratio [OR] = 2.694; p = 0.001), and senior students had a more positive attitude than junior students (OR = 2.271; p = 0.001). Most students (86%) were aware of medical-dental collaboration at the Universitas Indonesia and reported that emergency medicine, surgery, and otolaryngology were the three most common medical disciplines that entailed medical-dental collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the medical and dental students demonstrated positive attitudes and awareness of medical-dental collaboration at the Universitas Indonesia. Positive attitude and awareness can establish an essential foundation for fostering collaboration between medicine and dentistry, which is vital to improve resource efficiency and healthcare standards.

An assessment of the impacts of child oral health in Indonesia and associations with self-esteem, school performance and perceived employability.

BACKGROUND: Previous surveys have indicated that a majority of Indonesian children have poor oral health. However, little detailed information is available on underlying causation and none that examine impacts of oral health on child self-esteem, school performance and perceived employability. The aim of this study was to determine levels of child oral health in primary school children in Indonesia, the prevalence of key causal factors; and, to determine relationships between oral health, self-esteem and school academic performance. METHODS: Cross-sectional epidemiological study in a sample (n = 984) of children aged 6-7 and 10-11 years old attending three public schools in Indonesia. A dental visual impact study was conducted, in which teachers reported their perceptions of the impact of child oral health on school academic performance. Oral health behaviors, self-esteem, and school performance were assessed. The children were clinically examined to measure dental caries and oral cleanliness. RESULTS: Teachers believe that children with visually poor oral health and impaired smiles are more likely to perform poorly at school, be socially excluded and have lower job prospects than their peers with visually good oral health and healthy smiles. The percentages of children with decayed teeth were 94 and 90% in the 6-7- and 10-11-year age groups, respectively. Families reported high levels of child consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks; many had irregular use of fluoride toothpaste. Children with substantial plaque on their teeth achieved significantly lower levels of school performance than their peers with clean teeth. Significant associations were found between school performance and self-esteem for these children. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings highlight the need for preventive care programs to improve the oral health of children in Indonesia and prospective determination of associations between child oral health; self-esteem and school academic performance.

Perception of Special-Care Dentistry among Dental Students at Universitas Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceptions of special-care dentistry (SCD) among dental students in the Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online questionnaire, and all preclinical and clinical students were invited to participate. The survey items comprised four domains related to participants' characteristics, perceptions of SCD, perceptions of managing patients with special needs, and perceptions of SCD education. The chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test were used in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 572 students participated in this study. The findings showed that the clinical students were more familiar with SCD than the preclinical students were (p = 0.008). A statistically significant relationship was found between the study program and the ability to work independently with special-needs patients after graduation (p < 0.001), the ability to refer special-needs patients to specialists (p = 0.042), the perception of postgraduate training-program needs (p < 0.001), and the opportunity to consider postgraduate training (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Most of the respondents had a favorable perception of SCD. Thus, an improved SCD curriculum and SCD training for undergraduate and postgraduate students should be provided to develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide care to special-needs patients.

Comparative analysis of stress level and coping strategies due to COVID-19 pandemics among dental students in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Objective: This study investigated and compared the perceived stress levels and coping strategies of dental students in Indonesia and Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online in 2022 for dental students from the University of Indonesia and Can Tho University, Vietnam (n = 304). Perceived stress levels and coping strategies were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire about student sociodemographic factors, learning experiences, coping strategies, stress-related factors, and stress levels. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests. Results: This study showed the overall mean stress level was 23.9 (SD = 5.63), with a significant difference observed between Indonesian (24.44, SD = 5.14) and Vietnamese students (23.32, SD = 6.13) (p = 0.016), indicating potential variations in stress experiences. Key findings include a correlation between living arrangements and stress, as students living independently report higher stress (23.96, SD = 6.24) compared to those living with family (23.95, SD = 5.29) (p = 0.018). Fifth-year students exhibit lower stress levels (21.17, SD = 6.12) than other grades (p = 0.026). Multiple training sessions about COVID-19 are associated with better coping strategies (9.95, SD = 0.91, p < 0.001). The study also revealed different perceptions of COVID-19 learning experiences among dental students in Indonesian and Vietnamese dental students, with significant correlations observed between stress levels, coping strategies, and specific concerns such as graduation time and COVID-19-induced changes (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows students experience moderate stress levels, but the significant differences in stress experiences and coping strategies between the two countries highlighted the need for tailored approaches. Providing social support from faculty, family, friends, and peer dental students was one of the students' strategies to cope and minimize stress levels.

Perceived Barriers among Indonesian General Dentists in Providing Caries Preventive Care for Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate Indonesian dentists' perceived barriers in providing caries prevention for pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 362 general dentists were included in this cross-sectional study. The participants were asked to complete a self-administered online questionnaire of dentist characteristics and perceived barriers in multiple domains (children, parents, dentists, and healthcare system-related barriers). The frequency of responses to items of the questionnaire was presented. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare perceived barriers by gender, Kruskal-Wallis by practice sector, and Spearman analysis was used to assess the correlation between perceived barrier with age, years of practice experience, weekly practice hours, percentage of pediatric patients, percentage of pediatric preventive care, and percentage of insured patients. A multivariate analysis was conducted through structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The highest perceived barrier was found to be healthcare system-related, followed by parents, children, and dentists themselves. Most participants thought parents have poor knowledge of pediatric caries prevention (n = 290; 80%), and dental care for young children emphasizes curative treatment over prevention (n = 257; 70%). The multivariate analysis showed that dentists' practice sector and age affect perceived barriers and pediatric preventive care the most. CONCLUSIONS: Factors and barriers identified in this study must be the main focus of oral health programs, and dentists, as service providers, need proper training to address these barriers to optimize caries prevention in Indonesia.

Assessment of Indonesian-Language Orthodontics-Related YouTube Video as a Source of Information.

OBJECTIVES: Health-seeking behavior through social media including orthodontics treatment has become popular among community in Indonesia. However, the characteristics of uploaded video in term of quality, reliability, and usefulness are unknown. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of Indonesian-language orthodontic-related YouTube videos uploaded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study adopted cross-sectional design and analyzed 300 videos as the sample. A final 100 related videos were included for analysis of the quality, usefulness, and reliability of the video uploaded as well as viewers' interaction in term of popularity and visibility. Mann-Whitney's test was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The majority of the videos were uploaded by individual users (60%) with moderate quality, usefulness, and reliability. Statistical analysis showed that orthodontics-related YouTube videos uploaded by individuals have lower popularity and reliability compared with health professional (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Most of the Indonesian-language orthodontic-related YouTube videos have moderate quality, usefulness, and reliability. There is a need from health professional to contribute more related video as main source of health information for the general to make healthy health-seeking behavior.

Indonesian Dentists' Perception of the Use of Teledentistry.

INTRODUCTION: Teledentistry is the use of information and communication technology to provide dental services from distant locations. The use of teledentistry is highly beneficial in the COVID-19 pandemic era. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore Indonesian dentists' perceptions of the use of teledentistry in their daily practice and the benefits for patients. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study comprising an electronic survey of Indonesian dentists. We used a cross-cultural, adapted questionnaire that consisted of 26 items and 5-point Likert scale questions that evaluated dentist perception in the following 4 domains: usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice, usefulness of teledentistry to improve practices, usefulness of teledentistry for patients, and dentists who had concerns about the use of teledentistry. RESULTS: A total of 652 dentists from 34 provinces in Indonesia participated in this study. The majority of respondents agreed about the usefulness of teledentistry in dental practice, especially for saving time, compared to referral letters (87%). Most respondents recognised the utility of teledentistry for improving dental practice and its benefits for patients. Nevertheless, most of the dentists had concerns about teledentistry in terms of digital forgery concern (74.2%) and technical incompatibility (71.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Indonesian dentists reported their positive perception of the usefulness of teledentistry for improving dental practice and benefits for patients, although some concerns were still present. Further studies on the application of teledentistry in Indonesia are still needed.

Analysis of Quality, Usefulness, Reliability, Visibility, and Popularity of Videos about Dental Caries on YouTube: A Cross-sectional Analysis.

Objectives: YouTube is the most popular social media and is widely used to access dental and oral diseases information. Nonetheless, the quality of online health information remains a problem. This study aimed to analyze the quality, usefulness, reliability, visibility, and popularity of YouTube videos about dental caries as a source of information. Materials and Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional analytical study. Here, 300 videos that were uploaded in September 2019-2020 were screened, and total duration, number of views, number of likes, number dislikes, uploader category (individual users or health professionals), and upload date of the videos were recorded. One hundred videos were analyzed in terms of their quality, usefulness, reliability, visibility, and popularity using the Global Quality Scale, usefulness score, DISCERN, viewing rate, and interaction index, respectively. Results: Videos were 78% uploaded by individual users. Videos uploaded by health professionals showed high scores in quality, usefulness, and reliability. Videos that were greater than 6 min long exhibited both better quality and higher popularity. Video with good-quality showed high visibility and popularity. In addition, videos with better usefulness and reliability showed high visibility; however, their popularity was low. Conclusions: Information about dental caries on YouTube is limited in quality. YouTube videos have a potentially important role in oral health education.

Impact of Undergraduate Research as a Compulsory Course in the Dentistry Study Program Universitas Indonesia.

Undergraduate (UG) research is regarded as a fundamental component in dental education. The present study was designed to examine the perception of the clinical students and the graduates of dentistry profession programs in the past 10 years on UG research as a compulsory course at the Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia. A total of 310 respondents, consisting of clinical students (64.8%) and alumni (35.2%), participated in this study. The majority of respondents (81.3%) agreed to UG research as part of compulsory courses in the curriculum of dentistry study programs. The positive impact of UG research on their professional careers was perceived by 78.3% of participants. Only 11.6% of participants responded that UG research experiments were not important in dental education, and 18.7% preferred UG research as an elective course. UG research as a compulsory course in the dental curriculum was well received by the majority of participants. Recommendations included student autonomy to select research topics of interest, longer duration to complete UG research, and more opportunities to present the research results in scientific conferences and to publish in scientific journals. Dental schools and their faculties play essential roles in improving the research environment for undergraduate dental students.

Awareness and Attitudes of Dental Students toward Older Adults in Indonesia.

In this study, we aimed to analyse the awareness and attitudes of dental students (DS) toward older adults (OAs) in Indonesia. Compromised oral health (OH) among OAs is a significant public health problem that is a global health burden. Furthermore, appropriate education can provide DS with information about strategic and efficient treatments for OAs. An online invitation was provided to every dental student in Indonesia in the third to sixth year of study to answer a web-based questionnaire as a part of a survey on awareness and attitudes (14 questions) towards OAs. From 1288 valid forms submitted, it was evident that most students (87%) expressed a positive attitude toward OAs. Female students showed a more positive attitude compared to males, with an odds ratio of 1.539 (p = 0.036), and students who had a connection to an older adult demonstrated a more positive attitude than those who did not (OR = 2.076; p < 0.001). The majority of the DS (98%) were conscious of the importance of geriatrics in dentistry, with female students showing more awareness than their male counterparts (OR = 2.553; p = 0.033). Positive awareness and attitudes must be accompanied by knowledge so that DS can offer appropriate and effective oral care to geriatric patients.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation among General Dental Practitioners, Paediatric Dentists, and Other Dental Specialists in Indonesia.

Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a qualitative, dental enamel hypomineralisation defect affecting one to four first permanent molars, characterised by the present of asymmetries demarcated opacities, and is prevalent worldwide. An early diagnosis of MIH is crucial, to prevent further complications including the development of dental caries, hypersensitivity, pulp inflammation, and pain. Therefore, a thorough understanding of MIH is of clinical importance. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and perception of MIH among general dental practitioners (GD), paediatric dentists (PD), and other dental specialists (DS) in Indonesia using a self-administered questionnaire. Chi-square tests and Kruskal−Wallis tests were employed to analyse the data. A total of 266 dental practitioners­112 GD, 84 PD, and 60 DS­were included in this study and completed the online questionnaire. There were significant differences in the overall knowledge scores between GD, PD, and DS (p < 0.001). Specifically, the different between the tested groups were observed in the knowledge of caries pattern related to MIH and the aetiology of MIH. The majority of PD (83.3%) can differentiate the MIH-related caries pattern from the classic caries pattern. Moreover, the confident level in diagnosing and treating MIH teeth were higher in PD compared to GD and DS (p = 0.000). The majority of dental practitioners in all groups agreed on the necessity to obtain continuing education on MIH including the aetiology, diagnosis, and its treatment to improve their knowledge and confidence in MIH clinical management.