A Survey of Senior Dental Students ’ Experiences with Young Dental Patients in Pennsylvania
Table 3 . Comparison between performing an operative procedure on a child younger than 5 years old , observing a clinical procedure on a child younger than 5 years old , and subject ’ s perceived comfort to do an exam on a young child .
Performed operative procedures in children < 5 yrs old p = 0.004
YES NO
Observed operative procedures in children < 5 yrs old p = 0.001
YES NO
Subject ’ s perceived comfort to do an exam on a young child
Yes
No n = 64 n = 16 n = 44 n = 31
n = 92 n = 28 n = 17 n = 19
Total
80 76
120 36
CONCLUSIONS Eighty two percent of graduating dental students from Pennsylvania dental schools do not plan to see children younger than two years of age in their own offices upon graduation . Students who have performed infant exams while in dental school are more likely to be willing to see patients younger than 2 years of age in their own offices upon graduation from dental school . Any level of exposure to pediatric dentistry ( lecture or clinical ) was associated with self-perceived comfort with oral exam of young children , but not with willingness to see patients younger than 2 years of age in practice . Barriers to access to care for children in Pennsylvania may be related in part to the lack of clinical exposure to infant exams in pre-doctoral dental education in pediatric dentistry .
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