Abul Khair Zalan1 MDS Sakina Qazi3 MCPS Nabeel Zahid2 BDS, MFDS RCSEd, M endo RCSEd Abdul Haq4 FCPS Zainab Memon5 BDS Miraat Anser6 BDS
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric patients have high unmet treatment needs in Pakistan. There are only a handful of pediatric dentists
in Pakistan. Thus, the dental services to child patients have to be dependent on general dentists and other dental specialists.
The aim of this study was to assess the attitude and practice of the dentists towards clinical pediatric dentistry in Pakistan.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among the dentists in Pakistan.
RESULTS: A total of 372 dentists participated in the study. These included 122 (32.8%) males and 250 (67.2%) females. The
majority of the participants (n = 272, 73.1%) were between the ages of 25 to 35 years. As compared to other dentists, a
significantly greater number of general dentists (p < 0.008) had received any training in the behavioral management of children.
Operative dentists reported practicing more of the various procedures in child patients (pit and fissure sealants, stainless steel
crowns, pulpectomies, fluoride varnishes, pulpotomies and restorations), as compared to the other dentists. Even though the
operative dentists performed more of these procedures, more than 50% of them still did not frequently perform any of the
procedures. A total of 244 (65.6%) dentists wanted to attend pediatric dentistry courses, if available.
CONCLUSION: There is a major gap in the needs and availability of pediatric dentistry services. More training needs to be
conducted at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in pediatric dentistry.
KEYWORDS: Pediatric dentistry, general dentists, other dental specialists, attitude and practices.
HOW TO CITE: Zalan AK, Zahid N, Qazi S, Haq A, Memon Z, Anser M. Attitude and practice of general dental practitioners
and other dental specialties towards pediatric dentistry in Pakistan. J Pak Dent Assoc 2022;31(1):11-15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25301/JPDA.311.11
Received: 15 January 2021, Accepted: 08 September 2021
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