Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice On ECC Among Chinese Dental Students

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice of Chinese dental undergraduates and residents regarding early childhood caries (ECC). A structured electronic questionnaire was distributed to 598 dental undergraduates (4th- and 5th-year undergraduates) and residents (1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year residents) at the School of Stomatology, XXXX University (in April–May 2024) under the approval of the Ethics Committee. SPSS Statistics was used to analyze the data using the Chi-square test. A total of 422 questionnaires were completed by participants (recovery rate: 70.6%). Only 27.5% of participants were familiar with ECC, and residents (79.8%) had higher risk awareness of ECC on children's overall health than undergraduates (58.3%) (p < 0.05). Most participants had a positive understanding of ECC's pathogenic factors and preventive measures, including feeding patterns (71.6%), fluoride application (93.4%), and teeth cleaning (93.1%); however, only 50.2% of participants encountered ECC cases in clinic. Despite having a suboptimal level of ECC's knowledge and practice, Chinese dental undergraduates and residents demonstrated a positive attitude towards its prevention. Thus, dental students require comprehensive education and training in order to gain a better understanding of ECC.