Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Reported Practice Regarding Fissure Sealants among Senior Dental Students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Introduction: Dental caries is a prevalent oral disease, and fissure sealants are effective preventive measures. Dental students play a crucial role in influencing public acceptance of this treatment. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practice regarding fissure sealants among senior dental students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023. A census sampling method was employed to recruit all eligible senior dental students (N = 163). The participants included fifth- and sixth-year dental students from both campuses of the School of Dentistry, TUMS. Data were collected using a validated, anonymous questionnaire comprising four sections: demographics, knowledge (11 questions), attitude (8 questions), and self-reported practice (14 questions). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 via the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman’s correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Out of 163 distributed questionnaires, 117 were completed (response rate: 72%). The participants included 61 (52.1%) males and 56 (47.9%) females. The mean scores were 8.4±1.7 (out of 11) for knowledge, 28.8±3.5 (out of 40) for attitude, and 9.9±1.7 (out of 14) for self-reported practice. Male students showed significantly higher knowledge scores compared to females (P = 0.02). Fifth-year students also scored significantly higher in knowledge than sixth-year students (P = 0.04). A significant positive correlation was found between self-reported practice and both knowledge (P = 0.02) and attitude (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Senior dental students demonstrated an acceptable level of theoretical knowledge regarding fissure sealants. However, their attitude and self-reported practice fell short of expected standards, highlighting the need for educational reinforcement and practical training in the dental curriculum. Keywords: Knowledge; Attitude; Dental caries; Pit and fissure sealants; Dental students.
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13. Asawa K, Gupta VV, Tak M, Nagarajappa R, Chaturvedi P, Bapat S, et al. Dental sealants: knowledge, value, opinion, and practice among dental professionals of Bathinda City, India. Adv Prev Med. 2014;2014:469738.
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16. Ealla KKR, Kumar AN, Turagam N, Sooraparaju SG, Yerrapothu RMR, Bhaskaran MK. Knowledge analysis of pit and fissure sealants among the dental students of South India. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2018;8(6):508–12.
17. Le Clerc J, Gasqui MA, Laforest L, Beaurain M, Ceinos R, Chemla F, et al. Knowledge and opinions of French dental students related to caries risk assessment and dental sealants (preventive and therapeutic). Odontology. 2021;109(1):41–52.
18. Nagappan N, Dhamodhar MD, Nithin MG, Kumar ES. Knowledge, value, opinion and practice about usage of pit and fissure sealant among dental professionals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2015;5(Suppl 2):S123–8.
19. Elmanaseer WR, Al-Omoush SA, Alamoush RA, Abu Zaghlan R, Alsoleihat F. Dental Students' Perception and Self-Perceived Confidence Level in Key Dental Procedures for General Practice and the Impact of Competency Implementation on Their Confidence Level, Part I (Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry). Int J Dent. 2023;2023:2015331.
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21. Quinonez RB, Danciu T, Ramaswamy V, Murdoch-Kinch CA. Bridging the gap between dental education and clinical practice: The entrustable professional activities model. J Am Dent Assoc. 2023;154(8):687–9.
2. Soltani MR, Sayadizadeh M, Raeisi Estabragh S, Ghannadan K, Malek-Mohammadi M. Dental Caries Status and its Related Factors in Iran: A Meta-Analysis. J Dent (Shiraz). 2020;21(3):158–76.
3. Wright JT, Crall JJ, Fontana M, Gillette EJ, Nový BB, Dhar V, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants: A report of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. J Am Dent Assoc. 2016;147(8):672–82.e12.
4. Sreedevi A, Brizuela M, Mohamed S. Pit and Fissure Sealants. StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): , StatPearls Publishing LLC.; 2025.
5. Ahovuo-Saloranta A, Forss H, Walsh T, Nordblad A, Mäkelä M, Worthington HV. Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;7(7):Cd001830.
6. Wnuk K, Świtalski J, Miazga W, Tatara T, Religioni U, Gujski M. Evaluation of the effectiveness of prophylactic sealing of pits and fissures of permanent teeth with fissure sealants - umbrella review. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23(1):806.
7. Elham B, Hossein A, Mahsa P, Azam Dahmardeh G. Survey of Preventive Services by General Dental Practitioners in Zahedan, 2016. Dent Clin Exp J. 2016;1(2):4.
8. Horri A, Poureslami HR, Jahanimoghadam F, Sharifi A. Preventive methods of dental caries is a problem of most general practitioners yet: A survey of knowledge, attitude and practice. J Oral Health Oral Epidemiol. 2016;5(4):198–204.
9. Nilchian F, Ataie Z, Azadi S. Isfahan general dentist's awareness, attitude, and performance regarding prescription of new caries prevention materials containing calcium and fluoride components. J Educ Health Promot. 2023;12:74.
10. Khami MR, Virtanen JI, Jafarian M, Murtomaa H. Prevention-oriented practice of Iranian senior dental students. Eur J Dent Educ. 2007;11(1):48–53.
11. Moradi S, Sabbagh S, Timms L, Ravaghi V. Teaching Minimally Invasive Interventions in Paediatric Dentistry: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Dental Schools in Iran. BMC Oral Health. 2021;21(1):368.
12. Ng TC, Chu CH, Yu OY. A concise review of dental sealants in caries management. Front Oral Health. 2023;4:1180405.
13. Asawa K, Gupta VV, Tak M, Nagarajappa R, Chaturvedi P, Bapat S, et al. Dental sealants: knowledge, value, opinion, and practice among dental professionals of Bathinda City, India. Adv Prev Med. 2014;2014:469738.
14. San Martin L, Castaño A, Bravo M, Tavares M, Niederman R, Ogunbodede EO. Dental sealant knowledge, opinion, values and practice of Spanish dentists. BMC Oral Health. 2013;13:12.
15. Sutharshana V, Gurunathan D, Karthikeyan S. Knowledge attitude and practice of dentists regarding pit and fissure sealants in Suburbs of Chennai, India. Research and Reviews: J Dental Sciences. 2016;4(3):29–33.
16. Ealla KKR, Kumar AN, Turagam N, Sooraparaju SG, Yerrapothu RMR, Bhaskaran MK. Knowledge analysis of pit and fissure sealants among the dental students of South India. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2018;8(6):508–12.
17. Le Clerc J, Gasqui MA, Laforest L, Beaurain M, Ceinos R, Chemla F, et al. Knowledge and opinions of French dental students related to caries risk assessment and dental sealants (preventive and therapeutic). Odontology. 2021;109(1):41–52.
18. Nagappan N, Dhamodhar MD, Nithin MG, Kumar ES. Knowledge, value, opinion and practice about usage of pit and fissure sealant among dental professionals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2015;5(Suppl 2):S123–8.
19. Elmanaseer WR, Al-Omoush SA, Alamoush RA, Abu Zaghlan R, Alsoleihat F. Dental Students' Perception and Self-Perceived Confidence Level in Key Dental Procedures for General Practice and the Impact of Competency Implementation on Their Confidence Level, Part I (Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry). Int J Dent. 2023;2023:2015331.
20. Al-Maweri SA, Al-Jamaei AA, Halboub ES, Al-Soneidar WA, Tarakji B, Alsalhani A. Fissure sealants: Knowledge and practice of Yemeni dental practitioners. Eur J Dent. 2016;10(2):234–8.
21. Quinonez RB, Danciu T, Ramaswamy V, Murdoch-Kinch CA. Bridging the gap between dental education and clinical practice: The entrustable professional activities model. J Am Dent Assoc. 2023;154(8):687–9.
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| Issue | Vol 13, No 1 (Winter 2026) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Knowledge; Attitude; Dental caries; Pit and fissure sealants; Dental students. | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Razavian Z, Mohebbi S, Zarafshar A, Asl Fallah P, Razeghi S. Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Reported Practice Regarding Fissure Sealants among Senior Dental Students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences. J Craniomaxillofac Res. 2026;13(1):98-104.
