Abstract
Background: This study aimed to determine the common scientific information sources used, information retrieval skills, and knowledge of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among graduating dental students in two dental schools in Iran.Methods: In total, 179 final-year dental students from Mashhad University (71%) and Babol University (29%) participated in this anonymous survey in 2019. A valid self-administered questionnaire has been translated using forward-backward method to assess students' use of information sources for the past six months, their information retrieval skills, and knowledge of EBD. We used chi-square test, t-test, and one way ANOVA for statistical analysis.Results: Most commonly used information sources by the students in the university and at home were: personal lecture notes, fellow dental students, and Compact Dentistry References (CDR) books. Proportion of students with good knowledge of EBD was 53.6%. Dental students who sensed to possess weaker information retrieval skills revealed lower EBD scores (p=0.01). Students who used at least one evidence-based information source (Cochrane, PubMed/Medline, scientific journals’ websites) more frequently sensed to possess better information retrieval skills (p=0.02).Conclusions: Commonly used information sources by the dental students were not evidence-based. Those students with better information retrieval skill showed higher EBD knowledge score and used evidence-based information sources more frequently. Therefore, more efforts should be put to basic skill of information retrieval and EBD in Iranian dental curricula.
Adaptation and validation of the Berlin questionnaire of competence in evidence-based dentistry for dental students: a pilot study
