Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes towards Preventive Dentistry amongst the Dentists of Prayagraj City, India

Introduction: The knowledge and attitude of the dentist towards oral health care can provide a framework for their professional work. Since dentists are the people who convey evidence based knowledge of oral health care o he public, he also influence heir patients oral health related behavior. Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude towards preventive dentistry amongst the dentists of Prayagraj city, India Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted amongst 90 dental practitioners of Allahabad city. The data was collected by means of a self-structured questionnaire, which consisted of 28 questions relating to knowledge and attitude regarding preventive dental care. Results: The results revealed that 24.4 % dentists performed diet counselling. Almost 75.6 % respondents believed that regular dental check-ups are important in preventing oral diseases and 48.9 % dentists had an opinion that application of topical fluoride prevents dental caries in the future. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge and awareness regarding preventive dentistry amongst the dental practitioners.