Bridging the Gap: Dental Students’ Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)

Author:

Asiri Faris Yahya I.12ORCID,Tennant Marc2,Kruger Estie2ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

2. International Research Collaboration—Oral Health and Equity, School of Allied Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia

Abstract

Background: Persons with disabilities (PWDs) face significant barriers in accessing dental care, resulting in poorer oral health outcomes compared to the general population. To reduce dental healthcare disparities, dental professionals must develop positive attitudes and acquire the necessary skills to treat PWDs effectively. This study aimed to assess the experiences, education, training levels, and attitudes of dental students and interns toward PWDs, and to explore the relationships between their exposure to PWDs, their education/training regarding managing PWDs, and their attitudes toward PWDs. Methods: Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. From May to June 2023, a pretested, validated online questionnaire (developed based on existing survey instruments and modified to fit the study context) was distributed to 98 eligible dental students and interns at King Faisal University. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for analysis. Results: The response rate was 88.78%. There was a statistically positive correlation between students’ exposure to PWDs and their attitudes (p < 0.05). Statistically significant relationships were found between students’ education/training and their attitudes towards educational experiences and instructors (p < 0.01) and interpersonal interactions with PWDs (p < 0.05). No statistically significant relationship existed between the year of study and future encounters with PWDs (p = 0.176). Additionally, 42.5% of students felt inadequately prepared to treat PWDs, and 88.5% expressed a desire for further education. Notably, 20.7% reported no training on PWDs, while 70.1% preferred clinical education. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of exposure and training in shaping dental students’ attitudes toward PWDs. Dental schools should prioritize structured teaching, greater contact with the disabled community, and hands-on experiences to ensure dental professionals are both well prepared and positively inclined to treat PWDs. These findings have significant implications for improving dental education curricula.

Funder

King Salman Center for Disability Research

Publisher

MDPI AG

Reference53 articles.

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2. Zahra, A., Hassan, M.S., Park, J.-H., Hassan, S.-U., and Parveen, N. (2022). Role of environmental quality of life in physical activity status of individuals with and without physical disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19.

3. United Nations (2024, July 02). FAQs on Disability. Available online: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/faqs.htm.

4. Sadek, G. (2024, July 02). Saudi Arabia: New Law Regulating Rights of Persons with Disabilities Promulgated, Available online: https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2023-12-03/saudi-arabia-new-law-regulating-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-promulgated/.

5. Dental health for children with special educational needs and disability;Carter;Paediatr. Int. Child Health,2022

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