Evaluation of knowledge levels of Turkish dental students on maxillofacial trauma assessment in 2020

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the level of theoretical and practical knowledge of the fourth- and fifth-year dental students in the examination of maxillofacial trauma patients. Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 20 questions measured on a Likert scale, was designed to evaluate the knowledge level of the students about maxillofacial trauma. The survey questions were transferred to Google Forms. The questionnaire was delivered to the students electronically through the Turkish Dental Association. Survey responses submitted between September 1, 2020 and November 1, 2020 were included. Results: The study included 660 dentistry students, among whom 420 were in the fifth and 240 were in the fourth year. Participants were asked 13 questions under the heading "Which of the following is/are appropriate for emergency assessment of a conscious patient presenting with maxillofacial trauma?" While 10 questions were answered correctly by the majority of the students, 3 questions were answered incorrectly. Additionally, negative responses were found to be higher for the seven subjective questions asked to evaluate students’ clinical experience. Conclusion: This study found that the dentistry students had an acceptable degree of theoretical knowledge about maxillofacial trauma, but they lacked clinical experience. Therefore, in undergraduate dental education, theoretical training should be coupled with proper practical training in patient examination, diagnostics, and treatment.