Usman M Jamshid, Latha Neethu, Saraswathy Arya, Makkadan Thachanath Hareesh
Prosthodontics, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 26;16(12):e76409. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76409. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Digital dentistry has transformed all aspects of dentistry, especially prosthodontics, and is increasingly used for diagnosis, treatment planning, execution, student training, and research. This study aimed to assess the perception, attitude, and practice of digital technology in prosthodontics among dental professionals in Kerala, India.
A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among dental professionals in Kerala. A self-administered questionnaire with 23 close-ended questions assessed demographics, perception, attitude, and digital technology use in prosthodontics. The questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States), and 200 complete responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).
The response rate was 81.2%. Among respondents, 60.3% were female and most were aged 31-40 years; 66% were aware of digital technology and 42.5%, primarily males and private practitioners, had used it in practice. Training influenced usage, with 91.3% of non-users lacking training. Intraoral scanning was the most used component (87.2%), and chairside milling was the least used (1.2%). Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) restorations were rated superior to lab-fabricated ones by 75%.
The findings of this study reveal moderate awareness, limited use of digital technology in prosthodontic practice, and significant satisfaction on the part of users with the outcomes. This reinforces the need to develop structured training in digital tools in dental education and offer continuing education for practitioners. A digitally enabled approach to dental education can modernize practices and address existing gaps, enhancing clinical efficiency and patient care through the adoption of digital dentistry.
数字牙科改变了牙科的各个方面，尤其是口腔修复学，并且越来越多地用于诊断、治疗计划制定、治疗实施、学生培训和研究。本研究旨在评估印度喀拉拉邦牙科专业人员对口腔修复学中数字技术的认知、态度和实践情况。
在喀拉拉邦的牙科专业人员中开展了一项基于问卷调查的横断面研究。一份包含23个封闭式问题的自填式问卷评估了人口统计学信息、认知、态度以及口腔修复学中数字技术的使用情况。该问卷通过谷歌表单（谷歌有限责任公司，美国加利福尼亚州山景城）进行分发，使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 25.0版本（发布于2017年；IBM公司，美国纽约州阿蒙克）对200份完整回复进行分析。
回复率为81.2%。在受访者中，60.3%为女性，大多数年龄在31至40岁之间；66%知晓数字技术，42.5%（主要是男性和私人执业者）在实践中使用过数字技术。培训影响了使用情况，91.3%的非使用者缺乏培训。口内扫描是使用最多的组件（87.2%），椅旁铣削是使用最少的（1.2%）。75%的人认为计算机辅助设计/计算机辅助制造（CAD/CAM）修复体优于实验室制作的修复体。
本研究结果显示，牙科专业人员对数字技术的认知程度中等，在口腔修复学实践中数字技术的使用有限，且使用者对结果满意度较高。这强化了在牙科教育中开展数字工具结构化培训并为从业者提供继续教育的必要性。数字化的牙科教育方法可以使实践现代化并弥补现有差距，通过采用数字牙科提高临床效率和患者护理水平。
