Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Dental Amalgam Restoration among Dental Students

Amalgam has been used in Dentistry for about 150 to 200 years and is still under use due to its low cost, ease of application, strength and durability. It is an alloy of mercury, is an excellent and versatile restorative material. The development of various tooth coloured cements and resins serves as an alternative and have reduced the use of amalgam. Yet, amalgam stands as one of the excellent restorative materials. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, awareness and practice of dental amalgam among dental students in a private dental school. Study was conducted as a cross sectional questionnaire based study among the dental students. The study was conducted as an online survey as it is timesaving and a majority of the population can be covered. There were one hundred participants involved in this online survey from second year, third years, final years and internship. The questionnaire consisting of ten questions were posted for an online survey using google forms. The validity of the questionnaire was cross verified by experts. The data were extracted and tabulated in MS Excel sheets with respect to each question and their response. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software v20. Chi square test was done to assess the association between the variables. The descriptive data obtained were plotted in bar graphs. It was evident that interns had adequate knowledge about amalgam restorations than other participants.