Students' perceptions and attitudes about digital dental technology is associated with their intention to use it

Moamen Sheba; Carissa Comnick; Tarek Elkerdani; Sato Ashida; Erliang Zeng; Leonardo Marchini

doi:10.1002/jdd.12610

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Students' perceptions and attitudes about digital dental technology is associated with their intention to use it

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Students' perceptions and attitudes about digital dental technology is associated with their intention to use it

Moamen Sheba, Carissa Comnick, Tarek Elkerdani, Sato Ashida, Erliang Zeng and Leonardo Marchini

Journal of dental education, Vol.85(8), pp.1427-1434

04/16/2021

DOI: 10.1002/jdd.12610

PMID: 33864265

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Abstract

To investigate factors associated with predoctoral students' intention to use dental technology in future practice using the theory of planned behavior. A comprehensive survey was developed consisting of 29 questions grouped in three main domains: knowledge, perception, and suggestions. After students had completed their digital dentistry didactic courses in 2019, the University of Iowa-College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics D2, D3, and D4 classes completed the survey. The D1 class was excluded because they had not finished their digital dentistry didactic courses. The survey data were tabulated for each class separately to compare trends among classes. Each response was analyzed individually before creating scores for the various subdomains. A linear regression analysis was used to create the final model for the outcome variable (intention to use technology). The response rate was 95% (n = 232). The mean age of participants was 25.7 years (SD = 2.7). There were significant differences between the classes in their knowledge (p < 0.0001), perceived quality of training (p < 0.0001), and all perceptions related to digital dentistry. Controlling for significant covariates among higher level students, there were significant associations between intention to use dental technology and greater knowledge scores (p = 0.05), attitude (p < 0.0001), subjective social norms (p = 0.02), and perceived control on the future use of technology (p < 0.0001). Students may be motivated to use digital technology when they have good knowledge, feel that others are using it or endorsing its use, and perceive that they have control in their future practice.

dental technology

intentions

perceptions

predoctoral students

digital dentistry

Details

Title: Subtitle: Students' perceptions and attitudes about digital dental technology is associated with their intention to use it
Creators: Moamen Sheba - Department of General Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Carissa Comnick - Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, College of Dentistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
Tarek Elkerdani - College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, The University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
Sato Ashida - Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
Erliang Zeng - Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, College of Dentistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
Leonardo Marchini - Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, The University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of dental education, Vol.85(8), pp.1427-1434
DOI: 10.1002/jdd.12610
PMID: 33864265
NLM abbreviation: J Dent Educ
ISSN: 0022-0337
eISSN: 1930-7837
Publisher: United States
Language: English
Date published: 04/16/2021
Academic Unit: Preventive and Community Dentistry; Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Office Of The Provost; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biostatistics; Prosthodontics; Injury Prevention Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive); Dental Research; Community and Behavioral Health
Record Identifier: 9984070481502771

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