Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Dental Stem Cells in a Dental College of Bareilly City: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Stem cells (SCs) have a property of self-renewal and replication. Dental SCs are considered as an important and valuable source of
SCs which can be collected from the healthy pulp. Different human dental SCs (DSCs) are rich in mesenchymal cells; therefore, it can be stored
for future use through minimally invasive procedures. Hence, the aim of the present study is to assess the knowledge and attitude of dentists
in a dental college related to dental SCs.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive, questionnaire-based survey based on knowledge and attitude was conducted and a
total of 100 dentists participated in the survey from the Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 20 questions were
asked regarding sociodemographic variables which included age, gender, area of work, qualification, and years of experience followed by the
awareness regarding SCs and DSCs in detail.
Results: The study consisted of 100 participants who completed the questionnaires (39 males and 61 females) which comprises 41% dental
graduates (BDS) and 59% postgraduates (MDS). In the present study, out of 100 participants, 94% were aware (i.e., 35 dental graduates and
59 postgraduates) and rest 6% were unaware about SCs in general; while 83% were aware of dental SCs (i.e., 24 dental graduates and 59
postgraduates) and rest 17% were unaware about dental SCs.
Conclusion: A positive attitude has been displayed by the respondents toward updating the knowledge regarding dental SCs.
Keywords: Attitude, Cross-sectional, Dental stem cells, Knowledge.
Journal of Dental Sciences and Oral Rehabilitation (2019): 10.5005/jp-journals-10086-1209