Oral Cancer Knowledge Assessment: Newly Graduated versus Senior Dental Clinicians
Table 4
Distribution of the number and percentages of responses about attitudes toward diagnosis of cancer and perception about this issue according to responders’ seniority.
Variables
Categories
Dental clinicians
Total (%)
Junior
Senior
Self-assessment of knowledge
Excellent/good
46 (54.8%)
54 (51.4%)
100 (52.9%)
0.648
Regular/poor
38 (45.2%)
51 (48.6%)
89 (47.1%)
Performs cancer exam in the 1st appointment
Yes
66 (78.6%)
90 (85.7%)
156 (82.5%)
0.199
No
18 (21.4%)
15 (14.3%)
33 (17.5%)
Reason for not performing the exam
Performed the exam
67 (79.8%)
88 (83.8%)
155 (82%)
0.551
I do not know how to do it
8 (9.5%)
11 (10.5%)
19 (10.1%)
I do not think it is necessary
6 (7.1%)
5 (4.8%)
11 (5.8%)
I do not receive fees
3 (3.6%)
1 (1%)
4 (2.1%)
Referral of suspicious lesions
Stomatology
53 (63.1%)
73 (69.5%)
126 (66.7%)
0.007
Myself
13 (15.5%)
19 (18.1%)
32 (16.9%)
Dental school
15 (17.9%)
3 (2.9%)
18 (9.5%)
Specialized hospital
2 (2.4%)
6 (5.7%)
8 (4.2%)
Physician
1 (1.2%)
4 (3.8%)
5 (2%)
Confidence level
High
26 (31%)
40 (38.1%)
66 (34.9%)
0.407
Low
55 (65.5%)
59 (56.2%)
114 (60.3%)
I do not know
3 (3.6%)
6 (5.7%)
9 (4.8%)
Training at the university
Yes
59 (70.2%)
46 (43.8%)
105 (55.6%)
≤0.001
No
25 (29.8%)
55 (52.4%)
80 (42.3%)
I do not know
0 (0)
4 (3.8%)
4 (2.1%)
Attended a course on oral cancer
Last year
17 (20.2%)
13 (12.4%)
30 (15.9%)
0.006
Two years ago
24 (28.6%)
20 (19%)
44 (23.3%)
More than two years ago
19 (22.6%)
52 (49.5%)
71 (37.6%)
Never
14 (16.9%)
12 (11.4%)
26 (13.8%)
I do not remember
10 (11.9%)
8 (7.6%)
18 (9.5%)
84 (44.4%)
105 (55.6%)
189 (100%)
Note. values lower than 0.05 indicate statistically significant results.
