UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS,KNOWLEDGEON TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS IN CROATIA

摘要

The aim of this study was to evaluate Croatian undergraduate students4 knowledgebased on what they learned in the recent course, as well as the students' own judgment and opinionsabout geriatric dentistry education concerning temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) of the elderly.The study was carried out by means of a questionnaire administered in the last study year to studentsof the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb and students of the Department of DentalMedicine at the School of Medicine, University of Rijeka. The questionnaire included questions aboutrelevant specific knowledge on TMD, and statements related to their own opinion about geriatricdentistry education received during the study. Regarding students4 knowledge related to TMDs,students from Rijeka gave more positive answers (p=0.012). Students from Rijeka gave more positiveanswers regarding physical therapy for treatment of TMD (p=0.004) and disc displacement andosteoarthritis as the most common disorders of the temporomandibular joint (p=0.031). Studentsfrom Zagreb were more unsatisfied with the skills in the field of geriatric dentistry (disagreed 57.45%)than students from Rijeka (45.83% had neutral standpoint and 37.50% agreed) (p=0.005).Tlie level ofthe participants' knowledge pointed to the need of improving undergraduate dental teaching aboutthe specific geriatric education, including knowledge about TMD.