Differences in the attitudes of dental students in West Sumatra towards dental photography

Perbedaan sikap mahasiswa profesi dokter gigi di Sumatera Barat mengenai fotografi dental

Abstract

Dental photography is one of the applications of digital technology in dentistry involving the use of a camera to take pictures of the oral cavity as it really is using photography techniques. Dental photography can be used for diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence of events in the legal and forensic domains, case study research articles, patient information, interactions between laboratory technicians, patients, and dentists, and patient motivation. This study aims to see the differences in attitudes of dental profession students in West Sumatra regarding dental photography. This quantitative research with cross section-al design was conducted on month November 2024 with a sample size of 120 taken by simple random sampling. Data collection was carried out using an online questionnaire (Google Form) with 15 attitude statements. Based on the results of the study, 56.7% of students at Baiturrahmah University and 55% of students at Andalas University had a good attitude towards dental photography. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two uni-versities (p-value=0.854). It is concluded that most dental profession students in West Sumatra have a good attitude towards dental photography. The curri-culum on dental photography should be included to improve students' understanding and attitudes towards the need for dental photography.