Investigation of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills of Dental Students towards the Principles of Professional Ethics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Dentist, Student Research Committee, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Infectious Diseases Research Center, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Para Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.22038/fmej.2025.88900.1655

Abstract

Background: In the health system, dentists form a large group of employees providing health services, and their professional character, including familiarity with the principles of professional ethics and their compliance, plays an important role in fulfilling the mission of the health system. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of the final-year dental students regarding the principles of professional ethics.
Method: This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 68 final-year students of Aja and Shahed dental faculties in Tehran in 2024. The survey tool included three questionnaires related to knowledge, attitude and skills about professional ethics principles, whose reliability and validity have been confirmed. Data analysis was done using statistical and inferential tests via SPSS 24 software.
Results: The mean age of 68 students participating in this study was 24.7 ± 2.23 years and their mean grade point average was 16.39 ± 0.8. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude and skill of students toward professional ethics were 9.38 ± 2.42, 105.38 ± 12.25 and 15.51 ± 3.69 respectively. There was a significant correlation between the age variable and the average knowledge of students (p = 0.016(.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed the moderate level of students' knowledge and the good level skill and attitude of students toward professional ethics principles. Due to the importance of professional ethics in the practice of dentists, it is recommended to pay attention to the topics of professional ethics in the curriculum of students.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Future of Medical Education Journal
Volume 15, Issue 4
November 2025
Pages 33-40

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