Background: In the dental profession, which faces complex diagnostic challenges and sensitive decision-making, possessing critical thinking skills is essential for analyzing evidence and selecting the best treatment plan. On the other hand, information literacy, as a prerequisite for accessing reliable and up-to-date knowledge, forms the foundation of these decisions. Improving students' information literacy can increase their level of critical thinking skills.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 149 undergraduate dental students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences who had completed at least one semester in 2021. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST-form B) and the standard Information Literacy Questionnaire were used to determine the scores of critical thinking and information literacy, respectively, and then the relationship between the two variables was examined.
Linear regression model by SPSS software version 24 was used for data analysis. Results: The mean score of critical thinking in students was 9.67±3.77 (out of 34) and the mean score of information literacy was 43.96 ± 10.04 (out of 87). These scores were below the midpoint of the achievable score range for both variables.There is a significant relationship between students 'critical thinking and information literacy (P-value = 0.020) so that with the increase of information literacy, the level of students' critical thinking increases.
Conclusion: Due to the fact that dental students do not have the desired level of critical thinking and information literacy, appropriate educational programs are needed to promote students' information literacy and thus improve their critical thinking skills.