Background and Aims: Evaluation of the training is a principle for successful education. This study evaluated the effect of the theoretical course of community oral health on knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice of preventive dentistry in dental students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and assessed the students' satisfaction from the course.
Materials and Methods: The intervention group comprised the forth-year students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dental School and the controls were the forth year students of Shahid Beheshti Medical University. The questionnaire included questions on backgrounds, knowledge, attitude and practice of students towards preventive dentistry, and students' satisfaction from the course. The intervention was 17 weekly sessions (hours) of the community oral health course. The sum of scores for questions on backgrounds, knowledge, attitude and practice were calculated and changes were analyzed by General Linear Model.
Results: The mean baseline knowledge score in the intervention group was 16.9 (SD=4.0) and for the control group 16.3 (SD=3.5). Corresponding figures were 23.7 (SD=3.4) and 17 (SD=3.3) after intervention. General linear model showed the intervention to be successful in increasing the students' knowledge scores on preventive dentistry (P<0.0001). Most students (92%) were satisfied with learning several new items during the course.
Conclusion: The students' knowledge was successfully increased by passing the theoretical course of community oral health delivered by teacher-centered method of lecture. Student-centered methods may help in changing the students' attitude and practice of preventive dentistry.
