Assessment of vital pulp therapy education in undergraduate dental programs in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background & objective: Dental caries remains a paramount public health concern among young children in Saudi Arabia. Vital pulp therapy is a vital component of regenerative endodontics that aims to maintain the vitality of the pulp. This study evaluates the teaching methods used for Vital pulp therapy (VPT) in undergraduate dental programs among Saudi Arabian dental schools.

Methods: This survey was conducted in fifteen dentistry colleges in Saudi Arabia, specifically targeting undergraduate institutions. The survey was administered through a Google form e-questionnaire. The colleges were classified according to their year of establishment. The study evaluated the implementation of VPT in lectures and pre-clinic/simulation sessions and identified the faculty members responsible for conducting these sessions.

Results: All surveyed colleges provided didactic teaching on VPT for permanent teeth. However, only 46.7% of the colleges included practical VPT training in their pre-clinic/simulation curriculum. Among colleges with founding years < 10 years, only 25% offered practical VPT training; however, established institutions over 20 years are more inclined to incorporate VPT into their pre-clinic/simulation sessions. The pre-clinical simulation sessions were mainly conducted by endodontists (85.7%), with a minor involvement from pedodontists (14.3%).

Conclusion: Saudi dental schools should standardize and enhance their VPT curricula to better prepare dental students for contemporary practice. Addressing current deficiencies and adopting the proposed changes will likely improve patient outcomes in vital pulp therapy.