Investigating the perception and acceptance towards smartphone and its application as learning tool among Universiti Teknologi MARA dental students / Nor Faharina Abdul Hamid, Nur Saiyidah Hanisah Ali and Nadia Syahirah Mohd Nazri.

The development of smartphones throughout the years had made it a very valuable tool in teaching and learning activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and acceptance towards the use of smartphones as additional learning tool among Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) dental students. Methods: All undergraduate dental students were invited to participate in a self‐ administered questionnaire (content validated, pre-tested) survey, conducted online, involving students across all academic years. Results: Of the 215 respondents, (99.1%) owned a smartphone, with majority of them were iPhone and Android user. 94%, n=202 of the respondent had access to internet data via a third generation (3G) mobile carrier and WiFi connection. Most of the respondents gave positive remarks of all ten statements in regards the perception and acceptance towards smartphone and its application as learning tool. 96.7%, n=208 of respondents agreed that smart phone help them in finding resources related to their study while 74%, n= 159 of them stated that smartphone can help them to manage their study. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that UiTM undergraduate dental students have positive perception and acceptance towards use smartphones in teaching and learning activities

Dental students’ perception, attitude, and willingness to interact with mental illness patients: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Mental illness is a psychological impairment involving emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Dental students may encounter patients with underlying psychological problems during their training. Objective : To evaluate dental students’ perception, attitude, and willingness to interact with patients with mental illness. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted involving undergraduates at three dental institutions in Malaysia using an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis was conducted and statistical analysis using chi-square test was done for associations (p < 0.05). Results: The response rate was 63% (225); the majority of respondents were female (77.8%) and of Malay ethnicity (88.4%). Our study found that positive attitudes are independent of respondents’ sociodemographic profiles. No significant differences in attitudes were portrayed by gender, race, or history of mental illness. Our findings suggest that respondents’ place of study, gender, and previous encounter with mental illness are associated with willingness to interact with patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Dental students displayed positive attitudes and willingness to interact with patients with mental illness. However, to further improve students’ attitudes and enhance their readiness to interact with patients with mental illness, more mental health-related educational programs should be introduced in the dental curricula

Perception of Malaysian dental practitioner on the provisional COVID-19 guidelines in the dental practice: a cross-sectional study

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization issued provisional guidelines to address considerations for essential oral health services in the pandemic situation. Compliance with the guidelines is essential to curb the potential spread of infection within a dental practice. This study aimed to assess the perception of Malaysian dental practitioners towards exercising the provisional COVID-19 dental practice guideline during the early phase of the pandemic. A self-administered questionnaire of a structured type consisting of demographic information and dentist perceptions of the provisional guidelines of dental care during the COVID-19 outbreak was distributed online from May 2021 until August 2021 through various social networking platforms among dental practitioners working at different healthcare sectors in all states in Malaysia. A total of 468 dental practitioners responded to this study. More than threequarters of the respondents were working in public dental care facilities (76.3%, n=357). The majority of respondents adhered to the provisional guidelines issued during the pandemic outbreak and exhibited a change in standard clinical practice (p<0.001). Dental practitioners working in public sectors perceive that swab tests prior to dental appointments should be mandatory, the reopening of dental clinics increases the risk of spread and the provisional guidelines of COVID-19 in dental practice will be changed in the future compared to private dental practitioners (p<0.001). The majority of dental practitioners in Malaysia have complied with the provisional guidelines imposed by the health bodies. As the COVID-19 virus will persist and become endemic in our communities, it is important to balance the safety issue and patient oral health needs