Senior dental students' perceptions of evidence‐based dentistry

Introduction This study aimed to assess senior dental students' knowledge and attitudes regarding evidence‐based dentistry (EBD), their use of the current literature and considerations for patient preferences. Materials and Methods A modified Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation (KACE) survey was administered to collect data from senior dental students at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD). The chi‐squared test was used to compare the correct response rates of each question in the knowledge of scientific evidence domain. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was conducted to examine correlations between students' knowledge of scientific evidence and their confidence in appraising the study qualities. Results 61 seniors (out of 130) answered all survey questions. Participants displayed an intermediate level of knowledge of EBD. Only 15% of participants correctly answered to the most appropriate design; the distribution of responses appeared significantly different amongst the questions in the basic knowledge section (chi‐squared test, p