educational needs assessment of mashhad dentists about principles of bonding and adhesives in dentistry

background: many of the problems and composite filling failures are due to dentists' inadequate and passing acquaintance with bonding principles. the aim of this study is to assess dentists' acquaintance with the bonding principles and different adhesive application that are going to be used in educational programs. methods: in this descriptive and cross-sectional study, a valid and reliable questionnaire was designed. the questionnaires were distributed, in person, among dentists in mashhad, 1389. our random sample comprised 100 dentists; the questionnaires were filled, gathered and analyzed. the data and results are presented in tables and charts. results: the results of the study indicate that only 21% of the dentists in the sample have adequate knowledge and proficiency in total-etch adhesive application. this knowledge  even reduces to 12% for self-etch adhesives. moreover, it revealed that just 8% of the dentists had enough information about the methods of connecting composite on porcelain.  conclusion: the results of this study indicate that in the majority of arenas we have questioned about, the rate of acquaintance and knowledge of the dentists were weak or moderate. all of the dentists believe that it is essential to hold bonding workshops.