general dentists’ perspective in teaching methods of continuing educational programs in mazandaran province (2010-2011)

background: it seems necessary to assess dentists’ needs in order to upgrade the quality of the educational programs. this study was conducted to determine general dentists’ perspectives in the continuing educational programs in mazandaran province.    methods: this descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 430 dentists in mazandaran during 2011-2012. a questionnaire was distributed to collect the data; it consisted demographic information and some questions about the continuous educational programs. the data were analyzed by spss 17 and chi-square test. results: most of the participants were interested in endodontic, restorative dentistry and prosthodontics programs. they believed that attending practical courses or lectures that show educational films are more appropriate for teaching programs than just listening to the professors’ lectures. participating in workshops, watching educational movies, studying books and scientific magazines are considered as the appropriate methods to upgrade depth of scientific knowledge. conclusion: according to the results of the study, major contents of continuous training courses should be reviewed and devised based on the learners’ needs. they should present practical issues, new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in modern dentistry. moreover, due to nature of the discipline, workshops or lectures with educational movie presentation are the most appropriate methods for educational programs.