Current situation of cone beam computed tomography in dentomaxillofacial radiology education

Little is known regarding to what extent Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) has been incorporated into the curriculum of dental schools or to which degree the students are being exposed to it. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the current situation of CBCT in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (DMFR) education and review the established competences on dentists and DMFR residents on CBCT in Turkey, Europe and United States. In order to define the situation in Turkey, DMFR educators were asked to complete a form, which consisted of 11 questions on the didactic and practical teaching of CBCT technique to undergraduate and postgraduate students. They were also asked to indicate their opinion about expected level of competence of dental students on CBCT upon graduation. Besides, competences that were determined for the undergraduate and postgraduate CBCT education in Turkey, Europe and United States were discussed. Fifty-four educators from 20 dental schools in Turkey responded the survey. Sixteen (80%) dental schools presently had a CBCT machine, and most of them had courses on higher-level use of CBCT for postgraduate students. Twenty-nine educators (53.7%) thought that a dental student should be familiar with the CBCT technique, whereas only 2 (3.7%) of them thought that they should be competent in using and interpreting CBCT upon graduation. A large number of dental schools in Turkey had CBCT machine. Although, the competences regarding CBCT were specifically determined in Turkey, there is a need for updating national and international competences in order to define the responsibilities and limitations of the dental practitioners and DMFR