Attitude Regarding Dental Stem Cells among Dental Practitioners in Kerman, Iran

Introduction and Objective: Dental stem cells are widely used in the treatment of some diseases. As adoption of this new technology and the provision of regenerative therapies to dental patients are important, this study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the attitude of general dentists of Kerman city toward dental stem cells. Methodology: This descriptive-analytical type of cross-sectional study was conducted on 378 general dentists in Kerman city during the years 2018-2019. Census sampling method was used in this research. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to measure the level of knowledge. The questionnaire consisted of 3 general sections, including professional status, demographic information, and attitudes about stem cells and clinical application of stem cells. Finally, the data were entered into the SPSS 21 software and analyzed. Results: The research results revealed that the majority of dentists are at a positive level of attitude (74.34%). The results also revealed that those who read more articles (P = 0.005, B = 3.7), participate in the seminars (P = 0.04, B = 4.3), and have willingness to participate in the educational programs (p = 0.0001, P = 8.3) have more positive attitudes. The results showed a significant relationship between the attitude of dentists about stem cells and willingness to suggest stem cell storage for patients (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that the attitude of dentists in Kerman about dental stem cells is at an acceptable level. A positive attitude toward stem cell application can lead to more use of it and an improvement in the clinical application.