Abstract
Dental radiology is an essential component of the Dental curriculum. The rapid advancement of imaging technology raises concerns regarding the alignment of this curriculum with current dental imaging methods. While extensive research has been conducted globally on the use of digital imaging among dentists, there is insufficient information available on the existing intraoral and extraoral radiographic imaging methods used by dentists and dental specialists in South Africa, both in the public and private sectors.
Due to the limited amount of research conducted on this topic, my study aims to explore this territory and attempt to make a valuable contribution to the already existing body of knowledge on the radiographic imaging techniques used by dentists in South Africa. Given the constraints of limited resources, it was not practical to carry out this study on a national scale. Therefore, only one province, namely Gauteng, will be included in this study. The aim of this study is, firstly, to explore the radiographic imaging methods used by general dentists and dental specialists in Gauteng’s public and private sector and, secondly, to provide guidelines for a revised dental radiology curriculum that aligns with current clinical practice.
A descriptive quantitative and cross-sectional research design was used. Due to the geographical distribution of dentists, an online survey questionnaire survey was used and distributed via e-mail and WhatsApp, using REDCap® software and Google Forms®. The study population included general dentists and dental specialists who were currently practicing in the private and public sectors across Gauteng. Contact details of practising dentists in Gauteng could not be obtained due to restrictions imposed by POPIA (Protection of Private Information Act). As a result, non-probability convenience sampling was used.
The results of this study suggest that, although a small number of dentists still use conventional film, the majority of dentists and dental specialists in Gauteng are actively embracing new technology for dental radiographic imaging, such as CBCT and Teledentistry. As will be seen from the results of this study, there is an urgent need to revise the dental radiology curriculum to include digital literacy and the responsible use of modern imaging equipment. Comprehension of these subjects will provide emerging dentists with additional skills needed to adapt to the rapidly evolving dental climate.