Assessment of vital pulp therapy education in undergraduate dental programs in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Muhammad Qasim Javed; Badi B. Alotaibi; Syed Fareed  Mohsin; Ayman M. Abulhamael; Usman Anwer Bhatti

doi:10.12669/pjms.41.2.11022

Muhammad Qasim Javed College of Dentistry, Qassim University
Badi B. Alotaibi Associate Professor, Department of Conservative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
Syed Fareed Mohsin Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, P.O. Box 1162, Buraidah 51452, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
Ayman M. Abulhamael Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80209, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Usman Anwer Bhatti Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.11022

Keywords: Dental Education, Endodontics, Permanent Teeth, Vital Pulp Therapy, Caries

Abstract

Background & Objective: Dental caries remains a paramount public health concern among young children in Saudi Arabia. Vital pulp therapy is a vital component of regenerative endodontics that aims to maintain the vitality of the pulp. This study evaluates the teaching methods used for Vital pulp therapy (VPT) in undergraduate dental programs among Saudi Arabian dental schools.

Methods: This survey was conducted in fifteen dentistry colleges in Saudi Arabia, specifically targeting undergraduate institutions. The survey was administered through a Google form e-questionnaire. The colleges were classified according to their year of establishment. The study evaluated the implementation of VPT in lectures and pre-clinic/simulation sessions and identified the faculty members responsible for conducting these sessions.

Results: All surveyed colleges provided didactic teaching on VPT for permanent teeth. However, only 46.7% of the colleges included practical VPT training in their pre-clinic/simulation curriculum. Among colleges with founding years < 10 years, only 25% offered practical VPT training; however, established institutions over 20 years are more inclined to incorporate VPT into their pre-clinic/simulation sessions. The pre-clinical simulation sessions were mainly conducted by endodontists (85.7%), with a minor involvement from pedodontists (14.3%).

Conclusion: Saudi dental schools should standardize and enhance their VPT curricula to better prepare dental students for contemporary practice. Addressing current deficiencies and adopting the proposed changes will likely improve patient outcomes in vital pulp therapy.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.11022

How to cite this: Javed MQ, Alotaibi BB, Mohsin SF, Abulhamael AM, Bhatti UA. Assessment of vital pulp therapy education in undergraduate dental programs in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(2):415-419. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.11022

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Assessment of vital pulp therapy education in undergraduate dental programs in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

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