Awareness Of Exfoliative Cytology Among Undergraduate Dental Students

Abstract

Introduction:
Exfoliative cytology is a test that is used in diagnosing various oral diseases mainly squamous cell carcinoma.Awareness and clinical application of exfoliative helps in early detection of the disease. This is one of the best ways to manage and prevent oral cancer. It plays a pivotal role by screening and early diagnosis of the premalignant and malignant lesions. It is a simple and rapid technique that is inexpensive and minimally invasive. Aim of the study is to assess the level and create awareness of exfoliative cytology among undergraduate dental students.
Methodology:
A self administered questionnaire containing 15 questions was distributed to the undergraduate dental students . Data collected were entered into a spreadsheet and analysed subsequently using the Statistical software SPSS (Version 20). Frequency and percentage were calculated from the study variable. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise the variable in the data set.
Result:
From this study 65% of the undergraduate students know the purpose of exfoliative cytology, 35% doesn’t know the purpose of exfoliative cytology,66% of undergraduate dental students who are aware of exfoliative cytology and 34 % who are not aware of exfoliative cytology.
Conclusion: Our study clearly indicates that there is a moderate awareness of exfoliative cytology among undergraduate dental students.