Dentists’ Attitudes in the Prosthodontics Congress about the Purpose and Content of Congress and Its Related Factors in 2018

 Investigations into continuing education programs are necessary to identify the needs and priorities, motivate the participants, and improve their benefits. This study was performed to assess dentists’ viewpoints about the aims, the content, and the relevant factors in the prosthodontics congress.

 This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 dentists participating in the 52nd Iranian Dental Association Congress (2016). The questionnaire consisted of demographic data and 12 statements, with six statements supporting participation in the Congress and six against it. Likert scale was used to score the questionnaire, and its validity was evaluated with t-test. The participants’ attitudes were determined, and the relevant factors were assessed with regression analysis.

 4% of the dentists had a highly positive attitude towards participating in the congress, 73% had a negative attitude, 22.6% had a negative attitude, and 0.4% had a highly negative attitude. The most important reason for a positive attitude was discussions and debates in the Congress (93%), followed by making more money (71%), and the least motivation (6.6%) was familiarity with new methods and tools.

 Although the participants’ positive attitudes were at a favorable level, their motivation was not favorable, causing some concern. Most dentists participated in continuing education programs with non-scientific motives. Measures are recommended for improving motivations for participating in congresses.