Knowledge, Attitude and Awareness of Aerb Guidelines among Dental Undergraduates

Abstract

Introduction: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's (AERB) guidelines for radiation safety in dental radiography serve as guidelines (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, 2021, AERB, 2021). Ionizing radiation poses biological risks due to its stochastic and deterministic effects (Mallya & Lam, 2019, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2004). For safe clinical practice, dental trainees must have adequate knowledge as well as a good attitude toward these standards. This study evaluated dentistry students' and interns' awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and exposure to instruction regarding the AERB dental radiography suggested modifications.  Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 182 dental trainees. The instrument captured demographic details, knowledge of guideline content, attitudes toward radiation safety practices, perceived implementation confidence, and prior training exposure. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. Results: Of the 182 participants, 57.7% were third-year students, 29.7% final-year students, and 12.6% interns. Mean age was 21.57 ± 1.40 years (n=175). Knowledge levels were generally high: 72.5% correctly identified the comprehensive primary purpose of the guidelines, 75.3% recognized key aspects correctly, and 76.4% selected all recommended radiation-minimization measures. Monthly quality control testing was identified by 48.9% as the recommended frequency. Attitudes were strongly favorable, with 75.3% rating guideline adherence as very important and 82.4% considering the guidelines relevant to dental practice. Confidence in future implementation was reported as very confident by 49.5% and somewhat confident by 39.0%. A majority supported mandatory implementation in dental clinics (78.0%) and would recommend guideline training to colleagues (73.6%). Awareness of the guidelines was reported by 59.9%, while 50.5% had previously referred to them. Only 39.0% reported having received formal training or workshops on radiation safety guidelines. Conclusions: Dental trainees demonstrated good overall knowledge and highly positive attitudes toward radiation safety guidelines, but formal training exposure was limited. Strengthening structured educational and workshop-based training may improve practical implementation readiness in dental radiography practice (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2004).