TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of Dental Students' Awareness of Radiation Dose Reduction Technique AU - Yelken Kendirci, Merve PY - 2025 DA - August Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.62243/edr.1759933 JF - Eurasian Dental Research JO - EDR PB - Biruni University WT - DergiPark SN - 2980-2091 SP - 32 EP - 35 VL - 3 IS - 2 LA - en AB - Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and awareness levels of dental students regarding radiation dose reduction techniques and the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle.Material and method This descriptive cross-sectional survey study was conducted with the participation of 82 dental students. The questionnaire assessed participants’ demographic characteristics, knowledge of radiation safety, attitudes, and self-perceived competence regarding practical applications. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analyses.Results Only 32.9% of the participants reported being familiar with the ALARA principle. The overall level of theoretical knowledge and practical skills related to radiation dose reduction techniques was found to be low. While 93.9% of the students believed that adherence to the ALARA principle is mandatory, 100% agreed that compliance with radiation safety protocols enhances patient safety. Students enrolled in the English-language program reported significantly higher awareness and self-perceived competence compared to those in the Turkish-language program (p < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed significant relationships between knowledge and attitudes (e.g., ALARA knowledge and perceived necessity: r = 0.68, p < 0.01).Conclusion Although students exhibited positive attitudes toward radiation safety, their practical knowledge and application skills need to be further supported. It is recommended that theoretical education be reinforced with hands-on training and that more interactive sessions focused specifically on the clinical importance of the ALARA principle be integrated into the curriculum. KW - ALARA principle KW - Dental education KW - Dose reduction techniques KW - Radiation safety KW - Student awareness CR - Martin, C. (2011). Management of patient dose in radiology in the UK. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 147(3), 355–372. CR - Charles, M. W. (2008). ICRP publication 103: Recommendations of the ICRP. Oxford University Press. CR - Tang, F.-H. (2018). Medical imaging technologies and methods for health care. Bentham Science Publishers. CR - Farman, A. G., & Farman, T. T. (2005). A comparison of 18 different X-ray detectors currently used in dentistry. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, 99(4), 485–489. CR - Avento, R. M. B., De Vega, M. J. C., Maiquez, P. C., Sapotalo, J. A. B., & Tabangin, J. M. M. (2018). Radiation protection attitude and practices among radiologic technologists in selected hospitals in Cavite. CR - Daniels, E. R. (2019). Measurement of radiation doses to patients undergoing routine X-ray examinations in Windhoek, Namibia to develop diagnostic reference levels (Master’s thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology). CR - World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. CR - Quinn, A., Taylor, C., Sabharwal, T., & Sikdar, T. (1997). Radiation protection awareness in non-radiologists. The British Journal of Radiology, 70(829), 102–106. CR - Okumuş, Ö., & Yurdabakan, Z. Z. (2024). Knowledge, attitude, practice about radiation safety of dental students. International Dental Journal, 74, S34. CR - Jha, K., Kumar, Y., Kumar, T., Singh, R., & Dubey, P. (2019). Role of language proficiency and personality traits upon the academic performance of undergraduate medical students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 8(1), 260. CR - Hankin, R., & Jones, S. (2020). The impact of educational interventions on clinicians’ knowledge of radiation protection: An integrative review. Radiography, 26(3), e179–e185. CR - Rainford, L., Tcacenco, A., Potocnik, J., et al. (2023). Student perceptions of the use of three-dimensional (3-D) virtual reality (VR) simulation in the delivery of radiation protection training for radiography and medical students. Radiography, 29(4), 777–785. CR - Jeon, Y. R., Cho, P. K., Han, E. O., Jang, H. C., Ko, J. K., & Kim, Y. M. (2015). The knowledge, attitude and behavior on the radiation safety management for dental hygiene major students. Journal of Radiological Science and Technology, 38(4), 411–420. UR - https://doi.org/10.62243/edr.1759933 L1 - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/5130628 ER -