Abstract
BACKGROUND: CBCT is an established diagnostic technique in oral medicine due to a relatively low dose and cost and high resolution. However, the use of CBCT should be restricted to situations where conventional dental radiography does not provide sufficient information. METHODS: We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Russian dentists towards the use of CBCT. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among dental professionals of various specialties. The 15-minute survey consisted of four sections: demographic characteristics, knowledge (nine questions), attitude (five questions), and practice (eight questions). A Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare these variables in the groups. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the proportions. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was calculated to reveal pair-wise correlation between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. RESULTS: We analyzed 388 questionnaires. Most respondents showed a fair (42.5%) or poor (42.5%) knowledge of CBCT. We found a significant influence of the specialty and workplace (government-funded vs. private clinics) on the knowledge score. 90% of dentists demonstrated a positive attitude towards the use of CBCT. The attitude score was significantly influenced by the following factors: specialty, experience, gender, and workplace. While a vast majority of the respondents (92%) used CBCT in their practice, more than half of the participants (50.3%) never had training on CBCT performing and/or interpretation. The use of CBCT varied among different specialties, but no significant differences were found among dentists working at different workplaces and those with different clinical experience. CONCLUSIONS: The surveyed dentists had insufficient knowledge of CBCT, but commonly prescribed this imaging modality and demonstrated positive attitude towards it. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12903-025-06870-x.