Awareness and attitudes toward digital technologies in orthodontics among dental students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

backgroundDigital technologies have become increasingly integrated into orthodontic practice for diagnosis, treatment planning, and appliance manufacturing. This study aimed to assess undergraduate dental students' awareness and attitudes toward the use of digital technologies in orthodontics and to explore the potential influence of academic year and intended specialization on these perceptions.

methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among third-, fourth-, and fifth-year undergraduate students at Istanbul Aydin University, Faculty of Dentistry, during the 2023-2024 academic year. A structured online questionnaire was developed to evaluate students' awareness and attitudes regarding the use of digital technologies in orthodontics. The questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic information, binary (yes/no) questions assessing awareness, and seven attitude statements evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. Group comparisons were performed using the Pearson Chi-square test or the Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test for categorical variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for ordinal data. Explanatory factor analysis using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation was applied to assess the construct validity of the attitude scale. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

resultsA total of 278 dental students participated in the study, including 179 females (64.4%) and 99 males (35.6%), with representation from the third (37.4%), fourth (34.9%), and fifth (27.7%) academic years. The most commonly recognized digital orthodontic applications were the fabrication of clear aligners using three-dimensional (3D) printing (91.7%) and the use of intraoral scanners for digital impressions (87.1%). Awareness of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) increased significantly with academic year (third: 36.5%, fifth: 71.4%, p < 0.05), while awareness of digital treatment planning tools declined (third: 43.3%, fifth: 24.7%, p = 0.025). Similarly, knowledge of 3D-printed appliances (third: 43.3%, fourth: 15.5%, p < 0.05) and in-office aligner production (third: 36.5%, fourth: 67%, p < 0.05) varied significantly across years. Attitudinal responses indicated generally positive views toward the integration of digital technologies into orthodontic practice and education. Significant differences were also observed in selected attitude items according to academic year and intended specialization (p < 0.05).

conclusionThis study demonstrated that dental students were more familiar with commonly used technologies such as intraoral scanners and 3D-printed clear aligners, whereas their awareness of other digital applications in orthodontics remained limited. Overall, attitudes toward digital integration were positive across all academic years. Interestingly, despite having more clinical experience, final-year students reported lower awareness in certain areas, underscoring the importance of complementing early theoretical education with consistent and structured clinical exposure in later years. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.