FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER CHOICE IN DENTISTRY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Nigeria faces a critical shortage of dental professionals, which exacerbates oral health disparities nationwide. Understanding the factors influencing secondary school students' interest in dentistry is essential for designing targeted interventions to expand the dental workforce. This study aimed to assess the willingness to pursue dentistry as a career and identify associated factors among senior secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 370 senior secondary school science students selected from five randomly selected (balloting) schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes toward choosing dentistry were collected using a validated intervieweradministered questionnaire. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 26, employing bivariate and multivariate analyses at p < 0.05.

The participants' mean age was 15.2 (± 1.1) years, with 77.6% being males. Only 14.2% had good knowledge of dentistry, while 86.2% had a positive attitude towards the dental career. Only 15.6% were very familiar with dentistry, and 39.6% were willing to choose it as a career. Predictors of willingness to choose dentistry included female gender (aOR=2.60; 95%CI=1.43-4.73) and being very familiar with dentistry (aOR=4.17; 95%CI=1.94-8.96).

Over one-third of students expressed interest in studying dentistry. Despite high awareness and positive attitudes, knowledge and familiarity with the profession were limited. These findings highlight the need for structured career guidance and early exposure to dentistry in secondary schools.