Knowledge and Self-perception Level of Dental Students Regarding the Minimally Invasive Approach: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective This study investigated the knowledge of final-year dental students in Mexico regarding caries management according to the principles of Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID). Subjects and methods: Cross-sectional study. Final-year undergraduate students from various universities participated in the study during academic year 2024-25. Data on MID knowledge were obtained using a structured and validated questionnaire, administered virtually in accordance with the CHERRIES checklist. Demographic variables, including age, sex, and type of university (public/private), were recorded. For statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for group comparisons. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee (CEI_24_125_S43). Results The sample consisted of 494 students, with 70.4% being women and 69.3% from public universities. Although 69.5% of participants self-perceived their knowledge of Minimally Invasive Dentistry as "good" or "excellent," the overall average score on the objective assessment was 5.8 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Significant differences (p = 0.018) were observed in the scores, with students from public universities scoring higher than those from private universities. No statistically significant differences were identified by gender. Conclusions Most of the participants gave their knowledge a "good" to "excellent" self-rating. The level of knowledge about management of caries lesions according to Minimally Invasive Dentistry among final-year students is low to intermediate, suggesting the need to reinforce the teaching of this discipline during professional training. Clinical relevance: Increased curricular time and clinical training in minimally invasive dentistry are needed to move away from a curative approach and reduce overtreatment and unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure.