Method: Survey data were collected from 650 dental students in 14 different dental schools.
Result: The more often the respondents administered LA and TA, the more competent they felt (r=.35/.32; p<.001). The more competent they felt with administering LA, (a) the less difficult it was for them to obtain profound LA (r=-.19; p<.001), (b) the less often they needed to re-anesthetize their patients (r=-.13; p<001), (c) the less they thought that restorative procedures (fillings and crowns) and extractions were related with inadequate anesthesia (r=-.23; p<.001 / r=.11; p=.004) and (d) the less they attributed failure to their own behavior such as incorrect placement, lack of experience, and inadequate preparation (r=-.16 / r=-.36 / r=-.18; p<.001). The more often they administered LA, the more positive were their attitudes about LA (r=.10; p<.023). The more positive the respondents’ attitudes were about LA, the less often they found it difficult to obtain profound LA (r=-.11; p=.008), and the more negative were their attitudes towards TA (r=-.20; p<.001).
Conclusion: Results concerning the relationships between dental practitioners’ beliefs, attitudes and behavior related to the use of TA and LA shows an inverse relationship between increasing perceptions of competence in administering LA and the use of TA. Given the potential benefits of using TA for increasing trust and comfort in patients and thus reducing / preventing dental fear related to injections, educational efforts should focus on increasing providers’ acceptance of TA.