Knowledge, attitude, and practice of digital dentistry among dentists in rural and urban clinical settings in Western India: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background The adoption of digital technologies varies significantly across different regions, influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, accessibility to resources, and educational opportunities. Maharashtra, one of the largest commercial states in India, with its diverse urban and rural settings, offers a unique opportunity to explore these variations among practicing dentists. Methods A cross-sectional study design was implemented using a Google questionnaire distributed among 384 dentists from May to October 2024. Participants were selected using convenience sampling method and included dentists practicing across Maharashtra's urban centres and rural areas. Eligibility criteria included actively practicing dentists aged 25–65 years. Data was analysed using SPSS software (version 25, IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA).00 Results The study identified a significant difference in knowledge and attitude scores between rural and urban dentists ( p < 0.01), with urban practitioners displaying higher knowledge levels and more favourable attitudes towards digital dentistry. Practice scores were also higher in urban areas, though the correlation between knowledge and practice was weaker ( r = 0.45), suggesting that additional factors like infrastructure and resources play a crucial role. Strong positive correlations were found between attitude and practice scores ( r = 0.67, p < 0.001), emphasizing the importance of fostering positive attitudes for effective digital adoption. Conclusion This study suggests disparities in the adoption of digital dentistry between rural and urban practice settings. These findings should be interpreted within the regional context and not generalized to all parts of India without further multi-state evidence. While urban practitioners benefit from better access to resources, rural dentists face challenges that limit the integration of digital tools into practice.