Searching Beyond Google: Biomedical Database Search Competency Among Dental Professionals and Postgraduate Students

Background Evidence-based dental practice relies on the ability to perform structured and reproducible biomedical database searches. Despite the availability of advanced search tools and evidence-based resources, formal training in literature search methodology remains inconsistent among dental professionals and students worldwide. Aim To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of dental academicians, clinicians, and postgraduate students regarding biomedical database search strategies. Materials and Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dental professionals and postgraduate students at the College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The study was reported according to ChecKAP checklist. A structured and expert-validated questionnaire was distributed electronically using Google Forms. Data were analysed. Results Thirty-one participants completed the survey. Positive attitudes toward evidence-based literature searching were observed, agreeing that formal search strategy training should be incorporated into the dental curriculum. However, deficiencies were noted in knowledge of MeSH terminology, truncation symbols, nesting operators, and advanced search functions. Google Scholar was identified as the most commonly used search platform, whereas specialized biomedical databases were used less frequently. Conclusion Although dental professionals demonstrated favorable attitudes toward evidence-based literature searching, important deficiencies in practical search-strategy competency were identified. Integration of structured database-search training into undergraduate and postgraduate dental education is necessary to strengthen evidence-based dental practice and improve research quality.