bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting High Achievers in the University of Adelaide, Australia, Bachelor of Oral Health Program, 2002–09
Authors: Gardner Suzanne P. , Roberts‐Thomson Kaye F.
Published: June 2020

The Bachelor of Oral Health (B.O.H.) commenced at the University of Adelaide in 2002. The degree was formed by combining the Diploma in Dental Therapy and the Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Dental Hygiene. This preliminary study measured the predictive value of the selection criteria against students' academic performance at the end of each enrollment year of the B.O.H. program. Predictive indicators were prior academic achievement (i.e., tertiary entrance ranking [TER], university grade point average, or Special Tertiary Admissions Test scores) and the admission cognitive test score (i.e., Undergraduate Medical Admissions Test [UMAT] and Oral Assessment [OA] ranking). Predictive indicators were compared with the students' level of academic achievement across the three‐year program. The aim of this study was to determine if prior academic achievement, cognitive test scores, and oral assessment predicted high level of academic achievement for B.O.H. students. The TER was found to be a strong predictor for academic performance after controlling for age, gender, type of applicant, and student preference in the first year along with older students (>25 years) and a higher UMAT score. Raising the TER cut‐off for entry to the program should be considered, along with less emphasis on the OA and UMAT, because such a change would have little impact on achievement and would increase the pool of applicants.
Dental Students’ Regard for Patients from Often‐Stigmatized Populations: Findings from an Indian Dental School
Authors: Madhan Balasubramanian , Gayathri Haritheertham , Garhnayak Lokanath , Naik Eslavath Seena
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare a group of Indian dental students’ attitudes toward HIV‐positive status, substance misuse, intellectual disability, acute mental illness, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) orientation. Two hundred and twelve students at various stages in the dental curriculum anonymously completed the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) for these conditions. Friedman and Kruskal‐Wallis tests were used, respectively, to analyze the intrastage and interstage differences in MCRS scores. The results revealed that the regard of dental students was considerably positive for all the conditions except LGBT, for which it was just borderline positive. Intellectual disability received the highest regard among all the conditions and LGBT the least. An intermediary and comparable regard was noted for acute mental illness and HIV‐positive status followed by substance misuse. While the regard for LGBT remained consistent throughout the curriculum, those for other conditions showed a marginal decrease at the completion of the clinical training. Active curricular reforms are required to ensure a more inclusive and nondiscriminatory dental care environment for patients from such often‐stigmatized populations, especially those with LGBT orientation and substance misuse.
Why Intravenous Moderate Sedation Should Be Taught in Graduate Endodontic Programs
Authors: Montagnese Thomas Anthony
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this opinion article is to present reasons why intravenous moderate sedation should be taught in graduate endodontic programs. Access to oral health care is an area of much interest and concern, but some patients are unable to get endodontic care because they have special needs. Special needs can refer to patients who fear dentistry itself and other aspects of dental treatment. A variety of phobias and medical, developmental, and physical conditions can make it difficult for some patients to tolerate the endodontic care they need and want. Moderate sedation can help many of these patients. Endodontists in general are not trained to provide intravenous moderate sedation. By incorporating intravenous moderate sedation into endodontic practice, many of these patients can be treated. The first step in achieving this goal is to add intravenous moderate sedation training to graduate endodontic programs. The long‐term effect will be to make specialty endodontic care available to more people.
Teaching Dental Students How to Deliver Bad News: S‐P‐I‐K‐E‐S Model
Authors: Curtin Sharon , McConnell Mary
Published: June 2020

Delivering bad news has traditionally been associated with life‐threatening illness, the imminence of death, or communicating about the death of a loved one to a family member. The delivery of bad news in dentistry is rarely about life‐threatening circumstances. However, the impact of the bad news such as the loss of an anterior tooth can be devastating for the patient. This article outlines the S‐P‐I‐K‐E‐S protocol and discusses the teaching aims and methodology in applying the model in an undergraduate dental program in Ireland.
Improving Tobacco Dependence Education for Dental and Dental Hygiene Students at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
Authors: Arnett Margie R. , Baba Nadim Z. , Cheek Darlene
Published: June 2020

In a general effort to facilitate dental professionals’ effective tobacco‐dependence education (TDE), the student part of the project reported here had three purposes: 1) to promote tobacco cessation activities in the dental school clinic, 2) to evaluate dental and dental hygiene students’ confidence level in treating tobacco‐dependent patients, and 3) to determine the frequency, duration, and depth with which the students assisted tobacco‐dependent patients. Surveys of senior dental and dental hygiene students at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry were conducted in 2008. Of the twenty‐seven questions on the survey, nineteen related to the procedures students performed and questions asked of patients, one question asked how many minutes students spent counseling patients, and seven questions related to barriers to incorporating TDE activities. Only 56.5 percent of the responding dental students reported they routinely “asked and advised” about their patients’ smoking behaviors, but 87.5 percent of the responding dental hygiene students reported they routinely did so. After the curricular intervention, the follow‐up survey found that the dental students more frequently showed their patients the effects of tobacco on the oral mucosa and more frequently discussed pharmacotherapy options and made referrals during routine care. Until all dental and dental hygiene students are required to meet written board and clinical competencies in TDE and given adequate mentoring by clinical faculty to treat tobacco‐dependent patients, the likelihood of seeing major improvements in tobacco‐cessation treatment in dental practices is low.
Dental Students and Bloodborne Pathogens: Occupational Exposures, Knowledge, and Attitudes
Authors: Myers Julie E. , Myers Ronnie , Wheat Mary E. , Yin Michael T.
Published: June 2020

Dental professionals may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens in their work, and dental students may be a particularly vulnerable group. Fear of exposure has also been linked to discriminatory practices. A cross‐sectional survey of dental students was conducted at one U.S. dental school to assess their knowledge about the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and management of exposures; the frequency of their bloodborne pathogen exposures (BBPEs); and associations among their prior exposure, knowledge, perception of knowledge, and attitudes toward practice. Overall, 220 students (72.1 percent) responded to the survey, and 215 (70.5 percent) answered questions about exposures. The prevalence of BBPE was 19.1 percent and was greater among clinical than preclinical students (p<0.01). Percutaneous injuries occurred in 87.5 percent of those exposed. All students (preclinical and clinical combined) answered more survey questions correctly about transmission of bloodborne pathogens (66.7 percent) than about post‐exposure management (25.0 percent). Fewer than half reported adequate knowledge of transmission and management (47.5 percent and 37.3 percent, respectively). In this context, 8.2 percent of the respondents acknowledged an unwillingness to perform procedures on patients with HIV. Since knowledge gaps may lead to failure to report incidents and delays in appropriate exposure management and some negative attitudes towards treating individuals with HIV persist, these findings justify improving BBPE education at U.S. dental schools.
The Dental School Learning Milieu: Students’ Perceptions at Five Academic Dental Institutions in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Kamran , Raja Mahwish , Watson Gordon , Coombes Lee , Heffernan Eithne
Published: June 2020

The significance of the educational environment in health professions academic institutions, increasingly recognized on a global scale, is fundamental to effective student learning. This study was carried out to evaluate students’ perceptions of the educational environment in five undergraduate dental institutions in Pakistan. This non‐interventional study used a postal questionnaire based on the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). The subjects were dental students taking the final professional B.D.S. examination at five dental institutions affiliated with the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 197 students participated in the study (response rate of 83.82 percent). The overall DREEM score was 115.06 (Cronbach's alpha 0.87). Nine items recorded scores <2 and were flagged for remediation. Significant differences were observed between students’ perceptions of learning and of teachers (p<0.05). Many issues challenge the quality and delivery of dental education in Pakistan, and dental institutions need to develop robust mechanisms to incorporate contemporary international trends in dental education in order to improve the educational environment.
Validating the Standard for the National Board Dental Examination Part II
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Hsun , Neumann Laura M. , Littlefield John H.
Published: June 2020

As part of the overall exam validation process, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations periodically reviews and validates the pass/fail standard for the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), Parts I and II. The most recent standard‐setting activities for NBDE Part II used the Objective Standard Setting method. This report describes the process used to set the pass/fail standard for the 2009 exam. The failure rate on the NBDE Part II increased from 5.3 percent in 2008 to 13.7 percent in 2009 and then decreased to 10 percent in 2010. This article describes the Objective Standard Setting method and presents the estimated probabilities of classification errors based on the beta binomial mathematical model. The results show that the probability of correct classifications of candidate performance is very high (0.97) and that probabilities of false negative and false positive errors are very small (.03 and <0.001, respectively). The low probability of classification errors supports the conclusion that the pass/fail score on the NBDE Part II is a valid guide for making decisions about candidates for dental licensure.
An Online Community of Inquiry for Reflective Practice in an Operative Dentistry Course
Authors: Gardner Karen
Published: June 2020

Online learning communities are entering the realm of web‐based learning as a means of reflective collaborative learning. The purpose of this article is to describe the formation of an online learning community using a community of inquiry (COI) conceptual framework. Operative clinical simulation dental students at the University of British Columbia in Canada have been involved in an online COI for the past five years. This descriptive article presents an overview of the experiences involved in developing this COI and provides a conceptual framework for an online COI.
Dental Hygiene Student Experiences in External Placements in Australia
Authors: Taylor Jane A. , Hayes Melanie J. , Wallace Linda
Published: June 2020

While placements in external locations are being increasingly used in dental education globally, few studies have explored the student learning experience at such placements. The purpose of this study was to investigate student experiences while on external placement in a baccalaureate dental hygiene program. A self‐reporting questionnaire was distributed to final‐year dental hygiene students (n=77) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2010. The questionnaire included questions regarding the type of placement, experiences offered, supervision, resources available, and lasting impressions. Responding students were generally positive about their external placement experience and indicated that the majority of facilities provided them with the opportunity to provide direct patient care and perform clinical tasks typical of a practicing hygienist. However, there was a statistically significant difference in their opinions about discipline‐focused and community placements. Students indicated that their external placement experience provided opportunities to learn more about time and patient management, including hands‐on experience with specific clinical tasks. Ongoing evaluations are necessary to ensure that external placements meet both student needs and intended learning outcomes within dental hygiene programs.
The Ethics of Live Patient Use in Dental Hygiene Clinical Licensure Examinations: A National Survey
Authors: Lantzy Marlaina J. , Muzzin Kathleen B. , DeWald Janice P. , Solomon Eric S. , Campbell Patricia R. , Mallonee Lisa
Published: June 2020

A national survey of dental hygienists was conducted to explore ethical issues arising from the use of live patients for dental hygiene clinical licensure examinations. Data were collected regarding respondents’ demographics, additional costs they incurred associated with their examination beyond the examination fees, delays in patients’ treatment resulting from the examination, unethical candidate and/or patient behaviors they experienced, and provisions they made for patients’ follow‐up care related to the examination. Five hundred surveys were mailed to dental hygienists from two states in each of the five licensure examination regions. The response rate was 40.6 percent (n=203). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the majority of the respondents spent additional money on examination‐related expenses (69.2 percent). Sixty‐one percent of the respondents reported paying their patients; however, only 50.5 percent felt such a practice was acceptable. More than half (53.1 percent) reported believing it was appropriate to delay treatment in order to have a patient participate in the examination, although only 16.4 percent reported actually delaying treatment. Informed consent was said to be obtained by 94.9 percent of the respondents. The majority (86.6 percent) said they referred patients for follow‐up dental hygiene care. When asked if they felt the examination was an accurate assessment of their clinical skills, 78.7 percent of the respondents agreed that it was.
Dental and Medical Students’ Perspectives on Early Exposure to PBL in Taiwan
Authors: Tu Ming‐Gene , Yu Chien‐Hung , Wu Lii‐Tzu , Li Tsai‐Chung , Kwan Chiu‐Yin
Published: June 2020

A hybrid problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum adopted in 2002 for medical students at China Medical University, Taiwan, was extended to dental students in 2007. Before that, PBL workshops were conducted for all students. Two PBL cases on basic biomedical issues were used for second‐year medical students and second‐year dental students to explore the feasibility of adopting PBL as part of the dental curriculum. This study compared the medical and dental students’ attitudes toward the PBL tutorials and PBL curricula. Upon completion of the PBL component, an eighteen‐item questionnaire asked students to assess (on a ten‐point scale with 10 as the most positive response) their perceptions of the learning process in the PBL tutorials. Forty‐six dental students from a cohort of fifty (92 percent) and 107 medical students from a cohort of 119 (90 percent) completed the questionnaires (fifty‐three females and 100 males). The importance of all items was rated above 6.00. The medical students’ mean score (7.29) was higher than the dental students’ mean score (7.10). Of the eighteen attributes of the PBL process, the students indicated being generally comfortable with fourteen. No statistical significance was found between the dental and medical students’ scores, but there was a significant difference (p=0.006) in their perception of PBL curricula. Overall, the medical students expressed a more positive outlook toward the PBL learning process than the dental students and were more willing to accept PBL as a pedagogy.
Demographic Profile and Future Expectations of Students Enrolled in a Turkish Private Dental School
Authors: Tanalp Jale , Ilguy Dilhan , Dikbas Idil , Oktay Inci
Published: June 2020

The purposes of this study were to obtain information about the social and demographic profile of students enrolled in the first private Turkish dental school, to gather information regarding the reasons for their preferences, and to obtain data about their career expectations. Questionnaires were distributed to 278 students; 229 returned the survey for an overall response rate of 82 percent. Of the respondents, 145 (65.5 percent) were females and seventy‐five (34.5 percent) were males; they had an average age of 21.62±1.58. First degree relative (mother, father, sibling) had the greatest influence on the students in choosing dentistry as a career. Fathers and mothers had similar impact on the students’ choice of dental profession (45.9 percent and 46.6 percent, respectively). Humanistic feelings, desire to serve others, and reasonable working hours were the predominant reasons that motivated females to become a dentist (p<0.05). Also, academic interest and interest in a medical field were significantly influencing factors for female students (p<0.05 and p=0.001, respectively). One‐hundred and ninety‐seven students (86 percent) expressed a goal of specializing in a specific branch of dentistry; orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery were the top‐ranked specialties. Although only 41 percent of the students were of Istanbul origin, 82.5 percent reported that they wish to practice in Istanbul.
The Past and Future Evolution of the Dental Workforce Team
Authors: Solomon Eric S.
Published: June 2020

This article looks at changes in the number and mix of providers in the dental workforce over the past sixty years. First, enrollment trends in dental education programs are investigated. These educational programs feed directly into the dental workforce. Then, the changes in the dental workforce are examined. The focus of this investigation is the composition of the dental workforce and how the components of the workforce have changed over time. The forces that are responsible for these changes in the workforce are explored next. Finally, the possibility for workforce changes in the future is considered.
Evolving Trends in Size and Structure of Group Dental Practices in the United States
Authors: Guay Albert H. , Wall Thomas P. , Petersen Bradford C. , Lazar Vickie F.
Published: June 2020

In this study, the authors examined recent trends in the growth of dental establishments and dental firms, including geographic location. In this article, they also present information about the demographic characteristics of dentists who work in a dental practice that is part of a larger company that delivers dental care in multiple locations. The number of dental establishments (single locations) and the average size of these establishments grew from 1992 to 2007. Large multi‐unit dental firms grew in terms of number of establishments and the percentage of total receipts. Large multi‐unit dental firms represent a small but growing segment of the dental market. Dentists less than thirty‐five years old were most likely to work in a practice that was part of a larger company, and females were more likely than males to work in such a setting. The percentage of dentists working in these settings was also found to vary by region and state. The authors present a typology of dental group practice and suggest that future research should take into account the differences so that appropriate conclusions can be drawn and generalizations across categories are not made.
Dental Therapists in General Dental Practices: An Economic Evaluation
Authors: Beazoglou Tryfon J. , Lazar Vickie F. , Guay Albert H. , Heffley Dennis R. , Bailit Howard L.
Published: June 2020

Dental access disparities are well documented and have been recognized as a national problem. Their major cause is the lack of reasonable Medicaid reimbursement rates for the underserved. Specifically, Medicaid reimbursement rates for children average 40 percent below market rates. In addition, most state Medicaid programs do not cover adults. To address these issues, advocates of better oral health for the underserved are considering support for a new allied provider—a dental therapist— capable of providing services at a lower cost per service and in low‐income and rural areas. Using a standard economic analysis, this study estimated the potential cost, price, utilization, and dentist's income effects of dental therapists employed in general dental practices. The analysis is based on national general dental practice data and the broadest scope of responsibility for dental therapists that their advocates have advanced, including the ability to provide restorations and extractions to adults and children, training for three years, and minimum supervision. Assuming dental therapists provide restorative, extraction, and pulpal services to patients of all ages and dental hygienists continue to deliver all hygiene services, the mean reduction in a general practice costs ranges between 1.57 and 2.36 percent. For dental therapists treating children only, the range is 0.31 to 0.47 percent. The effects on price and utilization are even smaller. In addition, the effects on most dentists’ gross income, hours of work, and net income are negative. The estimated economic impact of dental therapists in the United States on private dental practice is very limited; therefore, the demand for dental therapists by private practices also would probably be very limited.
Dentistry and Obesity: A Review and Current Status in U.S. Predoctoral Dental Education
Authors: Yuan Judy Chia‐Chun , Lee Damian J. , Afshari Fatemeh S. , Galang Maria Therese S. , Sukotjo Cortino
Published: June 2020

Obesity has become an epidemic and a public health concern in the United States and many other countries around the world. The impact of obesity on individuals' overall and oral health and its influence on dental treatment protocols and postoperative procedures have been well documented. It is therefore important for dentists to understand and recognize obesity, educate their patients on its associated risks, promote a healthy lifestyle for their patients, and modify any necessary dental treatments and postoperative procedures for obese patients. To investigate the current practice of obesity assessment in U.S. dental school clinics and the inclusion of obesity topics in predoctoral dental curricula, surveys were sent to all sixty‐two U.S. dental schools. Thirty‐five surveys were returned but one was blank because the institution is newly established, so the total number used for analysis was thirty‐four. The results showed that the topic of obesity has been incorporated into predoctoral dental curricula and is thought to be important for dentists and dental students by most respondents. However, the majority do not routinely measure weight and height, nor calculate Body Mass Index for comprehensive care patients in their predoctoral dental clinics. The authors argue that the topic of obesity should be emphasized in predoctoral dental curricula and that assessments of obesity should be practiced in predoctoral dental clinics.
Graduating Grades and National Dental Examination Results of Foreign‐Trained and Domestic Dental Students
Authors: Kogon Stanley , Banting David W. , Sandhu Harinder
Published: June 2020

In this study, a comparison was made between the 1999–2009 graduates of the two‐year structured program for foreigntrained dentists at the Schulich School of Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada, and the school's four‐year program for domestic students. Both the students’ final‐year course grades and their results on the National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) written examination and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) were compared. Differences of ≥10 percent in mean final‐year grades and ≥5 percent for each component of the NDEB examination were considered academically meaningful for the purpose of this analysis. Although there were no academically meaningful and statistically significant differences in the mean overall final‐year course grades between the two‐year and four‐year classes, there were differences in individual courses in prosthodontics, oral medicine, and practice administration. There were no differences (≥10 percent) in mean course grades since 2007. An academically meaningful difference in performance was observed on the NDEB written examination in three of the eleven years. There were no meaningful differences (≥5 percent) between the two groups in any year for the NDEB OSCE. The relevance and implications of these findings to both the two‐year structured program and the newly introduced alternative pathway to certification are discussed.
Interprofessional Education in U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools: An ADEA Team Study Group Report
Authors: Formicola Allan J. , Andrieu Sandra C. , Buchanan Judith A. , Childs Gail Schneider , Gibbs Micaela , Inglehart Marita R. , Kalenderian Elsbeth , Pyle Marsha A. , D’Abreu Kim , Evans Lauren
Published: June 2020

The state of interprofessional education (IPE) in U.S. and Canadian dental schools was studied by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Team Study Group on Interprofessional Education. The study group reviewed the pertinent IPE literature, examined IPE competencies for dental students, surveyed U.S. and Canadian dental schools to determine the current and planned status of IPE activities, and identified best practices. Members of the study group prepared case studies of the exemplary IPE programs of six dental schools, based on information provided by those schools; representatives from each school then reviewed and approved its case study. Six reviewers critiqued a draft of the study group's report, and study group members and reviewers met together to prepare recommendations for schools. This report identifies four domains of competence for student achievement in IPE and summarizes responses to the survey (which had an 86 percent response rate). It also includes the case descriptions of six schools’ IPE programs and the study group's recommendations for dental schools. The report concludes that there is general recognition of the goals of IPE across U.S. and Canadian dental schools, but a wide range of progress in IPE on the various campuses. Challenges to the further development of IPE are discussed.
Fitting Form to Function: Reorganization of Faculty Roles for a New Dental Curriculum and Its Governance
Authors: Briggs Charlotte L. , Patston Philip A. , Knight G. William , Alexander Lea , Norman Nancy
Published: June 2020

The College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago has reorganized its predoctoral curriculum to better integrate biomedical, clinical, and behavioral sciences using a systems‐based framework. The resulting D.M.D. curriculum features small‐group discussions of patient scenarios that include orofacial, systemic, and professionalism learning objectives. Small‐group learning is closely coordinated with laboratory, pre‐patient care, and patient care experiences. Accordingly, the college has also reorganized its faculty roles to eliminate discipline‐based silos and to better ensure program coherence. The new organizational structure is designed to improve coordination among faculty course teams that develop and administer individual courses, several units that provide curriculum resources and support services, and the curriculum committee, which is charged with governance of the curriculum as a whole. In addition, the new structure employs a system of reporting and planning relationships to ensure continuous monitoring and improvement of the curriculum. This article describes six principles that guide the new faculty roles structure, defines the various faculty roles and their coordinating relationships, presents diagrams depicting the organizational structures for curriculum governance, administration, and support, and discusses mechanisms for faculty support and continuous curriculum improvement.
Identification of Supernumerary Teeth in 2D and 3D: Review of Literature and a Proposal
Authors: Toureno Leo , Park Jae Hyun , Cederberg Robert A. , Hwang Eui Hwan , Shin Je‐Won
Published: June 2020

Supernumerary teeth occur in both syndromic and nonsyndromic patients, and dental professionals are likely to encounter such teeth in their professional careers. There are three main numbering systems used to identify teeth today: the Universal/ National, the Palmer/Zsigmondy notation, and the Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) numbering systems. However, a review of the literature suggests that none of these three consistently addresses the identification of supernumerary teeth. Being able to communicate the location of supernumerary teeth is important for dental professionals, especially in interdisciplinary situations. This article proposes a guideline to locate and identify supernumerary teeth in two and three dimensions, which may reduce treatment errors and improve communication among health care providers and third‐party administrators.
Voluntourism and Global Health: Preparing Dental Students for Responsible Engagement in International Programs
Authors: Seymour Brittany , Benzian Habib , Kalenderian Elsbeth
Published: June 2020

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) estimates that nearly 25 percent of its predoctoral dental students have expressed an interest in global health, including traveling abroad to conduct research or to volunteer in a project. This article addresses the important differences between “voluntourism” (combined volunteering and tourism) and responsible engagement in global health, reports on a pilot workshop at HSDM to promote responsible volunteering, and provides a recommendation on how to address these issues in the context of a dental curriculum. The pilot Workshop for Ethical Volunteering in Global Health was designed as a discussion–based, interactive program that included lectures, small–group activities, and personal reflection. The aim of the workshop was to provide students with a systematic approach to ethical volunteering, critically reflecting on their motivation and attitudes related to conventional models of volunteering and facilitating alignment with principles of global health. Students participated in an anonymous written survey at the start and the close of the workshop. After the workshop, survey results demonstrated a significant increase in understanding the value of applying principles of global health when volunteering in order to avoid negative and unintended impacts on communities. All of the students reported that the workshop influenced the way they view volunteering in dentistry.
Geriatrics Education in U.S. Dental Schools: Where Do We Stand, and What Improvements Should Be Made?
Authors: Levy Naomi , Goldblatt Ruth S. , Reisine Susan
Published: June 2020

The number of adults above sixty–five years of age in the United States will expand considerably over the next thirty years. However, many dentists believe that their dental education did not adequately prepare them to treat an older adult population. Consequently, it is important to review dental curricula to determine where these gaps in education may occur and what can be done to address them in order to improve access to care. In this study, information was gathered from the websites of sixty–two U.S. dental schools in order to understand the types of geriatric courses offered. This review revealed that while most schools (89 percent) provide their predoctoral students with some education in geriatrics, only fourteen (22.6 percent) offer clinical training specifically for older adult care. In addition, forty–three schools (69 percent) include a geriatric component in either their General Practice Residency or Advanced Education in General Dentistry programs or have a certificate program in geriatric dentistry. Only about 23 percent of the schools offer a continuing education course in geriatrics at any one time. Previous studies have shown that clinical training is the most effective method of increasing students’ confidence in treating older patients. Consequently, dental schools should work to incorporate clinical experience into geriatric education to prevent widening an existing gap in older adult oral health care.
An Overview of Case–Based and Problem–Based Learning Methodologies for Dental Education
Authors: Nadershahi Nader A. , Bender Daniel J. , Beck Lynn , Lyon Cindy , Blaseio Alexander
Published: June 2020

Dental education has undergone significant curriculum reform in response to the 1995 Institute of Medicine report Dental Education at the Crossroads and the series of white papers from the American Dental Education Association Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI) first published in the Journal of Dental Education and subsequently collected in a volume titled Beyond the Crossroads: Change and Innovation in Dental Education. An important element of this reform has been the introduction into academic dentistry of active learning strategies such as problem–based and case–based learning. As an aide to broadening understanding of these approaches in order to support their expansion in dental education, this article reviews the major characteristics of each approach, situates each in adult learning theory, and discusses the advantages of case–based learning in the development of a multidisciplinary, integrated predoctoral dental curriculum.
Sense of Humor and Its Association with Psychological Disturbances Among Dental Students in India
Authors: Madhan Balasubramanian , Barik Ashish Kumar , Patil Rajesh , Gayathri Haritheertham , Reddy Mora Sathi Rami
Published: June 2020

Although the health benefits of humor and the potential advantages of having a good Sense of Humor (SoH) have been long recognized, they have not been investigated in dental students. The aim of this study was to assess the extent and demographic correlates of SoH in dental students and its association with their self–reported level of psychological disturbances. Six hundred and five students (age 20.3±1.83 years, 250 males, 355 females) from two dental schools in India anonymously completed the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–21. Independent samples t–test and one–way ANOVA were used to analyze the intergroup differences based on gender and year of study, respectively. The association between SoH and each of the three negative affective states was evaluated with multiple linear regressions. The mean MSHS score of the sample was 59.65±11.77. Male students showed a marginally higher SoH than females (60.78 vs. 58.86, p<0.05). The level of SoH steadily improved along the course duration, with statistically significant increases in the third and fifth years of study. SoH was negatively associated with all three negative affective states and explained nearly 3 to 5 percent of their variance. These results warrant further inquiry on the correlates of SoH in dental students, the psychosocial roles of humor, and their application in improving the psychological climate in dental schools.
Comparison of E–Mail Communication Skills Among First– and Fourth–Year Dental Students
Authors: Oakley Marnie , Horvath Zsuzsa , Weinberg Seth M. , Bhatt Jaya , Spallek Heiko
Published: June 2020

As e–mail and other forms of electronic communication increase in popularity, it is important for dental schools to consider a curriculum that prepares their graduates to understand and apply effective electronic communication strategies to their patients. Reflecting this shift in communication behavior, the American Medical Association has developed specific e–mail communication guidelines. Some behavioral examples in these guidelines include protecting patients’ protected health information (PHI), ensuring proper record keeping, and using professional, courteous, and understandable language. In this study, a sample of first– and fourth–year dental students (n=160) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine participated in an assignment assessing their patient–provider e–mail communication skills. A rubric was used to evaluate and compare the data between dental student classes. The results reveal a generalized lack of compliance with several of these guidelines by both classes (e.g., failure to protect PHI), despite efforts to expose students to these concepts in the curriculum. In an effort to train emerging dentists to function in a rapidly changing technological environment, these findings suggest a need for growth and development of curricula and perhaps guidelines/recommendations for behavioral competencies regarding dental students’ use of electronic communication in the patient care environment.
Use of Lecture Recordings in Dental Education: Assessment of Status Quo and Recommendations
Authors: Horvath Zsuzsa , O’Donnell Jean A. , Johnson Lynn A. , Karimbux Nadeem Y. , Shuler Charles F. , Spallek Heiko
Published: June 2020

This research project was part of a planned initiative at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine to incorporate lecture recordings as standard educational support technologies. The goal of an institutional survey was 1) to gather current data about how dental educators across the United States and Canada use lecture recordings; 2) determine dental educators’ perceived value and outcomes of using lecture recordings; and 3) develop recommendations based on #1 and #2 for the dental education community. Of the sixty–six North American dental schools at the time of the study, forty–five schools responded to the survey, for a 68 percent response rate. Of the respondents, twenty–eight schools were found to currently conduct lecture recording; these comprised the study sample. This study focused on the dental schools’ past experiences with lecture recording; thus, those not currently engaged in lecture recording were excluded from further analysis. The survey questions covered a wide range of topics, such as the scope of the lecture recording, logistics, instructional design considerations, outcomes related to student learning, evaluation and reception, barriers to lecture recording, and issues related to copyright and intellectual property. The literature review and results from the survey showed that no common guidelines for best practice were available regarding lecture recordings in dental education. The article concludes with some preliminary recommendations based on this study.
Integrating Photo–Stimulable Phosphor Plates into Dental and Dental Hygiene Radiography Curricula
Authors: Tax Cara L. , Robb Christine L. , Brillant Martha G.S. , Doucette Heather J.
Published: June 2020

It is not known whether the integration of photo–stimulable phosphor (PSP) plates into dental and dental hygiene curricula creates unique learning challenges for students. The purpose of this two–year study was to determine if dental hygiene students had more and/or different types of errors when using PSP plates compared to film and whether the PSP imaging plates had any particular characteristics that needed to be addressed in the learning process. Fifty–nine first–year dental hygiene students at one Canadian dental school were randomly assigned to two groups (PSP or film) before exposing their initial full mouth series on a teaching manikin using the parallel technique. The principal investigator determined the number and types of errors based on a specific set of performance criteria. The two groups (PSP vs. film) were compared for total number and type of errors made. Results of the study indicated the difference in the total number of errors made using PSP or film was not statistically significant; however, there was a difference in the types of errors made, with the PSP group having more horizontal errors than the film group. In addition, the study identified a number of unique characteristics of the PSP plates that required special consideration for teaching this technology.
U.S. Dental School Deans’ Attitudes About Mid–Level Providers
Authors: Aksu Mert N. , Phillips Elizabeth , Shaefer H. Luke
Published: June 2020

The introduction of mid–level providers to the U.S. dental workforce is currently a topic of heated debate. As little is known about the opinions of those who educate oral health professionals on the subject of such practitioners, a survey of U.S. dental school deans was undertaken to gauge their attitudes about alternative workforce models in the dental profession. The survey was sent to deans of the then–fifty–eight U.S. schools of dentistry; forty–four responded for a 76 percent response rate. Over three–fourths of the respondents agreed that the scope of practice for both dental hygienists and dental assistants should be expanded; significantly, over half agreed that the future of dentistry should include a dental therapist–type practitioner. Moreover, three–fourths agreed that such practitioners or expanded–duty hygienists would improve access to care for the underserved, and between half and two–thirds agreed that the quality of care delivered by these professionals would not be a problem. The attitudes of the deans about mid–level providers falls somewhere between that reported for U.S. dentists generally, who tend to be skeptical, and for dentists in other countries, who, once they have worked in a system with dental therapists, tend to be supportive.
Education for Foreign–Trained Dentists in the United States: Currently Available Findings and Need for Further Research
Authors: Pannu Veerinder , Thompson Ana L. , Pannu Darshanjit S. , Collins Marie A.
Published: June 2020

Foreign–trained dentists interested in seeking employment in the United States face numerous challenges, starting with the fact that their degrees are often not valid for U.S. practice because of international differences in the style of education and clinical practice. A small number of North American dental schools have offered modified predoctoral programs for graduates of foreign dental schools since the 1970s, and currently, numerous U.S. dental schools offer such educational programs. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate what has been reported about barriers encountered by foreign–trained dentists in seeking professional opportunities in the United States, focusing especially on factors affecting the admissions process into predoctoral and residency programs, the learning process, and employment of foreign–trained dentists in the United States. This study concludes that published findings do not support the generalization that all foreign–trained dentists seeking employment in the United States have had the same barriers, and the authors conclude that there is a need for further research on this topic. Supplemental information can improve the transition of foreign–trained dentists into a culturally diverse environment. In addition, with greater availability of data, the need for the establishment of assistance programs for this population can be assessed.
NBDE Part II Practice Analyses: An Overview
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Hsun , Kramer Gene A. , Yang Chien‐Lin , Neumann Laura M. , Chang Shu‐Ren
Published: June 2020

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing emphasize the importance of documenting and describing the procedures followed in developing valid test content. As a result, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, the testing agency responsible for administering the National Board Dental Examination Part I and Part II, routinely communicates information about the validity of Part II to dental schools and other communities of interest. Since 2000, the content of Part II has been validated through the use of three practice analyses. This article provides an overview of these practice analyses, including procedures and findings. In general, the findings confirm that the content of Part II is valid in determining the qualifications of individuals seeking dental licensure.
Reporting School Data on the Dental Licensure Examination
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Hsun , Littlefield John H. , Spielman Andrew I.
Published: June 2020

Beginning in 2012, candidate performance on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) has been reported as pass/fail, and only the failing candidates receive numerical scores for remediation purposes. The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations recognizes that the numerical scores have been important information to dental schools for curriculum evaluation and that the pass/fail reports do not provide meaningful information to the schools. This article describes the process of evaluating and validating a new model for reporting standardized school–level performance data on the NBDE. Under this new model, schools are able to monitor the overall performance of their students compared to a national cohort.
Constructing Licensure Exams: A Reliability Study of Case–Based Questions on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Hsun , Leatherman Dixon Barbara , Littlefield John H.
Published: June 2020

Patient cases with associated questions are a method for increasing the clinical relevance of licensure exams. This study used generalizability theory to assess changes in score reliability when the number of questions per case varied in the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). The experimental design maintained the same total number of case–based items, while varying the number of cases and items within cases to assess changes in score reliability. Using generalizability theory, the amounts of error variance within cases and between cases on the NBDHE were assessed. Impact on score reliability (generalizability) was computed. The data were from the responses of 4,528 candidates who took the paper–pencil version of the NBDHE in spring 2009. Results showed that the minimum value of generalizability occurred when fourteen cases with ten items each were used in the examination. The maximum value of generalizability occurred when fifty cases with three items each were used in the examination. The research findings support the development of more cases with fewer items per case on the NBDHE in order to enhance test score reliability and validity. Practical constraints should be considered if more cases with fewer items per case are developed for future examinations.