bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of rectangular and cylindrical collimation for intraoral radiographs
Authors: Horton PS , Sippy FH , Nelson JF , Kohout FJ , Kienzle GC
Published: June 2020

This study was conducted to compare the type and frequency of cone‐cuts that occur with rectangular and cylindrical collimation in dental radiography. Thirty‐eight hundred radiographs, half made with cylindrical cones and half made with rectangular cones, were examined for major and minor cone‐cuts. A total of 156 cone‐cuts was found. Thirty‐three of these were of the major category, 86 percent of which occurred with rectangular collimation. Although cone‐cuts appeared much more frequently when a rectangular cone was used, a significant reduction in useless radiation makes this type of collimation a worthwhile consideration.
Dental students' input into the accreditation process
Authors: Faiella RA , Vitale MA
Published: June 2020

With the recent adoption of a student section in the Procedures for Evaluation Requirements and Guidelines for Dental Education Programs, the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation sought to increase the role of students in the accreditation process. Dental students at Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry conducted an independent self‐study, paralleling that of the school's Accreditation Steering Committee. This self‐study enabled students to work with faculty and administrators in implementing improvements in the educational system and to focus attention on student needs and concerns. Six topics (educational costs, dental school student government, relationships with state and national organizations, curriculum, operations, and the Office of Student Affairs) formed the basis of the student self‐study.
Computer‐assisted advising for dental students
Authors: McCutcheon WR , Graham WL , Alberico CA
Published: June 2020

This article describes a computer‐assisted advising system that has been in use at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry for two years. Detailed breakdowns are given for the five data items making up the Student Advising Information Package, and the relevance of each item to the student advising process is noted. A discussion of the overall operation of the system provides information relating to software development for those schools that are now operating with computers or anticipate doing so in the future.
A dental student tutor program
Authors: Rhodes P , Swedlow D
Published: June 2020

This paper describes the objectives, development, and features of a student tutor program that has been in operation for ten years at Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry. The program was designed to reduce the effects of environmental stress on the dental student, to provide opportunities for the personal and professional development of the tutor, and to promote the application of certain educational principles in the learning environment. A major feature of this program is the availability of tutoring for all students who feel they can benefit from this aid, regardless of academic standing. In addition to comprehension of content, tutors address time management, study skills, organization of laboratory projects and study materials, and development of manual skills. More than 50 percent of the first‐ and second‐year students use the program. This article also describes the benefits of the program to the student, the tutor, and the school.
General practice residency and advanced education in general dentistry programs: curriculum
Authors: Brody HA
Published: June 2020

Many questions have been raised about both programs, but one cannot say objectively that one is good or one is bad. Our energies must be concentrated on the development of the best comprehensive postdoctoral program so that the public may be better served. GPR and AEGD programs together produce over a thousand graduates each year. Is there really a difference between the two graduates? Is one a mini‐oral surgeon? Is one a “superdentist”? Will they command higher fees, thereby raising the cost of dental care? How great a difference should there be? The students have succeeded in completing programs that are rigorous and demanding. The graduates can be no better than the institutions and the programs they represent. Regional differences still exist; for example, some metropolitan hospitals will not admit the dental general practitioner to staff or visiting staff positions. Why? Ideally, for the 60 percent of the training that is devoted to general practice principles, we should strike a balance and make sure that each program has definable standards. At the same time, we should permit enough flexibility to allow for the inevitable regional differences. Students should be able to select the program and location they prefer, confident that broad‐based standards will be met, and assured of the practical as well as theoretical excellence of every program that is offered. How can we afford not to go with certification?
Questioning in preclinical and clinical instruction
Authors: Abrams RG
Published: June 2020

Questioning has long been a basic teaching technique. Dental instructors are encouraged to use questions more frequently in preclinical and clinical courses. The objective of this educational method is to stimulate the independent thinking essential to daily practice and professional growth. This article discusses one category of questions and presents various strategies for questioning in the technique laboratory and clinic.
Training and educational needs in pit and fissure sealant application for graduate dental personnel: continuing education and certification courses
Authors: Scheirton L
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this paper was to address the continuing education needs of dentists and dental auxiliaries and certification needs of and available courses for graduate dental hygienists and assistants. Background information was presented on the professional and economic concerns of practitioners, as well as research findings and the extent to which students and practitioners are being educated and trained in the application of sealants. The role of manpower training and utilization was addressed along with the role of auxiliaries in accelerating and promoting sealant use. A model pit and fissure sealant course was discussed in the hope that those educators contemplating the modification of curricula to include the topic of sealants or the offering of a continuing education course will have “food for thought.” A survey was conducted to determine the extent to which continuing education courses are being offered to graduate or practicing auxiliaries who did not receive formal sealant instruction in school. The survey did reveal that only approximately 17 percent of the institutions responding provided continuing education courses in pit and fissure sealant application.
Use of sealants: societal and professional factors
Authors: Frazier PJ
Published: June 2020

At present, sealant use continues at a low level in private practice by dentists and hygienists, and is moderate in community programs although there is high interest in their use in public health settings. Widespread delegation of sealant application to hygienists has not occurred even though the majority of state dental practice acts allow it, and even though practicing hygienists are highly interested in applying sealants. Use in federally sponsored programs is minimal or nonexistent. Information about sealants and adequate clinical experience in their application appear minimal in dental training institutions, and few opportunities have existed for continuing education. Generally, knowledge about sealants among dentists is low; many hold doubtful opinions. Insurance carriers, including commercial, provider, and governmental programs, appear reluctant to reimburse for sealants without purchaser demand and organized dentistry's blessings. Although society emphasizes patient rights to informed consent, few opportunities exist for the public, including group insurance purchasers and union negotiators, to learn about sealant use in conjunction with appropriate fluoride use. Public educational materials are sparse. Manufacturer marketing efforts at present, aimed at providers alone, are at best minimal, with a few exceptions; those targeting the public are nonexistent. Organized dentistry's Council statements may have contributed to a constriction, to date, in the flow of public information about sealants from industry. Lack of communication, or miscommunication, between practitioners and dental scientists has resulted in much misinformation and confusion about the value of sealants and their use. And, the contemporary status of dental manpower and the economy of dental practice in the private sector appear to have provided an infertile environment for acceptance of sealants as a primary preventive technology. In the public sector, interest in sealants is high but two primary constraints are inadequate manpower and lack of financial resources. Clearly there has been a time‐lag in the adoption of new sealant products, and it is apparent that no one factor can explain this lag; rather, many complex factors must be taken into account simultaneously. Extent of need does not appear to have influenced use, to date. Often, social change is slow, and all things considered, the lag observed for sealants may not be totally unreasonable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Statewide dental auxiliary career mobility: an emerging reality for Kentucky
Authors: Carroll KA , Appling SL , Chiswell CL , Meador RF , Novak DE , Schnurr BJ
Published: June 2020

The lack of articulation in allied health education has been identified as a significant barrier to career mobility. This paper describes an attempt to improve articulation of dental auxiliary training in Kentucky. Results included the development of a dental auxiliary core curriculum, an articulation model, and the successful negotiation of a systemwide transfer agreement. In addition, the project instilled a commitment on the part of the group members to continue working toward greater articulation for dental auxiliaries.
Alternatives to traditional tenure
Authors: Kennedy JE
Published: June 2020

Adherence to the traditional tenure system in dental schools, including the requirement that faculty produce scholarly work, may well have a negative impact on dental education. However, scholarly activity should continue to be required of full‐time faculty; it is the very essence of a university discipline. We should direct our attention to the tenure system itself. We should modify tenure to acknowledge the character of dental faculty and provide alternatives that take into account the differences between what is expected of faculty members in a health science compared to what is expected of faculty members in traditional academic disciplines. At the same time we should do all that is possible to enhance dentistry's status within the university.
Faculty learning styles
Authors: Berlocher WC , Hendricson WD
Published: June 2020

Learning style is defined as an individual's preferred way of acquiring information. The purpose of this study was to determine the predominant learning styles of dental students in five consecutive classes and to determine the extent of the match or mismatch between student learning styles and faculty learning styles. Results indicate that a majority of students in the dental school classes possess one particular learning style–concrete sequential. Although slight differences did exist between the distributions of learning styles of the faculty and the dental school classes, the differences were not significant. Previous research has demonstrated that the typical dental school graduate has attributes similar to the concrete sequential learner. Based on this finding, it seems likely that most concrete sequential learners will adapt well to the private practice environment. An important question, however, is whether the contemporary dental school environment, which seems to encourage concrete sequential learning style, is conducive to the development of the intellectual and technical skills that dentists will need to practice in the 21st century.
Microbiology teaching in American dental schools
Authors: Henry CA , Winford TE , White R , Kettering J
Published: June 2020

A comprehensive questionnaire on current practices relevant to teaching microbiology to dental students was sent to all dental schools in the United States. The survey collected information on resources available, modes of teaching, and evaluation processes. Seventy percent (42/60) of the schools responded. Great variation was found in the teaching of microbiology largely due to the variety of educational resources, perspective of subject matter by the faculty, and the backgrounds of entering students. Data are presented that document the integration of microbiology with other courses, placement of microbiology in the curriculum, class attendance policies, availability of advanced selective and/or elective courses, and National Board reviews. These and other data indicate some prevailing trends in the teaching of microbiology to dental students.
A postgraduate dental training program for treatment of persons with disabilities
Authors: Stiefel DJ , Truelove EL
Published: June 2020

Educational aspects of a five‐year project of postgraduate training in dentistry for patients with severe disabilities are described. Courses consisted of two weeks of didactic and up to six weeks of clinical instruction. Participating dentists, dental hygienists, and assistants demonstrated significant post‐course gains in cognitive knowledge and confidence. Follow‐up evaluations indicated that more than 75 percent actively apply their training, particularly those in academic dentistry. The nationwide response to the program indicates a demand for advanced training of this type.
Use of technique metal in preclinical education: effect on student products and performance
Authors: Joynt RB , Tedesco LA , Wood RH , Davis EL
Published: June 2020

As a result of the theft of dental students' gold issue, use of a less expensive technique alloy in a preclinical course was evaluated as a substitute for conventional gold alloy. Three‐unit all‐metal fixed partial dentures were fabricated by sophomore dental students as part of a fixed prosthodontics preclinical technique course. One group of students used a conventional gold alloy and a second group used a technique alloy. Except for solder joint appearance, similarities in student performance and perceptions indicated that technique alloy is an acceptable, cost‐effective substitute for gold in preclinical courses.
A profile of organizational characteristics of colleges of dentistry
Authors: Nash DA
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the organizational characteristics of colleges of dentistry as perceived by their deans, associate deans, and department chairs. Likert's Profile of Organizational Characteristics is used to describe the administrative structures of the colleges on a continuum from exploitive/authoritative through benevolent/authoritative and consultative to participatory. In addition, administrators were asked to evaluate their colleges' effectiveness in adapting to an environment of change. The results indicate a relatively low level of participation in administration in contrast to a high desire for participation, and that administrators believe their colleges are only marginally effective in adapting to change.
Effects of reducing senior clinical requirements
Authors: Hicks JL , Dale RA , Hendricson WD , Lauer WR
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the effects of reducing dental clinical requirements. Twenty‐seven senior students participated in a modified system in which requirements were reduced to essential experiences, points were awarded for all procedures completed, and a total point requirement was created to ensure comprehensive care. The remaining seniors (N = 97), who operated under the conventional requirement system, served as controls. No significant differences were found between the groups in daily clinic grades, comprehensive examination performance, final senior‐year grade point average, or number of procedures completed. A year‐end questionnaire on stress and anxiety indicated that the experimental group perceived less stress and anxiety, were significantly more positive about their performance evaluations, and perceived significantly less pressure to complete procedures.
Planned change and the future of the dental education system
Authors: Gerbert B
Published: June 2020

Dentistry today faces an environment that clearly requires changes in dental education. Future dentists must be prepared to deal with new patterns of dental disease, revised manpower requirements, and new developments in the nature of dental practice. The dental education system can best adapt to this situation by initiating a process of planned change. A well‐developed literature in this area provides both a theoretical framework and a practical approach that the dental education system can follow in its planning process. In this paper, the principles of planned change are interpreted in the context of dental schools' characteristic structure, goals, leadership, and communication mechanisms. The traits of successful change and specific strategies for achieving it are offered as a means for the dental education system to build with confidence a productive and healthy future.
Radiographic examinations of orthodontic educators and practitioners
Authors: Atchison KA
Published: June 2020

Orthodontic educators and practitioners were surveyed to determine the radiographs each prescribes to diagnose Class II malocclusion patients. Results of the study were based on 141 responses. The frequency of ordering each of ten radiographic projections and the importance of these radiographs to the orthodontists' diagnosis and treatment planning were measured. A lateral cephalometric and panoramic film were found to be the most frequently ordered and the most diagnostically important radiographs. Differences between the two groups were found regarding their use of supplementary radiographs. Educators were found to order more radiographs for their patients.
Factors affecting dental utilization of elders aged 75 years or older
Authors: Wilson AA , Branch LG
Published: June 2020

Data collected from 496 elders aged 75 years or older participating in the Massachusetts Health Care Panel Study were analyzed by means of multiple regression to determine the principal predictors of perceived need for care and of dental users. The relationship between perceived need and use of services also was examined. The significant variables influencing perceived need in elders were poorer self‐perceived oral health, having some teeth, and reporting a dental visit within two years. Dental users were best predicted by dentate status, a history of alcohol consumption, and perceived need for care. Although the variables of perceived need and being a user each influenced the other, both were more influenced by a common significant predictor variable, dentate status.
Grant writing and review for dental faculty
Authors: Mackenzie RS
Published: June 2020

Clinicians need to engage in scholarly activities to fulfill their university role. Current conditions within academia suggest that a good activity for practicing scientific skills is in the writing and reviewing of grant proposals. It is also important that writing for publication shares many of the same skills. This paper provides a guide for producing and reviewing grant proposals based on scientific merit.
Conscious sedation in predoctoral pediatric dentistry programs
Authors: Waggoner WF
Published: June 2020

A survey of predoctoral pediatric dentistry programs in American dental schools was conducted to determine the extent of didactic and clinical training in pediatric conscious sedation. Fifty‐four of 59 programs (92 percent) returned usable surveys. The results indicated that there exists a wide range of teaching practices, both in numbers and types of sedations experienced. Fifty‐six percent of the respondents reported that students received some degree of clinical experience. Sedation was achieved most commonly with chloral hydrate or hydroxyzine administered orally. Predoctoral programs without an affiliated postdoctoral program were much more likely to practice conscious sedation than those that trained postdoctoral students. The reason most frequently listed for the nonuse of sedation in the predoctoral clinic was philosophical opposition to pharmacological management at this level of training. A majority of the respondents believed that improved monitoring practices and documentation of cases would result from the recent adoption by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry of guidelines for conscious sedation.
Predictive validity of the Dental Admission Test
Authors: Kramer GA
Published: June 2020

The relationship of Dental Admission Test (DAT) scales and predental grade point averages (GPAs) with freshman and sophomore dental school performance measures and National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I averages were examined. The results indicated that the DAT scales had limited predictive validity with respect to summary performance measures and measures in specific disciplines. Furthermore, the DAT contributed information regarding dental school performance beyond that contributed by predental GPAs.
Dental students' perceptions of the difficulty of faculty positions
Authors: Hawkins CH , Eisner JE
Published: June 2020

How undergraduate dental students at Dalhousie University perceive various aspects of the positions held by faculty members was determined by responses on a 20‐item questionnaire. Comparisons of item responses by students' class year, age group, marital status, sex, and perceived class standing generally produced a similar rank order of questionnaire items. Students perceived faculty positions that involved a high degree of administrative responsibility as being more difficult than preclinical instruction and part‐time faculty positions. Research was perceived by students to be of low importance to faculty. It is important to consider the various perceptions that students hold regarding faculty positions if changes are planned to improve the teaching environment. A wide divergence between the perception held by faculty and students regarding the difficulties of a faculty position may hinder optimum student‐faculty relationships.
Teaching dental materials using the personalized system of instruction
Authors: Schweitzer KL , Cohen PA
Published: June 2020

Tailoring instruction to the individual needs of students is one approach to ensuring that students with lower scholastic aptitudes obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to function successfully as professionals. This study determined the effects of the personalized system of instruction (PSI) on end‐of‐course achievement, aptitude‐achievement relationships, long‐term retention, and course attitudes. The PSI method of instruction was compared to a conventional lecture/laboratory approach for teaching a dental materials course to dental hygiene students. Although there was no significant difference between conventionally taught and PSI students on the end‐of‐term final examination, lower aptitude students in the PSI class scored significantly higher on the final examination than lower aptitude students in the conventional class. Of students completing a one‐year retention examination, those in the PSI class scored significantly higher than students in the conventionally taught class. Student course ratings favored PSI instruction both at the end of the course and at the one‐year follow‐up interval.
Gender trends in the career patterns of recent dental graduates
Authors: Dolan TA , Lewis CE
Published: June 2020

The gender composition of U.S. dental schools has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. While women represent less than 10 percent of the practicing dental population, the dramatic increase in dental school enrollment by women will be reflected in a much larger percentage of female dental practitioners in the near future. It is not clear how this trend will affect the structure and organization of the dental profession or the delivery of dental care. This study examined gender differences among recent dental graduates' professional commitment, choice of practice arrangements, and income. The data consist of a random sample of 1979, 1980, and 1981 graduates of U.S. dental schools with an adjusted response rate of 77.6 percent (n = 2,648 males and 346 females). Findings include statistically significant gender differences in mean annual income from private practice, administration, or teaching of dentistry; total family income before taxes; employment status in private practice; marital status, and the number of children under 18 years of age. A gender difference of fewer than four hours worked per week, while statistically significant, is less than previous reports in the literature. Gender remained as a statistically significant predictor of income when controlling for practice ownership, hours per week worked, background, and family/social variables. These findings have policy implications for dental resource planning, organized dentistry, dental education, and the delivery of dental care.
Assessment of private dental practice: implications for dental education
Authors: Morris AL , Bohannan HM
Published: June 2020

The development and testing methods for assessing the quality of private general dental practice are described. The assessment instrument, evolved through the contributions of a panel of private practitioners, provides for the evaluation of the structure, process, and outcome of practice. General practitioners, trained as evaluators, tested the instrument in 300 urban group, urban nongroup, and rural practices in 14 states. The distribution of assessment scores for the entire project sample is compared with those of the sample dentists who graduated before and after 1974. The implications of the project and its results to dental education are discussed.
Effects of immediate introduction of indirect vision on performance and posture
Authors: Boyd MA , Rucker LM
Published: June 2020

When students are taught psychomotor skills in the mandibular arch and transfer to the maxillary arch, there is a continued desire to depend upon direct vision, which results in early acquisition of poor postural habits. This study examined differences in psychomotor performance between dental students beginning with direct and indirect vision exercises. The investigation was conducted in a preclinical Performance Simulation Laboratory that allowed a high degree of accuracy in the evaluation of operator posture. No significant differences in performance were found between the groups. Within group variances indicated that there was a more uniform transition from maxillary to mandibular preparations than from the lower to upper arch preparations. Analysis of the postural data showed no significant relationship to the quality of cavity preparation, but indicated that student posture was better for the arch in which they first learned. The study was unable to substantiate the assumption that mirror management is better taught after direct vision skills are learned.
Inquiry teaching in clinical periodontics
Authors: Heins PJ , Mackenzie RS
Published: June 2020

Inquiry teaching is a strategy to develop skills in information retrieval and reasoning. Its framework is a method of systematic questioning by the teacher, who trains the learner's skill in information retrieval and thinking so that future clinical problems may be more readily solved. This paper describes the adaptation of the Inquiry Method to instruction in clinical periodontics. It describes a strategy that structures the interactions between the teacher and student to develop thinking skills related to patient care.
Factors that influence minority dental students' career plans
Authors: Taylor RW , Kress GC
Published: June 2020

Questionnaires were mailed to all 443 minority senior dental students and to a randomly selected control group of 200 nonminority seniors. Questions were asked about background income, debt, and future plans. Minorities reported lower family income, but similar debt levels. Minorities were more likely to locate in a minority community, less likely to enter solo practice. About one‐third of each group stated that debt influenced practice plans. However, only the minority plans appeared to vary with debt: as debt increased, minorities were less likely to plan a solo private practice.
A typodont used exclusively for practical examinations
Authors: Hill GL , Hampel AT
Published: June 2020

The use of a testing typodont has eliminated the problems associated with the use of the students' typodont for practical examinations and provided increased objectivity, conformity, security, efficiency, and flexibility in the testing and evaluation process. The cost benefit comparison of purchasing separate testing typodonts for use in preclinical practical examinations can be measured only in such intangibles as student and faculty acceptance and confidence in the examination and evaluation procedures.
The scientific basis for dental implant therapy
Authors: McKinney RV , Steflick DE , Koth DL , Singh BB
Published: June 2020

Dental and oral implantology have rapidly moved into the mainstream of dentistry in the last ten years with a phenomenal growth based on rapidly expanding technology, increasing public interest, and the reporting of sound scientific data. This paper reviews current knowledge about implant tissue reactions and identifies areas where additional scientific inquiry is needed. Bone‐ and soft‐tissue healing around dental implants varies greatly depending upon the form of the implant, biomaterial used, and surgical approach. Controversy exists as to whether a direct bony‐biomaterial interface is preferable over a bone‐connective tissue‐biomaterial interface. Scientific data are required to document whether intervening molecular layers of glycoproteins exist between implant and bone, and what role is played by these structures relative to the implant‐bone interface. The adaptation of regenerated gingival epithelium to an implant is critical for the development of a perimucosal seal. Many scientific questions remain unanswered about this seal and its role in maintenance of implant longevity. Controlled clinical trials must be carried out to determine clinical serviceability standards for patients. Resolving these areas of concern and understanding the biological reactions involved will require in‐depth scientific inquiry by clinician and scientist alike to make dental implantology a highly acceptable and predictable treatment modality. Even with these controversies and lack of comprehensive comparison studies, dental implantology is an exciting treatment concept that makes considerable demands upon the surgical, prosthetic, periodontal, and restorative skills of today's practitioners, and on their scientific understanding as well.
Fibro‐osteal and osteal integration: a comparative analysis of blade and fixture type dental implants supported by clinical trials
Authors: Weiss CM
Published: June 2020

Comparison of data from independent clinical trials conducted on both the Oratronics standard blade implant and the Nobelpharma fixture device provides evidence that the fibro‐osteal and osteal modes of tissue integration are both effective, and lead to comparable implant success/survival rates. Advantages, disadvantages, and areas of preferred use and overlap for each implant system are discussed. Data from the VA Cooperative Study, comparing the efficacy of fixed partial dentures (FPDs) supported by a blade implant to removable partial dentures (RPDs), and from the NIDR/Harvard Study, comparing the efficacy of FPDs supported by a blade implant to cantilevered FPDs, indicate that the success/survival rates of FPDs supported by blade implant are equivalent to or better than those for conventional treatment modalities. Data presented in this paper establish the safety and efficacy of use of fibro‐osteal integrated blade devices in implant dentistry.
Dental implant retrieval analyses
Authors: Lemons JE
Published: June 2020

The evolution of surgical implant devices has been dependent upon a multidisciplinary coordination between the basic and applied biological and physical sciences. In this regard, engineering failure analyses of retrieved prostheses represent a significant contribution. Dental implant retrieval studies have provided guidance for biomaterials, designs and biomechanical function, specialized surface treatments for controlling tissue responses, and associated surgical, periodontal, and restorative regimes. The recent expansion of design concepts and restorative procedures places a new emphasis on the need for interrelated prospective laboratory, laboratory animal, and human device investigations. Retrospective retrieval analyses continue to provide guidance with regard to key concept development and the formulation of important questions and hypotheses for future investigations.
Evaluation of teaching performance in U.S. dental schools
Authors: Scruggs RR , George MC , Raney DL , Miller DL
Published: June 2020

This study examines how teaching performance is evaluated in U.S. dental schools. Respondents to the mailed survey were dental school deans. Most schools formally evaluate teaching through student evaluation, yet most deans agreed that evaluation should include input from students and peers. Features that were considered most important in an evaluation program included the provision of a feedback mechanism, the inclusion of faculty input, and a standardization of the evaluation system. The majority of schools provide a program to enhance teaching skills; responsibility for the program varied from the department chairperson to the individual faculty member. More than half of the deans indicated that research productivity can “outweigh” teaching skills in promotion and tenure decisions. The results indicate that dental school deans expect excellence in teaching, but leave doubt as to how faculty members are to gain expertise in this realm of their profession.
Dental hygiene and predoctoral dental curricula concerning dietary fluoride supplements
Authors: Levy SM
Published: June 2020

Deficiencies have been identified in dentists' knowledge about and use of proper protocol in systemic fluoride supplementation and water fluoride assay. Although AADS curriculum guidelines include systemic fluoride supplementation, little is known about actual predoctoral dental and dental hygiene curricula in this area. This study used a mail survey format to investigate dental and dental hygiene curricula concerning systemic fluoride supplementation. The majority of pertinent topics were reported to be included in most program curricula. However, the majority of programs reported no opportunities for students to apply the lecture material presented. Clinical evaluation of the fluoride supplement needs of all child patients is recommended. Student experience should be enhanced by the use of simulated experiences, especially in urban dental and dental hygiene programs. The dentist/dental hygienist team approach should be encouraged.
Bi/Polar personality patterns of senior dental students
Authors: Mozer JE , Lloyd C , Puente ES
Published: June 2020

The Bi/Polar Inventory of Core Strengths was administered to two senior dental classes. Students preferred thinking (58.3 percent) over risking (41.7 percent), practical thinking (78.7 percent) over theoretical thinking (21.3 percent), and independent risking (59.1 percent) over dependent risking (40.9 percent). Compared to the general population, dental students were more thinking and practical, but nearly identical in independence‐dependence. Pattern II (thinking‐practical‐independent) was the most common student pattern (25.2 percent) and Pattern VI (risking‐theoretical‐dependent) was the least common (3.9 percent). Results suggest a dominance of certain personality styles in dental students.
Simple and time‐saving computer programs for chairside assistants
Authors: Birn H , Horsted M , Aarslev A , Bjerregaard L
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that CAI used at low cognitive levels is as effective and motivating as conventional teaching, while requiring fewer teacher resources. Seventy‐six chairside‐assistant students were randomly allocated to either a CAI‐group or a control group receiving conventional teaching. The subject taught was the clinical armamentarium and its use. A performance and attitude test was given to both groups. Time used for constructing the CAI program and for conventional teaching was registered. The results confirmed the hypothesis.
Developing population profiles from dental claims data for conceptualizing effectiveness of care
Authors: Hayden WJ , Marcus M , Lewis CE
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal observational analysis of insurance claims data with goal of graphically demonstrating that effective dental care leads to the diminished use of services in subsequent time intervals. Using the Rand HIE claims data, definitions of the best patients for whom claims data would be profiled and the best parameters to use in rate calculations for the time series graphs were empirically derived. Profiles using these definitions were found to be very similar to a conceptual model of such profiles.
A quality assessment system: the search for validity
Authors: Schoen MH
Published: June 2020

Quality assessment and assurance should involve all of dentistry, not just third party payment plans. One evaluation system is described and a draft outline of guidelines for criteria and standards is presented. An important, and usually neglected, aspect of the use of the system is illustrated by the presentation of some quantitative data from the review of a dental care program. Concerns about the validity of various elements are discussed, together with the difficulty of establishing such validity. Nevertheless, there are indications that the system is able to distinguish among different levels of quality using a dichotomous scale. More research in the field is urged.
Cognitive style as related to emotional empathy
Authors: DeVore CH , Beck FM , Clark PM , Goorey NJ
Published: June 2020

This study examined relationships among two measures of FDI (the hidden figure test (HFT) and the portable rod and frame test (PRFT) and a measure of interpersonal sensitivity (the questionnaire measure of emotional empathy (QMEE] in a group of dental hygiene students. All measures were administered to 44 dental hygiene students and 42 students enrolled in an introductory psychology course. While the dental hygiene students were more field independent than a previously reported normative sample (t = 24.6 p less than 0.002), they were not characteristically different than a representative group of college students on any of the measures. For students enrolled in the psychology course, but not the dental hygiene students, the more field independent students were, the less empathic they appeared to be. These results do not entirely support previous research indicating that dental hygiene students typically are more field independent.
Development of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index
Authors: Atchison KA , Dolan TA
Published: June 2020

The development of measures for assessing oral health status is essential to the evolution and maturation of a scientific knowledge base in geriatric dentistry. The literature suggests a high prevalence of dental diseases in older adults, yet valid and reliable instruments to assess the impact of oral diseases on older individuals or populations are lacking. This paper describes the rationale for and the development of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), a self‐reported measure designed to assess the oral health problems of older adults. Following a review of the literature and consultation with health care providers and patients, a pilot instrument was developed. The GOHAI was initially tested on a convenience sample of 87 older adults. A revised instrument was then administered to a sample of 1755 Medicare recipients in Los Angeles County. The GOHAI demonstrated a high level of internal consistency and reliability as measured by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.79. Associations of the GOHAI with a single‐item rating of dental health and with clinical and sociodemographic supported the construct validity of the index. Having fewer teeth, wearing a removable denture and perceiving the need for dental treatment were significantly related to a worse (lower) GOHAI score. Respondents who were white, well educated, and with a higher annual household income were more likely to have a high GOHAI score, indicating fewer dental problems. Additional applications of the GOHAI are necessary to further evaluate the instrument's validity and reliability, and to establish population norms of oral health in older adult populations as measured by the GOHAI.
Dental school‐based continuing education in tobacco use cessation counseling for oral health care providers
Authors: Geboy MJ
Published: June 2020

The role of health care providers in patient counseling for tobacco use cessation has gained increased attention in recent years. The present survey examined the activities of dental school continuing education departments in providing continuing education in tobacco use cessation counseling to oral health care personnel. A questionnaire was sent to the director of continuing education at all U.S. and Canadian dental schools. The results indicate that few continuing education programs have been or currently are being offered. Respondents to the survey perceived little interest in this topic among their target audiences. The reasons for the current situation and barriers to practitioner involvement are discussed.
Teaching recognition skills to improve products
Authors: Knight GW , Guenzel PJ , Fitzgerald M
Published: June 2020

All 86 first year dental students in a Conservative Restorations course completed five sets of instructional tasks. Tasks followed a discrimination learning paradigm, a sequence based on the principal that recognition skills are a prerequisite for production skills. Recognition skill measures and production quality measures were collected for pre‐ and post‐test Class 1 amalgam preparations. Significant improvement was found in three of the five recognition skill measures and in quality of production. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that a measure of student agreement with faculty evaluations accounted for 46.3 percent of the variance in post‐test production scores whereas traditional admissions measures accounted for less than 4 percent of the variance. Additionally, students who improved recognition skill showed a corresponding improvement in products. The paradigmatic teaching model appears to be valid for Class 1 cavity preparations.
The relationship of Bi/Polar personality patterns with self‐esteem, stress, and satisfaction in dental school
Authors: Mozer JE , Lloyd C , Puente ES
Published: June 2020

The Bi/Polar Inventory of Core Strength was administered to two senior dental classes. This inventory identifies preferences on three fundamental underlying dimensions of personality and yields eight personality patterns, which were subsequently correlated with the students' self‐assessment of various aspects of the dental school experience. Individuals with preferences for risking, practical thinking, and independence consistently demonstrated higher self‐esteem, higher ability to cope with the stresses of dental school, lower psychological distress in dental school, and higher satisfaction with dentistry than individuals with polar opposite preferences–thinking, theoretical thinking, and dependence–although only some of these comparisons reached statistical significance. Pattern III (thinking‐theoretical‐dependent) reported the lowest self‐esteem, lowest ability to cope with stress, highest psychological distress, and lowest satisfaction with dentistry. Pattern III may represent a psychological profile exhibiting early warning signs of a potential tension with the task demands of clinical dentistry. Conversely, Pattern VII (risking‐practical‐independent) may represent a profile prone to high self‐esteem, high‐stress resistance, low psychological distress, and reasonably high satisfaction with dentistry.
Factors that affect patient attitudes toward infection control measures
Authors: Jones DL , Rankin KV , Rees TD
Published: June 2020

This study examined how differences in infection control procedures and patients' perceived knowledge of infection control, and how AIDS and hepatitis might affect attitudes toward the use of such measures. Patients receiving treatment at two sites where the methods of infection control and the frequency of their use differed (dental school and private dental practices) were surveyed concerning their approval/acceptance of infection control measures and self‐report of knowledge concerning infectious disease and possible transmission of infectious disease during dental treatment. Data were collected from 379 patients, 272 from the dental school and 107 from five private practices. A high percentage (95 percent) of both dental school and private patients felt they were adequately protected, while fewer than 2 percent expressed anxiety about infection control procedures being used in either setting. Factors such as gender, age, and years of formal education did not significantly affect attitudes toward infection control measures, but age and education were correlated with perceived knowledge of infectious diseases. Patients' reported knowledge of infectious disease had a significant effect on their decision to leave a practice if the dentist was HIV positive. A significantly higher percentage of dental school patients felt that barrier infection control techniques should be used routinely. Patients treated where such techniques were not routinely used nevertheless expressed satisfaction with that level of protection, implying that patients tend to accept the level of infection control being practiced where they receive treatment.
Dental hygiene students' preparation for treatment of patients with mental illnesses
Authors: Lemon S , Reveal M
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to determine the scope of didactic and clinical experiences dental hygiene students received in 1987 in preparation for treating people with mental illnesses. A 22‐item survey was mailed to 200 U.S. dental hygiene programs. The response rate was 69 percent. Sixty‐one percent of respondents reported that didactic information on mental illnesses was included in their curricula however, 42 percent reported that the amount of time devoted to this subject was not satisfactory. Students from 57 percent of responding programs did not provide oral care to mentally ill patients; and only 17 percent of respondents believed that the dental hygiene needs of the mentally ill were adequately addressed in their communities. Responses from baccalaureate and certificate/associate degree programs were not statistically significantly different.
Computer based decision support in dentistry
Authors: Wagner IV , Schneider W
Published: June 2020

Work analyses in dental practices have revealed a need for improvements especially in regard to patient dental record, decision support for diagnosis and therapy and patient recall. An adequate decision support for diagnosis, therapy and prevention requires the use of the most advanced methods of informatics and computer bases interactive multimedia technology as well as of advanced human‐computer interface techniques.