bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Distribution of Dentists in Nigeria, 1981 to 2000
Authors: Ogunbodede Eyitope O.
Published: June 2020

In Nigeria, modern dental practice is relatively recent. The dawn can be traced to 1915 when the first government dentist was employed in Lagos, then the country's capital. There are presently four dental schools in the country; each graduates an average of thirty dentists annually. The present study determined the trends in the gender distribution of dental practitioners over the twenty‐year period from 1981 to 2000 and used available data to project into the future. Data was collected from governmental and nongovernmental publications. The results indicate that there are now 2,598 licensed dentists serving the country's population of 123 million. A vast majority of these dentists work in urban centers, and only about 20 percent work in the rural areas where over 70 percent of Nigerians reside. There has been a male preponderance in the number of practicing dentists: only fifty‐eight (15.3 percent) of 379 dental practitioners were female in 1981, though this figure has risen steadily to 35.1 percent of 2,598 dentists at the end of 2000. However, over the twenty‐year period, the percentage of females was consistently higher among dental than medical practitioners. In 1981, for example, the percentage female was 15.0 among both dental and medical practitioners, but by the end of 2000 this had increased to 35.1 percent among dental practitioners and only 19.0 percent among medical practitioners. The imbalance in gender distribution of dental practitioners is steadily normalizing, and projections, using current trends, indicate that gender balance will be attained in the year 2015.
Status of Genetics Education in U.S. Dental Schools
Authors: Dudlicek Laura L. , Gettig Elizabeth A. , Etzel Kenneth R. , Hart Thomas C.
Published: June 2020

Genomics research is rapidly increasing our understanding of the genetic basis of normal and abnormal growth, development, and disease. Genetic information and technologies are also being applied to develop new diagnostic and treatment strategies. Many diseases with dental, oral, and craniofacial manifestations have a genetic basis. Effective clinical application of genomics to oral medicine will depend on the education of health care professionals, the general public, and policymakers. Dentists must understand genetics to provide accurate information to patients and be able to discuss benefits and limitations of the biological, clinical, and ethical issues related to genomic‐based health care. Genetics education in dental schools will significantly impact the integration of genetics into oral medicine. Fifty‐three U.S. dental schools completed a survey in 2001 to assess the status of genetics curricula in dental schools in the United States. Ninety‐four percent of schools did not require genetics education for entry to dental school, and a formal genetics course was conducted in only eight of the fifty‐three schools (15 percent). The genetics education currently offered to undergraduate dental students is not standardized, and the content varies considerably among schools. These findings suggest more emphasis on genetics education is needed in U.S. dental schools.
Predoctoral Dental School Curriculum for Catastrophe Preparedness
Authors: More Frederick G. , Phelan Joan , Boylan Robert , Glotzer David , Psoter Walter , Robbins Miriam , Rekow E. Dianne , Alfano Michael C.
Published: June 2020

Preparing for catastrophic events, both human‐made and natural, is in the national interest and has become a priority since catastrophic events in Oklahoma City, Washington, DC, and New York City. Dentists are a large source of non‐physician health manpower that could contribute to the public welfare during catastrophic events that require additional public health human resources. Dentists, by virtue of their education, understand biomedical concepts and have patient care skills that can be directly applied during a catastrophic event. Dentists also can provide training for other types of health care workers and can supervise these individuals. In this article, we propose that dentistry can make a significant contribution as part of a national response before, during, and after a catastrophic event or at the time of a public health emergency. We describe the potential collaboration among a dental school, city and state health departments, law enforcement, the military, and others to develop a curriculum in catastrophe preparedness. Then we describe one dental school's effort to build a catastrophe preparedness curriculum for our students. The competencies, goals and objectives, and sources of content for this catastrophe preparedness curriculum are described as well as suggestions for sequencing instruction.
Hypertension in a Dental School Patient Population
Authors: Kellogg Sara D. , Gobetti John P.
Published: June 2020

Patient records were retrospectively reviewed to investigate the incidence of hypertensive patients seen at a U.S. dental school. This research was conducted to create an awareness of the current problems in diagnosing and treating hypertensive patients in the dental environment. Nine hundred and seventy‐six records of patients seen between January 1, 1999 and January 1, 2000 were reviewed. Five hundred records that met specific study criteria related to health history, medications used, recorded blood pressure, and other criteria were selected for the study. Factors examined included demographic data consisting of age, sex, and ethnicity; history of hypertension; Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure classification; control of hypertension; and medications used. The data demonstrated that 32 percent of the patients were hypertensive, 49 percent of whom were unaware of their high blood pressure prior to their dental visit. Nearly 9 percent of the hypertensive patients with elevated blood pressure had to be immediately sent for medical consult before they could receive dental treatment. The average blood pressure of the hypertensive patients was systolic 145.6 and diastolic 87.9 with a range of 110 to 240 systolic, 60 to 135 diastolic. Of the diagnosed patients, 41.9 percent were taking antihypertensive medication for their condition, and 13 percent were taking two or more medications. Nearly one third of a sample of 500 dental school clinic patients had high blood pressure in this retrospective study. This study demonstrates that it is crucial that dental providers take blood pressure readings for screening, monitoring of hypertensive patients, and appropriate dental care.
Developing Competency in Research Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Transfer: A Workshop Course
Authors: Rossomando Edward F. , Benitez Hubert , Janicki Bernard W.
Published: June 2020

In July 1999, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) convened a Blue Ribbon Panel that recommended management skills, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer should be included in dental education. The panel's recommendations were implemented in an NIDCR‐funded pilot project, “Workshop Course to Promote and Develop Dental Products and Technologies.” The workshop consisted of lectures presented by seven faculty members recruited from academia, government, and business, along with an analysis of a professor's invention and the barriers encountered in transforming the invention into a product. Evaluation consisted of a pre‐ and post‐workshop survey. The workshop was presented to twenty‐two participants on November 8 and 9, 2003 at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and, to refine the presentation further, will be tested at five additional dental schools (University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, New York University, Nova Southeastern University, and University of Southern California). The results indicated that the workshop's courses would be helpful to the commercialization of inventions. In addition, dental students with experience in basic research expressed an interest in research of projects of use in dental practice. These findings suggest that pursuing research and an academic career might be more appealing if their research was product‐oriented.
Use and Perceived Effectiveness of Student Support Services in a First‐Year Dental Student Population
Authors: Burk Dorothy T. , Bender Daniel J.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of problems common to the first year of dental school and to assess the use and perceived effectiveness of formal and informal peer and professional support programs in addressing those problems. First‐year students at one California dental school were surveyed on the severity of problems encountered, support services used, and perceived effectiveness of services. Results indicated that the problems perceived as most serious by students in this sample were of an emotional nature relating to academic performance. Findings showed that students relied heavily on themselves and on informal advice from peers to handle problems and that they perceived these resources to be very effective. Findings also showed that low‐ranking students used both formal and informal resources to resolve problems and that females used resources outside of the school more than males did. Results of the study offer some evidence to support providing both formal and informal peer and faculty support programs for first‐year dental students. Results also provide insight into the use of peers and “self” to resolve problems common to the first year of dental education.
Stabilization Splint Therapy for the Treatment of Temporomandibular Myofascial Pain: A Systematic Review
Authors: Al‐Ani Ziad , Gray Robin J. , Davies Stephen J. , Sloan Philip , Glenny Anne‐Marie
Published: June 2020

The aim of this review is to establish the effectiveness of stabilization splint (SS) therapy in reducing symptoms in patients with myofascial pain. Searching of electronic databases, handsearching of relevant key journals, and screening of reference lists of included studies were undertaken. There was no language restriction, and unpublished research was sought. The selection criteria were randomized controlled trials comparing splint therapy to either no treatment or another active treatment. Data extraction and validity assessment were carried out independently and in duplicate. Studies were grouped according to treatment type. Twenty potentially relevant Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were identified. Only twelve met the inclusion criteria. There is insufficient evidence either for or against the use of stabilization splint therapy over other active interventions for the treatment of temporomandibular myofascial pain. However, it appears that stabilization splint therapy may be beneficial for reducing pain severity at rest and on palpation and depression when compared to no treatment. The authors suggested the need for well conducted RCTs that pay attention to method of allocation, blind outcome assessment, sample size, and duration of follow‐up. Various measures were adopted to assess the outcomes of treatment. Standardization of the methods used to measure outcomes of the treatment of myofascial pain should be established in future RCTs.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Dental and Dental Hygiene Students Toward Obesity
Authors: Magliocca Kelly R. , Jabero Marvin F. , Alto Dale L. , Magliocca Joseph F.
Published: June 2020

Obesity is recognized as a growing public health problem. The authors surveyed dental hygiene and dental students from one institution regarding education, knowledge, perceived professional duties, and attitudes toward the overweight and obese population. Half of the respondents reported no obesity education prior to professional dental education, and 80 percent received five hours or less while in professional training. While most students held a generally positive attitude regarding obese and overweight patients, a number of students demonstrated evidence of negative stereotyping. Obesity education and training must be integrated into dental education to permit greater understanding of coexisting medical problems, explore the basis for a negative attitude and work toward its elimination, and raise public health awareness within dentistry.
Dental Education in India and Japan: Implications for U.S. Dental Programs for Foreign‐Trained Dentists
Authors: Komabayashi Takashi , Raghuraman Karthik , Raghuraman R. , Toda Shinji , Kawamura Makoto , Levine Sheppard M. , Bird William F.
Published: June 2020

An understanding of international dental education systems is critical for the education of foreign‐trained dentists in U.S. dental programs. However, there is little information on this topic. This article provides information regarding 1) dental history, 2) dental school system, 3) curriculum/examination at dental school, and 4) dental licensure in India and Japan. There are 185 dental schools in India and twenty‐nine in Japan. The number of first‐year dental students is 12,872 and 2,647 in India and Japan, respectively. A five‐year dental education, which includes 4,035 curriculum hours, leads to the B.D.S. degree in India, whereas a six‐year dental education program, which includes 5,060 curriculum hours, leads to the D.D.S. degree in Japan. No undergraduate predental study is needed prior to entry into dental school in both countries. In India, the entrance examination is extremely competitive; however, there is no nationwide licensure examination. In Japan, dental schools use more sophisticated dental materials and equipment in the clinical phases of the curriculum than in India, but there is no clinical examination at the time of graduation. Several implications for U.S. dental programs for foreign‐trained dentists with respect to screening applicants and curriculum development are discussed.
Fiber Optic Fluorescence Microprobe for Endodontic Diagnosis
Authors: Sarkissian Ani , Le Ashley Nga
Published: June 2020

Successful endodontic therapy requires total debridement as well as complete obturation of the root canal to the cemento‐dentinal junction. The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy for the detection and localization of pathological dentin, pulpal remnants, and microorganisms within the root canal. Specific aims were to identify: 1) characteristic excitation/emission spectra for healthy dentin, decayed dentin, enamel, and pulp; 2) the potential of specific spectral data for differentiating between these tissues; and 3) the potential of spectral data for detecting the presence and identifying four common endodontic pathogens. Fluorescence spectra were determined in the tissues of permanent human teeth, extirpated healthy and necrotic pulps, and four endodontic pathogens. Excitation/emission spectra were collected at 366nm, 405nm, and 440nm excitation. Marked differences in spectral signatures between the different tissues under investigation were observed. We postulate that the differences in fluorescence spectra of decayed vs. healthy dentin are due to the loss of mineralized tissue components and increased organic presence and water in these tissues. Pulpal tissue showed distinctly different fluorescence spectra from healthy and decayed dentin, providing a basis for differentiating between tissue categories. Each bacterial species demonstrated distinct spectral emission patterns.
Promotion of Tobacco Cessation Through Dental Hygiene Education: A Pilot Study
Authors: Monson Angela L. , Engeswick Lynnette M.
Published: June 2020

The purposes of this pilot study were as follows: 1) to determine the percentage and frequency of dental hygiene graduates who were providing tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) activities, after receiving TCC training during their formative years of education; 2) to identify the graduates’ stages of change using the transtheoretical model regarding TCC; and 3) to identify factors influencing the delivery of TCC. A convenience sample of fifty‐one Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) dental hygiene graduates were surveyed in this study. Wilcoxen signed rank tests were used to analyze the relationship between counseling actions and dental hygienists’ stage of change in four TCC activities: asking, advising, assisting, and arranging follow‐up. Pros and cons affecting the delivery of TCC were also examined. Findings indicate that dental hygienists who received TCC education during their training do not provide cessation counseling to a high percentage of their patients even though they believe in the value of such activity. However, dental hygienists are more likely to provide TCC to patients with periodontal disease than other dental patients. Conclusions: 1) addressing the potential frustration of the dental hygienist and coping methods when providing TCC during training may alleviate one of the barriers to TCC; 2) ready access to tobacco education materials may alleviate one of the barriers to TCC; and 3) emphasis during TCC training on providing education for all patients as part of health promotion, rather than just periodontal patients, may increase the overall counseling provided.
Dental Students’ Knowledge About Careers in Academic Dentistry
Authors: Rupp Jeffery K. , Jones Daniel L. , Seale N. Sue
Published: June 2020

The purposes of this study were to determine the knowledge of fourth‐year dental students regarding certain issues related to an academic career and to ascertain their intent to pursue such a career. Factors contributing to the students’ intent to pursue academia were assessed, including the effect of dental school programs designed to educate students about a career in dental education. Surveys were sent to twelve U.S. dental schools that reported having either a mandatory or elective academic career educational program or no program at all. The surveys were completed by fourth‐year dental students who were queried as to their knowledge of selected academic issues. Surveys were returned by 561 students from eleven of the twelve selected dental schools. Knowledge level of academic issues among respondents was overwhelmingly low. Factors contributing to the intent to pursue some form of faculty career were gender, plans to specialize, knowledge of academic issues, having a parent in higher education, and personal teaching experience. The results of this study suggest that dental students in general do not possess the knowledge and information necessary to make an informed decision regarding a career in dental education.
Injury Reports in a Dental School: A Two‐Year Overview
Authors: Callan Richard S. , Caughman Frank , Budd Michael L.
Published: June 2020

As teaching institutions, it is vital for dental schools to collect data on accidental injuries to identify potential problems, improve the quality of care of patients, and educate future practitioners about risk management. Our data reveal important trends concerning such injuries. These data were compiled over a two‐year period (2001–03) from accident reports at one dental school. We categorized the accidents as follows: source (instrument causing the injury), recipient of injury, time of day, location within the dental school where the injury occurred, and body part injured. The population examined in this study consisted of predoctoral and postdoctoral dental students, staff, faculty, and patients of the dental school. The majority of injuries occurred in the predoctoral clinic toward the middle to the end of the scheduled clinic periods. The instrument most likely involved was a needle, and the body part most commonly injured was a finger. The collection and analysis of injury data may be used to identify trends that will aid in the prediction and prevention of these injuries and, at a national level, serve as a benchmark that other dental schools can employ to assess their relative frequency of injury.
Survival Analysis of Complete Veneer Crowns vs. Multisurface Restorations: A Dental School Patient Population
Authors: Janus Charles E. , Unger John W. , Best Al M.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to compare the longevity of crowns versus large multisurface restorations in posterior teeth. The investigation used the treatment database at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. The inclusion criteria for the final data set used for analysis were: only one restored tooth per patient, premolars with three or more restored surfaces, molars with four or more restored surfaces, molars and premolars restored with complete veneer metal crowns, or crowns veneered with metal and porcelain. The Kaplan‐Meier approach was used to visualize the survival curves, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for analysis of predictor variables. The investigation indicates crowns survive longer than large restorations and premolar restorations survive longer than molar restorations. The median survival for crowns exceeded 16.6 years, with the median survival of premolar restorations being 4.4 years and molar restorations 1.3 years. An interaction between age and treatment was discovered, with overall survival decreasing as patient age increases. The doctor supervising the treatment also affected survival with treatment supervised by specialists lasting longer than treatment supervised by nonspecialists.
A Welcome to the Workshop on “Professional Promises: Hopes and Gaps in Access to Oral Health Care”
Authors: Catalanotto Frank A.
Published: June 2020

Starting with the belief held by some of the workshop participants that access to basic oral health care is a natural human right and that the oral health care system in the United States must serve the common good, we conducted a meeting of ethicists, practicing dentists, dental hygienists, dental educators, and others to discuss ethical issues related to access to care. As one of the meeting organizers, the author discusses in these introductory remarks his background and personal perspectives on why the dental profession has a moral obligation to better address the access issue.
Developing an Ethic of Access to Care in Dentistry
Authors: Beemsterboer Phyllis L.
Published: June 2020

The ethical responsibility to provide access to care as part of professionalism is explored. Several suggestions for positioning dental education to enhance the public service side of professionalism are presented prior to admission to dental school, during dental school, and after dental school. All three areas hold possibilities for dental education to instill and advocate for the public service aspect of professionalism.
Codes and Colleagues: Is There Support for Universal Patient Acceptance?
Authors: Peltier Bruce
Published: June 2020

This article is a refinement of verbal reactions to O’Toole's and Corsino's remarks at a national conference on Access to Oral Health Care held at the headquarters of the American Dental Association in August 2005. The article consists of two parts, each part an answer to specific questions. The first is a reaction to Corsino's explanation of Patthoff's concept of Universal Patient Acceptance. Acceptance is supported and endorsed, and a case is made for the importance of a clear and accurate explanation of Universal Patient Acceptance, as it has a much greater likelihood of being embraced by dentists than “access” seems to have. A review of relevant codes of ethics in dentistry reveals mixed and uneven support for Universal Patient Acceptance. The second part of this article compares the way that the profession of psychology views access and acceptance with the way that dentistry seems to view them and concludes that, if dentistry is to remain a caring profession rather than a commercial enterprise, acceptance must be embraced.
Professional Promises: Summary and Next Steps
Authors: Zarkowski Pamela
Published: June 2020

A summary of the key themes discussed during the sessions is provided highlighting the participants’ recommendations for addressing the ethics of access. Areas reviewed included strategies utilizing ethics as an educational tool. The need for professional associations and accrediting and licensing bodies to address access to care in their guidelines is an additional recommendation. Networking, sharing resources, and continuing the dialogue about ethics and access to care are identified as important strategies following the workshop. The summary also highlights promises made to continue the dialogue about the issue in various forums.
The Dental Education Environment
Authors:   ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education, Haden N. Karl , Andrieu Sandra C. , Chadwick D. Gregory , Chmar Jacqueline E. , Cole James R. , George Mary C. , Glickman Gerald N. , Glover Joel F. , Goldberg Jerold S. , Hendricson William D. , Meyerowitz Cyril , Neumann Laura , Pyle Marsha , Tedesco Lisa A. , Valachovic Richard W. , Weaver Richard G. , Winder Ronald L. , Young Stephen K. , Kalkwarf Kenneth L.
Published: June 2020

The second in a series of perspectives from the ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI), this article presents the CCI's view of the dental education environment necessary for effective change. The article states that the CCI's purpose is related to leading and building consensus in the dental community to foster a continuous process of innovative change in the education of general dentists. Principles proposed by CCI to shape the dental education environment are described; these are critical thinking, lifelong learning, humanistic environment, scientific discovery and integration of knowledge, evidence‐based oral health care, assessment, faculty development, and the health care team. The article also describes influences external to the academic dental institutions that are important for change and argues that meaningful and long‐lasting change must be systemic in nature. The CCI is ADEA's primary means to engage all stakeholders for the purpose of educating lifelong learners to provide evidence‐based care to meet the needs of society.
Assessment of Full‐Time Dental Hygiene Faculty Participation in Clinical Practice
Authors: Kiser Jessica R. , Wilder Rebecca S. , Fleming Deborah E. , George Mary C.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this research project was to determine how many U.S. dental hygiene (DH) programs had full‐time (FT) faculty members who provided direct patient care unrelated to the curriculum. Questions in this project also assessed attitudes and opinions of DH directors regarding clinical practice and opportunities for salary supplementation. A questionnaire of twenty open‐ended and closed‐ended questions was designed on Survey Monkey, an online survey engine. After IRB approval and pilot testing, 278 U.S. DH program directors received two emails with the survey link requesting their participation. A response rate of 69.1 percent (n=192) was achieved. Results revealed that 14.2 percent of the programs required FT DH faculties to participate in clinical practice settings unrelated to the curriculum, while 67 percent of the programs had faculties who also participated in clinical practice. Eighty‐three percent of respondents reported faculties who participated in clinical practice were financially compensated. The majority (95.4 percent) of directors indicated maintaining clinical skills was an advantage to clinical practice, while 48 percent of directors indicated participation takes time away from being an educator. Overall, the majority of DH programs did not require FT faculties to participate in clinical practice; however, respondents were generally in favor of allowing faculties the opportunity to practice and thought that it enhanced their competency as clinical instructors.
A Chairside Aid for Shared Decision Making in Dentistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Johnson Bradford R. , Schwartz Alan , Goldberg Julie , Koerber Anne
Published: June 2020

The concept of shared decision making (SDM) is an important emerging trend in clinical medicine but has received little or no attention in the dental literature. Decision aids can play a useful role in SDM by helping patients and clinicians choose among reasonable alternative treatment options. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an Endodontic Decision Board (EndoDB) for chairside use to help clarify treatment alternatives, benefits, risks, prognosis, and costs when root canal therapy or extraction of a tooth was indicated. The hypothesis was that the use of the EndoDB would lead to improved patient knowledge, greater satisfaction with the decision‐making process, and no difference in anxiety when compared to the standard discussion and informed consent process (usual care). The EndoDB was tested in a randomized controlled trial in a postgraduate endodontics clinic. After treatment discussion, a brief questionnaire was completed by the patient to measure knowledge, satisfaction, and anxiety. Patients in the EndoDB group (n=32) demonstrated a small, but statistically significant, increase in knowledge (t‐test; difference=+0.37; p=0.03) compared to the usual care group (n=35). There was no difference between groups in the measures of satisfaction or anxiety (Mann‐Whitney U‐test; p>0.05). Decision aids may emerge as a useful tool to facilitate SDM and evidence‐based clinical practice.
U.S. State‐Supported Dental Schools: Financial Projections and Implications
Authors: Bailit Howard L. , Beazoglou Tryfon J. , Formicola Allan J. , Tedesco Lisa , Brown L. Jackson , Weaver Richard G.
Published: June 2020

This article examines the impact of financial trends in state‐supported dental schools on full‐time clinical faculty; the diversity of dental students and their career choices; investments in physical facilities; and the place of dentistry in research universities. The findings of our study are the following: the number of students per full‐time clinical faculty member increased; the three schools with the lowest revenue increases lost a third of their full‐time clinical faculty; more students are from wealthier families; most schools are not able to adequately invest in their physical plant; and more than half of schools have substantial NIH‐funded research programs. If current trends continue, the term “crisis” will describe the situation faced by most dental schools. Now is the time to build the political consensus needed to develop new and more effective strategies to educate the next generation of American dentists and to keep dental education primarily based in research universities. The future of the dental profession and the oral health of the American people depend on it.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Case‐Based Teaching: Does It Create Patient‐Centered and Culturally Sensitive Providers?
Authors: Richards Philip S. , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: June 2020

This investigation explored whether teaching a case‐based seminar influenced dental students’ perceptions of the importance of various factors for diagnosis and treatment planning. In addition, the effects of an interdisciplinary approach to case‐based teaching were analyzed. During the winter semesters 2004 and 2005, 204 second‐year dental students participated in a case‐based comprehensive care seminar. The students were randomly assigned either to a section with a behavioral science instructor present or to a section without a behavioral science instructor. At the beginning and end of each semester, the students evaluated the importance of various factors for diagnosis and treatment planning in self‐administered questionnaires. This seminar increased students’ importance ratings of subjective oral health‐related factors (such as dental fear) and diversity‐related factors (such as the patient's ethnicity/race) from the beginning to the end of the semester. Students in the section with a behavioral science instructor rated the importance of behavioral and diversity‐related factors higher than students in the section without the behavioral science instructor. These findings suggest that interdisciplinary, case‐based teaching increased students’ appreciation of the complexity of patient care and of a patient‐centered, culturally sensitive approach to diagnosis and treatment planning.
The Prevalence of Mentoring Programs in the Transition from Student to Practitioner Among U.S. Dental Hygiene Programs
Authors: Blanchard Steven B. , Blanchard Jane S.
Published: June 2020

Mentoring of students to assist them in the transition to clinical practice has been utilized in a number of health professions but has only been recently introduced in dental and dental hygiene education. A survey was sent to all U.S. dental hygiene program directors to determine the prevalence of mentoring programs in the dental hygiene curriculum that utilize practicing dental hygienists as mentors to facilitate the transition from student to practitioner. Results showed that less than 30 percent of dental hygiene programs are using this type of student mentoring. Dental hygiene program directors reported that the main benefit mentoring provided was “real world” experiences to their students. Lack of formal structure to the mentoring program was the most frequently cited weakness of existing programs. Programs not utilizing mentoring programs listed inadequate time in the existing dental hygiene curriculum as the main obstacle for not implementing a mentoring program. Student mentorship in other health professions has been shown to not only enhance personal and professional growth, but also to increase job satisfaction and retention. Further research, however, is needed on student mentoring programs in the dental and allied dental fields.
Self‐Perceived Public Health Competency Among Recent Dental Graduates
Authors: Bernabé Eduardo , Ludeña Marco A. , Beltrán‐Neira Roberto J.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to assess the level of self‐perceived competency in dental public health in recent graduates from the Faculty of Stomatology of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. One hundred and nineteen graduates (28.6 percent males and 71.4 percent females) were asked to rate their self‐perception of proficiency on each of the twenty‐one dental public health functions identified in a dental practice competency matrix. Students assessed their competence in these dental public health functions using a three‐point ordinal scale with 0 indicating “not at all competent,” 1 indicating “competent,” and 2 indicating “very competent.” Males scored themselves higher than females for items concerning “design, develop, and evaluate community restorative interventions,” “apply basic maintenance to dental equipment and instruments,” and “participate in an epidemiological surveillance system.” However, there were no significant differences for any item according to age. A confirmatory factorial analysis provided two factors with Eigenvalues greater than one (13.09 and 1.53, respectively), which explained 62.3 percent and 7.3 percent of the variance in the graduates’ responses respectively. However, the fact that all twenty‐one dental public health functions loaded higher than 0.55 on the first factor led to the conclusion that the dental public health competency is perceived by students to be a one‐dimensional construct. Graduates perceived themselves as very competent for solving dental health needs at the community level. This study also provided further evidence in support of the rationale for the competency‐based dental curriculum of the Faculty of Stomatology of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Matching Student Personality Types and Learning Preferences to Teaching Methodologies
Authors: Jessee Stephen A. , O'Neill Paula N. , Dosch Robert O.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching styles that complement the learning preferences of undergraduate dental students while enhancing the quality of patient care. A formidable challenge to reform in dental education has been overcoming the resistance by faculty and administration to recommended changes. The organizational structure of dental institutions, with their independent departments, makes obtaining consensus on educational issues difficult. For beneficial change to occur, clear evidence of the benefits to all within the organization must be presented. The objectives of the study were to 1) identify the most common personality types among first‐ and second‐year undergraduate dental students at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston using the Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®); 2) identify the learning preferences of these personality types; and 3) determine a more effective approach to teaching clinical dentistry based upon student personality types and learning preferences. Four common personality types were identified among respondents: ISTJ, ESFJ, ESTJ, and ISFJ, with a predisposition for Sensing (S) (desire for facts, use of senses) over Intuition (N) (look for possibilities, relationships) and Judging (J) (prefers decisiveness, closure) over Perceiving (P) (desire flexibility, spontaneity). The most common occurring personality type, ISTJ, represents an Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging individual. Specific clinical curricular techniques that would appeal to these common personality types are identified, and an explanation of their benefit is provided. Results of this study demonstrate the importance of faculty understanding and acknowledging different student personality types and related learning preferences as a way to initiate improvement of undergraduate dental education, promote student motivation, and allow for an expression of learning style preference.
Oral Cancer Education in Dental Schools: Knowledge and Experience of Nigerian Undergraduate Students
Authors: Uti Omolara G. , Fashina A.A.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and experiences of clinical dental students of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria related to the management and prevention of oral malignancy and premalignancy. A self‐administered questionnaire was distributed to all clinical dental students. Most of the students (87.7 percent; n=57) had witnessed at least a patient with oral malignancy, while 61.5 percent (n=40) had witnessed or examined a patient with oral premalignancy. While 61.5 percent of the students had observed biopsies of malignant and premalignant lesions, only 13.8 percent (n=9) had ever performed one under supervision. All the respondents believed that oral malignancy is always or sometimes associated with pain, and most of the students were more familiar with the late signs of oral malignancy than the early signs. Almost two‐thirds (64.6 percent) of the respondents believed that oral screening programs were effective for early diagnosis and management of oral malignancies. This study revealed a need for a more structured teaching program with increased emphasis on the early signs and symptoms of oral malignancies and involvement of the students in the examination and biopsies of malignant and premalignant lesions.
Perceptions of Professionalism Vary Most with Educational Rank and Age
Authors: Nath Charlotte , Schmidt Rebecca , Gunel Erdogan
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the perception of what constitutes professionalism varies with age, discipline, gender, or educational level among students and faculty at the major academic health sciences center in West Virginia. This exploratory descriptive survey study asked participants to classify behaviors described in a survey as professional, unprofessional, or unrelated to professionalism. Results were analyzed using contingency tables. For 2 × 2 contingency tables, test of independence of homogeneity was carried out by using Fisher's exact test. For tables of higher dimensions, chi square test was used. The survey yielded a 45 percent return rate and demonstrated that the perception of professionalism varied most with the level of education and age and, to a lesser extent, with gender and health care discipline. Undergraduates, females, the youngest age group (≤ 26), nursing students, and faculty other than dental or medical were more likely to label behavior depicted in the survey statements as unprofessional. The findings of this study underscore the complexities of the genesis of professionalism. Further study in regard to the teaching of professionalism is warranted.
Teaching Style Beliefs Among U.S. and Israeli Faculty
Authors: Behar‐Horenstein Linda S. , Mitchell Gail S. , Notzer Netta , Penfield Randy , Eli Ilana
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine if self‐reported teaching style beliefs were different among faculty at a U.S. and an Israeli dental school. Teacher‐centered practices refer to beliefs that the teacher holds the subject matter expertise and students are generally passive learners who must be told what to think. Student‐centered practices refer to beliefs that students must learn how to construct their own understanding. Student‐centered teaching is directed towards enabling students to think about complex issues. Twenty‐seven of fifty‐eight (47.37 percent) faculty at a dental school in the United States and thirty of thirty‐four (88 percent) Israeli dental faculty teaching in basic science courses completed the Teaching Behavior Preferences Survey (TBPS). The TBPS is a thirty‐item instrument that measures two domains of teaching styles—teacher‐centered (TC) and student‐centered (SC)—and four subdomains: methods of instruction (MI), classroom milieu (CM), use of questions (UQ), and use of assessment (UA). Findings revealed that there were no significant differences in student‐centered and teacher‐centered teaching practices and methods of instruction, classroom milieu, and use of questions. There was a significant difference between the U.S. and Israeli groups in their reported use of assessment. The U.S. faculty reported a greater preference for student‐centered assessment practices than did the Israeli faculty.
Implications of the Growth of Dental Education in India
Authors: Mahal Ajay S. , Shah Naseem
Published: June 2020

By influencing the supply of trained human resources, the dental education sector can play a significant role in influencing policy goals of ensuring good quality and equitable access to oral health services in developing countries. Our research goal was to assess quantitatively the size of the Indian dental education sector, its growth over time, and the implications of this growth for equity and quality in oral health care. Information on the location of teaching institutions, the year of establishment, type of ownership, and seat capacity was obtained from government sources, the Dental Council of India, and websites of individual institutions to estimate the growth in the undergraduate dental education sector, including the role of the private sector from 1950 to 2005. Data on location of training capacity and institutions were used to assess the geographical distribution of undergraduate dental education capacity in India. Registration data on dentists, the size of available faculty relative to regulatory requirements, and penalties imposed on offending faculty and education institutions were used to assess the impact of the growing Indian dental education sector on graduate quality and equitable access. Dental colleges and enrollment capacity have grown rapidly over the five decades since 1950, mainly due to a growing private sector. There is regional inequality in the location of dental education schools in India with a bias toward economically better‐off regions. The growth in the dental education sector has translated into increased overall access, although accompanied by rising inequality in access and possibly lower quality of dental education.
Increasing Access to Care with Diversity
Authors: Edmunds Ryan K.
Published: June 2020

While many factors contribute to lack of access to dental care along racial and ethnic lines, one of the most prominent factors is a lack of diversity among oral health professionals. Surveys and studies show that individuals in minority communities are more likely to seek treatment from people of their own racial or ethnic background and, in turn, that those caregivers are more likely to work in minority communities and have a desire to provide care to the underserved. Further studies show that increasing diversity in dental schools can help motivate all dental students, not just minorities, to provide care to the underserved after graduation. To increase diversity in the workforce, there must be an increase in diversity at dental schools. Admissions committees need to reanalyze standard admissions criteria to achieve the goal of building a diverse student body that is representative of the ethnic and cultural diversity of our nation. Increasing the diversity of our schools enhances the educational experience and increases the likelihood that dental school graduates will practice in ways that extend oral care services to all segments of society.
Educational Strategies Associated with Development of Problem‐Solving, Critical Thinking, and Self‐Directed Learning
Authors:   ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education, Hendricson William D. , Andrieu Sandra C. , Chadwick D. Gregory , Chmar Jacqueline E. , Cole James R. , George Mary C. , Glickman Gerald N. , Glover Joel F. , Goldberg Jerold S. , Haden N. Karl , Meyerowitz Cyril , Neumann Laura , Pyle Marsha , Tedesco Lisa A. , Valachovic Richard W. , Weaver Richard G. , Winder Ronald L. , Young Stephen K. , Kalkwarf Kenneth L.
Published: June 2020

This article was developed for the Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI), established by the American Dental Education Association. CCI was created because numerous organizations within organized dentistry and the educational community have initiated studies or proposed modifications to the process of dental education, often working to achieve positive and desirable goals but without coordination or communication. The fundamental mission of CCI is to serve as a focal meeting place where dental educators and administrators, representatives from organized dentistry, the dental licensure community, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure, and the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations can meet and coordinate efforts to improve dental education and the nation's oral health. One of the objectives of the CCI is to provide guidance to dental schools related to curriculum design. In pursuit of that objective, this article summarizes the evidence related to this question: What are educational best practices for helping dental students acquire the capacity to function as an entry‐level general dentist or to be a better candidate to begin advanced studies? Three issues are addressed, with special emphasis on the third: 1) What constitutes expertise, and when does an individual become an expert? 2) What are the differences between novice and expert thinking? and 3) What educational best practices can help our students acquire mental capacities associated with expert function, including critical thinking and self‐directed learning? The purpose of this review is to provide a benchmark that faculty and academic planners can use to assess the degree to which their curricula include learning experiences associated with development of problem‐solving, critical thinking, self‐directed learning, and other cognitive skills necessary for dental school graduates to ultimately become expert performers as they develop professionally in the years after graduation.