bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Greece's High Dentist to Population Ratio: Comparisons, Causes, and Effects
Authors: Koletsi‐Kounari Haroula , Papaioannou William , Stefaniotis Theodoros
Published: June 2020

Reaching the optimal dentist to population ratio is a common health policy challenge around the world, but while many countries have too few dentists for their populations, Greece is facing the opposite problem. This study was designed to describe and analyze trends in the number and distribution of dentists in Greece over the last thirty years and compare the Greek dentist to population ratio with that of the other twenty‐six European Union (EU) countries. Demographic data for Greece were obtained from the Hellenic Dental Association and the National Statistical Service of Greece and were analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests. Data for the other EU countries were derived from various authoritative sources. In Greece, the number of dentists per 10,000 inhabitants increased significantly (p<0.05) from 1982 (7.7) to 2007 (13.0), ranking Greece first (in 2008) among the EU countries. The proportional increase in the number of dentists during the decade 1979–88 (30.4 percent) was significant (p<0.05), compared to the decade 1989–98 (22.3 percent) and the nine‐year period 1999–2007 (23.6 percent). In 1982 and 1992, the majority of dentists practiced in the Attica Prefecture (Athens) (55.2 percent and 52.6 percent, respectively), but this situation changed significantly in 2007 (p<0.05) (40.1 percent for Attica). The percentage of female dentists remained almost the same from 1982 until 2007, but female dentists’ location of practice changed significantly (p<0.05) between 1992 and 2007. After reporting the data, we examine some of the reasons for and effects of the situation and consider the problem that, even with a high dentist to population ratio, Greece has significant oral health access problems.
University of Malaya Dental Students’ Attitudes Towards Communication Skills Learning: Implications for Dental Education
Authors: Nor Nor Azlida M. , Yusof Zamros Y.M. , Shahidan Mohd Noor F.M.
Published: June 2020

The Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia has called for the implementation of a soft skills module in all public universities in Malaysia. In response to this and as part of curriculum development efforts for a new integrated program for 2011, a study was undertaken to improve the University of Malaya (UM) Faculty of Dentistry's communication skills course. One of the study objectives was to investigate dental students’ attitudes towards communication skills learning and the association between their attitudes and demographic and education‐related characteristics. A cross‐sectional survey—using a self‐administered twenty‐four‐item adapted Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) that contained both positive (PAS) and negative (NAS) attitude subscales—was carried out targeting all final‐year dental students at the UM and the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). A total of 148 students completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 88.1 percent. Overall, UKM students had significantly more positive attitudes towards communication skills learning (PAS score: mean=48.69, SD=4.48, p<0.001) than UM students (mean=46.03, SD=4.22). There was no statistically significant difference in negative attitudes between the two groups. UKM students with more positive attitudes tended to be female (p<0.05). UM students with more negative attitudes perceived themselves as poor communicators (p<0.05), and UKM students with more negative attitudes tended to have poor English proficiency (p<0.05). This study found that both UM and UKM final‐year dental students have positive and negative attitudes towards learning communication skills. These attitudes were significantly associated with certain background and education‐related attributes. Outcomes of this study served as a valuable guide in strengthening the communication skills course for the UM's new, integrated dental curriculum.
Iranian Dental Students’ Knowledge of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Its Control Practices
Authors: Alavian Seyed Moayed , Mahboobi Nima , Mahboobi Nastaran , Savadrudbari Maryam Mohammadi , Azar Pardis Soleimanzade , Daneshvar Sedigheh
Published: June 2020

With more than two billion infected people, from whom 350 to 400 million suffer from chronic infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still a major health problem worldwide. As dental treatment puts both dentists and patients at a higher risk of HBV infection, dentists can play an important role in preventing HBV transmission in dental settings. This study was performed to evaluate dental students’ awareness and practice regarding HBV‐related issues and to compare the results obtained from different academic years. One hundred and forty‐two questionnaires consisting of questions on students’ knowledge of HBV and preventive measures against this virus were completed by third‐ to sixth‐year dental students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran. Overall, a relatively good level of knowledge was observed amongst this population. However, students’ answers to practice questions were less satisfying. It is noteworthy that in some cases students of higher academic years showed less awareness. This finding highlights the necessity of continued infection control education. TUMS students must complete an infection control workshop before they start their clinical education. The authors propose that such training at the beginning of each academic year would be worthwhile.
Validation of an Instrument to Assess Evidence‐Based Practice Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence in the Dental Environment
Authors: Hendricson William D. , Rugh John D. , Hatch John P. , Stark Debra L. , Deahl Thomas , Wallmann Elizabeth R.
Published: June 2020

This article reports the validation of an assessment instrument designed to measure the outcomes of training in evidence‐based practice (EBP) in the context of dentistry. Four EBP dimensions are measured by this instrument: 1) understanding of EBP concepts, 2) attitudes about EBP, 3) evidence‐accessing methods, and 4) confidence in critical appraisal. The instrument—the Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation (KACE)—has four scales, with a total of thirty‐five items: EBP knowledge (ten items), EBP attitudes (ten), accessing evidence (nine), and confidence (six). Four elements of validity were assessed: consistency of items within the KACE scales (extent to which items within a scale measure the same dimension), discrimination (capacity to detect differences between individuals with different training or experience), responsiveness (capacity to detect the effects of education on trainees), and test‐retest reliability. Internal consistency of scales was assessed by analyzing responses of second‐year dental students, dental residents, and dental faculty members using Cronbach coefficient alpha, a statistical measure of reliability. Discriminative validity was assessed by comparing KACE scores for the three groups. Responsiveness was assessed by comparing pre‐ and post‐training responses for dental students and residents. To measure test‐retest reliability, the full KACE was completed twice by a class of freshman dental students seventeen days apart, and the knowledge scale was completed twice by sixteen faculty members fourteen days apart. Item‐to‐scale consistency ranged from 0.21 to 0.78 for knowledge, 0.57 to 0.83 for attitude, 0.70 to 0.84 for accessing evidence, and 0.87 to 0.94 for confidence. For discrimination, ANOVA and post hoc testing by the Tukey‐Kramer method revealed significant score differences among students, residents, and faculty members consistent with education and experience levels. For responsiveness to training, dental students and residents demonstrated statistically significant changes, in desired directions, from pre‐ to post‐test. For the student test‐retest, Pearson correlations for KACE scales were as follows: knowledge 0.66, attitudes 0.66, accessing evidence 0.74, and confidence 0.76. For the knowledge scale test‐retest by faculty members, the Pearson correlation was 0.79. The construct validity of the KACE is equivalent to that of instruments that assess similar EBP dimensions in medicine. Item consistency for the knowledge scale was more variable than for other KACE scales, a finding also reported for medically oriented EBP instruments. We conclude that the KACE has good discriminative validity, responsiveness to training effects, and test‐retest reliability.
Effectively Teaching Self‐Assessment: Preparing the Dental Hygiene Student to Provide Quality Care
Authors: Jackson Sarah C. , Murff Elizabeth J. Tipton
Published: June 2020

Literature on self‐assessment presents substantial evidence regarding the impact of self‐assessment on dental practitioners and quality of care. Related dental hygiene research documents a need to enhance self‐assessment curricula; however, no published curriculum module exists to effectively teach self‐assessment. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a self‐assessment educational module for dental hygiene curricula designed using adult learning principles. This module was implemented with thirty‐three dental hygiene students in their junior year using a one‐group, pretest‐posttest design. Results analyzed using matched pairs Wilcoxon signed‐rank test indicated the self‐assessment module was effective (p<0.01 corresponding to a Bonferroni FWER of 0.20) in improving some aspects of the students’ perceptions and voluntary clinical application of self‐assessment. No statistically significant relationship was found between the students’ perceptions and their application of self‐assessment using Pearson's correlation. The quality of self‐assessment comments on the students’ daily clinical evaluation forms was also enhanced after module implementation (p<0.05). This change in quality after module implementation was demonstrated by a quantitative analysis using a self‐designed rubric and a qualitative thematic analysis of student comments to identify predominant themes. Students also were surveyed to determine which module components were most effective. Findings indicate a self‐assessment educational module enhanced these dental hygiene students’ self‐assessment perceptions and skills.
Evaluation of Social Interaction, Task Management, and Trust Among Dental Hygiene Students in a Collaborative Learning Environment
Authors: Saylor Catherine D. , Keselyak Nancy T. , Simmer‐Beck Melanie , Tira Daniel
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of collaborative learning on the development of social interaction, task management, and trust in dental hygiene students. These three traits were assessed with the Teamwork Assessment Scale in two different learning environments (traditional lecture/lab and collaborative learning environment). A convenience sample of fifty‐six entry‐level dental hygiene students taking an introductory/preclinic course at two metropolitan area dental hygiene programs provided comparable experimental and control groups. Factor scores were computed for the three traits, and comparisons were conducted using the Ryan‐Einot‐Gabriel‐Welsh multiple comparison procedure among specific cell comparisons generated from a two‐factor repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicate that the collaborative learning environment influenced dental hygiene students positively regarding the traits of social interaction, task management, and trust. However, comparing dental hygiene students to undergraduate students overall indicates that dental hygiene students already possess somewhat higher levels of these traits. Future studies on active learning strategies should examine factors such as student achievement and explore other possible active learning methodologies.
Using Online Program Development to Foster Curricular Change and Innovation
Authors: Gwozdek Anne E. , Springfield Emily C. , Peet Melissa R. , Kerschbaum Wendy E.
Published: June 2020

Distance education offers an opportunity to catalyze sweeping curricular change. Faculty members of the University of Michigan Dental Hygiene Program spent eighteen months researching best practices, planning outcomes and courses, and implementing an e‐learning (online) dental hygiene degree completion program. The result is a collaborative and portfolio‐integrated program that focuses on the development of reflective practitioners and leaders in the profession. A team‐based, systems‐oriented model for production, implementation, and evaluation has been critical to the program's success. The models and best practices on which this program was founded are described. Also provided is a framework of strategies for development, including the utilization of backward course design, which can be used in many areas of professional education.
Toothguide Training Box for Dental Color Choice Training
Authors: Llena Carmen , Forner Leopoldo , Ferrari Marco , Amengual José , Llambes Gonzalo , Lozano Esther
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the Toothguide Training Box (TTB) for training dental students in color identification. The seventy‐four volunteers who took part in the study attended a seminar on the Vita 3D Master Guide (MG) and the TTB system as well as a demonstration of the equipment before training began. At the end of the training they took the TTB final test. In addition, the participants were asked to recognize ten MG shade tabs in a blind manner before and after TTB training. The training times and percentages of correct answers were compared using the paired t‐test. Variations in scores with training times and percentages of correct answers before and after training were compared using the ANOVA test. Training times between thirty‐one and thirty‐eight minutes provided a significantly higher mean score than training times of over thirty‐eight minutes (p=0.036). The percentage of correct answers obtained with the MG before and after training shows a positive correlation. High TTB scores are associated with a greater number of correct answers in MG shade tab selection.
The Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants Among Dental and Dental Hygiene Students
Authors: McNiel Amanda D. , Muzzin Kathleen B. , DeWald Janice P. , McCann Ann L. , Schneiderman Emet D. , Scofield JoAnn , Campbell Patricia R.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the nonmedical use of prescription attention deficit disorder (ADD) stimulant medication among dental and dental hygiene students. A questionnaire was used to examine demographic information, student experiences, and perceptions of prescription stimulant medication and to determine if students used a prescription stimulant nonmedically. In 2008, 401 surveys were mailed to dental education institutions in the south‐central region of the United States, and 243 surveys (61 percent) were returned. The survey found that 12.4 percent of these students used a prescription stimulant nonmedically and, of those, 70 percent took it to improve attention and/or concentration. The most commonly reported stimulant medication used nonmedically was Adderall (77 percent). The majority (87 percent) of the students obtained the medication through friends, and 90 percent began using the drug in college. Even though 74 percent of the students reported being stressed, chi‐square analysis found no significant association between nonmedical use of ADD stimulant medication and stress level (p=0.585). Sixteen percent of the students surveyed felt it was easy to obtain stimulant medication for nonmedical use at their school, and 17 percent thought it was a problem within their institution. These results may help administrators and faculty members become aware of potential problems with the misuse of ADD stimulant medication.
Tobacco Use, Exposure to Secondhand Smoke, and Cessation Counseling Training of Dental Students Around the World
Authors: Warren Charles W. , Sinha Dhirendra N. , Lee Juliette , Lea Veronica , Jones Nathan , Asma Samira
Published: June 2020

The Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) has been conducted among third‐year dental students in schools in forty‐four countries, the Gaza Strip/West Bank, and three cities (Baghdad, Rio de Janeiro, and Havana) (all called “sites” in this article). In more than half the sites, over 20 percent of the students currently smoked cigarettes, with males having higher rates than females in thirty sites. Over 60 percent of students reported having been exposed to secondhand smoke in public places in thirty‐seven of forty‐eight sites. The majority of students recognized that they are role models in society and believed they should receive training on counseling patients to quit using tobacco, but few reported receiving formal training. Tobacco control efforts must discourage tobacco use among dentists, promote smoke‐free workplaces, and implement programs that train dentists in effective cessation‐counseling techniques.
Lessons Learned During the Conduct of Clinical Studies in The Dental PBRN
Authors: Gilbert Gregg H. , Richman Joshua S. , Gordan Valeria V. , Rindal D. Brad , Fellows Jeffrey L. , Benjamin Paul L. , Wallace‐Dawson Martha , Williams O. Dale ,   for The DPBRN Collaborative Group
Published: June 2020

Effectively addressing challenges of conducting research in nonacademic settings is crucial to its success. A dental practice‐based research network called The Dental Practice‐Based Research Network (DPBRN) is comprised of practitioner‐ investigators in two health maintenance organizations, several universities, many U.S. states, and three Scandinavian countries. Our objective in this article is to describe lessons learned from conducting studies in this research context; the studies are conducted by clinicians in community settings who may be doing their first research study. To date, twenty‐one studies have been completed or are in implementation. These include a broad range of topic areas, enrollment sizes, and study designs. A total of 1,126 practitioner‐investigators have participated in at least one study. After excluding one study because it involved electronic records queries only, these studies included more than 70,000 patient/participant units. Because the DPBRN is committed to being both practitioner‐ and patient‐driven, all studies must be approved by its Executive Committee and a formal study section of academic clinical scientists. As a result of interacting with a diverse range of institutional and regulatory entities, funding agencies, practitioners, clinic staff, patients, academic scientists, and geographic areas, twenty‐three key lessons have been learned. Patients’ acceptance of these studies has been very high, judging from high participation rates and their completion of data forms. Early studies substantially informed later studies with regard to study design, practicality, forms design, informed consent process, and training and monitoring methods. Although time‐intensive and complex, these solutions improved acceptability of practice‐based research to patients, practitioners, and university researchers.
Implementing Tobacco Use Treatment Guidelines in Public Health Dental Clinics in New York City
Authors: Shelley Donna , Anno Jaime , Tseng Tuo‐Yen , Calip Greg , Wedeles John , Lloyd Madeleine , Wolff Mark S.
Published: June 2020

In this study we evaluated the effect of a multicomponent intervention to implement the Public Health Service (PHS) guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence in six randomly selected dental clinics in New York University's College of Dentistry. The main outcome measure—provider adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines—was assessed by auditing a random selection of patient charts pre (698) and post (641) intervention. The intervention components included a chart reminder and referral system, free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and provider training and feedback. The results showed that rates of screening for tobacco use did not change between pre and post test chart audits. However, providers were significantly more likely to offer advice (28.4 percent pre, 49 percent post), assess readiness to quit (17.8 percent pre, 29.9 percent post), and offer assistance (6.5 percent pre and 15.6 percent post) in the post test period. Increases in NRT distribution were associated with booster training sessions but declined in the time periods between those trainings. Research is needed to further define sustainable strategies for implementing tobacco use treatment in dental clinics. The results of this study suggest the feasibility and effectiveness of using a tailored multicomponent approach to implement tobacco use treatment guidelines in dental clinics.
Factors for Increasing Adoption of E‐Courses Among Dental and Dental Hygiene Faculty Members
Authors: DeBate Rita D. , Cragun Deborah , Severson Herbert H. , Shaw Tracy , Christiansen Steve , Koerber Anne , Tomar Scott , Brown Kelli McCormack , Tedesco Lisa A. , Hendricson William
Published: June 2020

The incorporation of web‐based learning into the dental curriculum has been consistently recommended in the literature on reform in dental education. There has been growing support for web‐based learning in dental and dental hygiene education as demonstrated by deans’ identifying this as a planned curricular innovation. The purpose of our study was to explore characteristics of e‐courses that may serve to increase adoption among dental and dental hygiene faculty members. Eight ninety‐minute focus groups (three dental; five dental hygiene) were conducted with dental (n=27) and dental hygiene (n=23) faculty members from six academic institutions. The resulting data were analyzed to identify two overarching themes and associated subthemes with regard to benefits and barriers influencing adoption of e‐courses. A working conceptual framework, based on the Diffusion of Innovations, was developed from these themes to understand the characteristics that may influence the rate of adoption of e‐courses among dental and dental hygiene faculty members. Analysis of the data revealed four main adoption barriers: 1) low perceived relative advantage to faculty members; 2) low compatibility with current curriculum; 3) high perceived time commitment; and 4) complexity of e‐course development. This exploratory assessment identifies leverage points for facilitating the adoption and sustainability of e‐courses in dental and dental hygiene education.
Relationship of Biomedical Science Content Acquisition Performance to Students’ Level of PBL Group Interaction: Are Students Learning During PBL Group?
Authors: Romito Laura M. , Eckert George J.
Published: June 2020

This study assessed biomedical science content acquisition from problem‐based learning (PBL) and its relationship to students’ level of group interaction. We hypothesized that learning in preparation for exams results primarily from individual study of post‐case learning objectives and that outcomes would be unrelated to students’ group involvement. During dental curricular years 1 and 2, student‐generated biomedical learning issues (LIs) were identified from six randomly chosen PBL cases. Knowledge and application of case concepts were assessed with quizzes based on the identified LIs prior to dissemination of the learning objectives. Students and facilitators were surveyed on students’ level of group involvement for the assessed LI topics. Year 1 students had significantly higher assessment scores (p=0.0001). For both student classes, means were significantly higher for the recall item (Q1) than for the application item (Q2). Q1 scores increased along with the student's reported role for Year 1 (p=0.04). However, there was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q1 for Year 2 (p=0.20). There was no relationship between the student's reported role and Q2 for Year 1 (p=0.09) or Year 2 (p=0.19). This suggests that students’ level of group involvement on the biomedical learning issues did not significantly impact students’ assessment performance.
Evaluation of a New Assessment Tool in Problem‐Based Learning Tutorials in Dental Education
Authors: Allareddy Veerasathpurush , Havens Aaron M. , Howell T. Howard , Karimbux Nadeem Y.
Published: June 2020

The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) uses a hybrid problem‐based learning (PBL) approach to teaching in the D.M.D. curriculum. Each tutorial group at HSDM is made up of eight to ten students. The objective of this study was to examine the performance of the students in the tutorial sessions as assessed by the tutor. A total of ten tutorial blocks led by twenty‐four tutorial leaders were completed at HSDM between summer 2008 and fall 2009. All of the tutors were calibrated to a new assessment system that was developed for student assessment in the tutorials. The students were assessed on three major domains: knowledge acquisition, problem‐solving and analytical thinking skills, and personal and interpersonal development. The tutors evaluated the students assigned to their group after the end of each block. Students also filled out a self‐assessment form. Simple descriptive statistics were used to summarize the evaluations of the tutors. A total of 290 student evaluations from ten tutorial blocks were available for analysis. Tutors reported that 64 percent of the students preferred to communicate verbally without prompting and 68 percent of students submitted written reports to the groups during tutorial sessions. Tutors reported that a majority of students brought new information to each tutorial session (86.5 percent), brought information that facilitated others’ learning (88.7 percent), integrated newly acquired knowledge with previous knowledge (92.7 percent), applied knowledge from self‐study to explain issues during case discussions (91.7 percent), asked appropriate questions to stimulate discussions (87.3 percent), generated hypotheses to explain problems under discussion (83.8 percent), evaluated the hypotheses in light of available evidence (85.5 percent), defined and took responsibility for learning goals and objectives (89.3 percent), responded well to criticism (91.7 percent), took a leadership role (74.5 percent), and demonstrated sensitivity to psychosocial issues (88.6 percent). Student communication that tended to take over the group process in a non‐contributory manner was reported in only 2 percent of the evaluations. Overall, students participating in PBL tutorial sessions appear to exhibit problem‐solving and analytical thinking skills and personal and interpersonal attributes.
Working with Dental School Admissions Committees to Enroll a More Diverse Student Body
Authors: Wells Anne , Brunson W. David , Sinkford Jeanne C. , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

The American Dental Education Association's Admissions Committee Workshop (ADEA ACW) was designed to challenge dental school administrators and admissions committee members to review their current admissions practices and to explore ways to attract a more diverse student body. Presented at the invitation of dental schools, this half‐day interactive workshop provides opportunities for a dental school's administrators, staff, and admissions committee members to learn about the value of diversity in the educational environment and how to implement holistic admissions practices that take into consideration the experiences, attributes, and metrics of candidates for admission. This report explores the rationale for the development of the ADEA ACW, discusses lessons learned from presentation of the workshop at more than twenty‐seven U.S. dental schools, and tracks enrollment trends of underrepresented minority students in dental schools where the workshop has been presented.
A Medical Crisis Management Simulation Activity for Pediatric Dental Residents and Assistants
Authors: Tan Gee Mei
Published: June 2020

Dentists are expected to deliver safe and pain‐free dental procedures after they graduate from dental school. This includes using local anesthetics and sedative drugs that may be associated with side effects and complications that can lead to crisis situations. This study postulated that teaching medical crisis management to dental residents and assistants using human patient simulation (HPS) would improve their confidence in managing crisis situations in the real world. Four medical crisis scenarios were designed and programmed into a pediatric simulator. The scenarios included anaphylaxis, laryngospasm during procedural sedation, sedative medication overdose, and multiple drug interaction with cardiac arrhythmia. The simulation room was outfitted with an authentic dental operatory and emergency equipment to enhance the realism. One first‐or second‐year pediatric dentistry resident and a staff dental assistant were assigned as a team to participate in each ten‐minute scenario followed by a debriefing session. At the end of the sessions, the participants completed an anonymous survey regarding the simulation experience. There were a total of twenty‐four participants, 91.7 percent of whom felt that HPS was a good tool for learning medical crisis and that they will be more confident in managing a similar situation in the dental office after this experience. A majority of the participants felt that using HPS as a tool to teach crisis management is an acceptable and valuable technique to help improve their confidence in managing crisis situations that may occur in dental offices.
Preliminary Development and Evaluation of Online Tobacco and Alcohol Modules for Dental Students
Authors: Miller Peter M. , Heideman Paul W. , Ravenel Michele C. , Spangler John G. , Mauldin Mary P. , Hill Elizabeth G. , Onicescu Georgiana
Published: June 2020

Tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption are major risk factors for the development of oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC). Detection and modification of these risks by dentists are keys in preventing OPC. While dentists are encouraged to screen patients for tobacco and alcohol use and educate them about the oral health risks they pose, dental students receive little formalized training in this area. This pilot project was designed to develop and evaluate two online training modules for dental students: one on tobacco and oral health risk factors, and one on methods of alcohol screening. Results indicated that online tobacco/alcohol education for dental students is feasible. The modules resulted in meaningful improvement in dental students’ knowledge of tobacco and alcohol use as well as alcohol screening methods. The alcohol module resulted in statistically significant increases in intention to screen patients for alcohol use and in comfort level in performing alcohol screening.
Development and Evaluation of an Interactive Dental Video Game to Teach Dentin Bonding
Authors: Amer Rafat S. , Denehy Gerald E. , Cobb Deborah S. , Dawson Deborah V. , Cunningham‐Ford Marsha A. , Bergeron Cathia
Published: June 2020

Written and clinical tests compared the change in clinical knowledge and practical clinical skill of first‐year dental students watching a clinical video recording of the three‐step etch‐and‐rinse resin bonding system to those using an interactive dental video game teaching the same procedure. The research design was a randomized controlled trial with eighty first‐year dental students enrolled in the preclinical operative dentistry course. Students’ change in knowledge was measured through written examination using a pre‐test and a post‐test, as well as clinical tests in the form of a benchtop shear bond strength test. There was no statistically significant difference between teaching methods in regards to change in either knowledge or clinical skills, with one minor exception relating to the wetness of dentin following etching. Students expressed their preference for an interactive self‐paced method of teaching.
Improving Tobacco Dependence Education Among the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry Faculty
Authors: Arnett Margie R. , Baba Nadim Z.
Published: June 2020

Tobacco‐related health problems are among the most preventable forms of illness. By assuming proactive tobacco use counseling roles, dental professionals can help reduce the number of people who use tobacco. Minimum standards for intervention by dental care providers were established more than a decade ago by the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. The goal of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in its tobacco‐cessation efforts is to move beyond those standards towards more effective interventions. The school conducted a study to determine the formal education of the faculty, evaluate the current state of tobacco dependence education (TDE) delivered to students, identify topics that dental faculty members wanted to further their education, promote tobacco dependence education among the dental faculty, and enhance teaching moments on the clinic floor. A fifty‐seven question survey was e‐mailed to all faculty members with >0.4 FTE (full‐time equivalent) during the 2007–08 school year. The response rate was 80 percent (101 out of 126). The results revealed that faculty members have limited formal training; however, 73.1 percent agreed that TDE would be beneficial to them. They also believed that, upon graduation, dental professionals should be able to perform at least a ten‐minute moderate intervention program and discuss options for tobacco dependence treatments with patients. This project was designed to establish a 2008–09 baseline of TDE clinical practices, knowledge, and attitudes and to assess the effects of faculty development, curricular didactic, and clinical changes.
Dental Hygienists’ Perceptions of Barriers to Graduate Education
Authors: Boyd Linda D. , Bailey Angela
Published: June 2020

To advance the profession of dental hygiene, graduate education is necessary to support growth in research, education, administration, and practice in the discipline and to sustain credibility in a climate in which other health professions require entry‐level master's and doctoral degrees. The purpose of this study was to explore what dental hygienists perceive as barriers to pursuing a graduate degree. A survey was developed based on the literature and other national surveys. Data were collected from 160 respondents to the survey: 50 percent held an entry‐level baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene, while the rest held an entry‐level associate degree (48 percent) or certificate (2 percent) in dental hygiene. All respondents had completed a bachelor's degree. The top five barriers these respondents identified in pursuing graduate education were as follows: 1) cost of graduate education, 2) family responsibilities are too great, 3) concerns about personal funding to pay for graduate education, 4) finding time for graduate school while working, and 5) fear of thesis research. Dental hygiene is one of the few health professions that still have entry‐level degrees at the associate and baccalaureate levels. The profession needs to reduce such barriers to enable dental hygienists to pursue graduate education and thus ensure an adequate supply of future leaders, educators, and researchers.
Advantages of the Dental Practice‐Based Research Network Initiative and Its Role in Dental Education
Authors: Curro Frederick A. , Grill Ashley C. , Thompson Van P. , Craig Ronald G. , Vena Don , Keenan Analia V. , Naftolin Frederick
Published: June 2020

Practice‐based research networks (PBRNs) provide a novel venue in which providers can increase their knowledge base and improve delivery of care through participation in clinical studies. This article describes some aspects of our experience with a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research‐supported PBRN and discusses the role it can play in dental education. PBRNs create a structured pathway for providers to advance their professional development by participating in the process of collecting data through clinical research. This process allows practitioners to contribute to the goals of evidence‐based dentistry by helping to provide a foundation of evidence on which to base clinical decisions as opposed to relying on anecdotal evidence. PBRNs strengthen the professional knowledge base by applying the principles of good clinical practice, creating a resource for future dental faculty, training practitioners on best practices, and increasing the responsibility, accountability, and scope of care. PBRNs can be the future pivotal instruments of change in dental education, the use of electronic health record systems, diagnostic codes, and the role of comparative effectiveness research, which can create an unprecedented opportunity for the dental profession to advance and be integrated into the health care system.
Rubrics 101: A Primer for Rubric Development in Dental Education
Authors: O'Donnell Jean A. , Oakley Marnie , Haney Stephan , O'Neill Paula N. , Taylor David
Published: June 2020

Identifying and implementing effective methods for assessing dental student performance are ongoing challenges for dental educators. Questions related to grading and assessment are common among faculty and students alike. Faculty members who are well‐trained clinicians or scientists often have little formal training in education. In addition, assessment of performance brings with it an element of subjectivity. Questions about assessment and grading are most likely to arise when expectations are unclear or the rationale for the grade awarded is not articulated. The authors propose that one solution to assessment dilemmas can be found in the use of rubrics: scaled tools with levels of achievement and clearly defined criteria placed in a grid. Rubrics establish clear rules for evaluation and define the criteria for performance. Rubrics speak to both teaching and learning expectations and outcomes and can provide faculty members with a tool that can be useful in evaluating dental student performance. Rubrics can also provide students with clear expectations of performance, an opportunity to self‐assess, and timely, detailed feedback. The purpose of this article is to define a rubric, apply the steps of rubric development as described in the educational literature to dental student assessment, present two examples of rubric implementation for assessing student progress toward competence, and recommend electronic resources for rubric development.
Medicaid Patients in Dental School Clinics: Do Personal and Professional Experiences Matter?
Authors: Valentine Anthony Edward , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore dental and dental hygiene students’ and faculty members’ personal experiences with Medicaid prior to coming to dental school as well as their professional/educational experiences with patients on Medicaid during their dental/dental hygiene education and how these experiences relate to their professional attitudes and behavior concerning treating patients on Medicaid. Survey data were collected from 317 dental students, fifty‐five dental hygiene students, and fifty‐seven clinical faculty members at the University of Michigan. The results showed that while responding students’ confidence concerning treating Medicaid patients increased over the course of their education, their intention to treat these patients actually decreased. The more personal experiences with Medicaid these students had before dental school, the more they enjoyed treating Medicaid patients, the more confident they were when treating these patients, and the more likely they were to treat these patients in the future. The more professional experiences these students had during dental school, the more they enjoyed treating Medicaid patients, and the more confident they were when treating these patients, but the less likely they were to treat them in the future. In conclusion, experiences with Medicaid before dental school as well as professional experiences during dental education correlated with later professional attitudes and behaviors. The implications of these findings for dental education are explored.
Teaching Local Anesthesia in Dental Schools: Opinions About the Student‐to‐Student Administration Model
Authors: Hossaini Mehran
Published: June 2020

The student‐to‐student local anesthesia administration model has been an accepted part of the formal curriculum in dental schools for teaching this clinical skill. However, there is very little published literature that explores the validity of this model or examines students’ attitudes toward it. The ethics of this educational model and the value of consent also need to be explored. In this study, an online survey regarding the student‐to‐student administration model was used to obtain the opinions of students and faculty members at three dental schools in one state of the United States. The survey was distributed by the Office of Academic Affairs at each school. A total of 152 individuals responded to this survey: 123 (80.9 percent) dental students and twenty‐nine (19.1 percent) faculty members. The respondents consistently identified the perceived strengths of this model, while a number also identified the need for consent and raised ethical concerns. These findings highlight the complex nature of the respondents’ opinions and raise the question of whether modification of this mode of instruction may be needed.
The Role of Women in Dental Education: Monitoring the Pipeline to Leadership
Authors: Reed Michael J. , Corry Ann Marie , Liu Ying W.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze data collected by the American Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association over the past two decades relating to changes in the number of women active in dental education and dental practice. The concept of a pipeline of women in dentistry was explored by analyzing predoctoral, postdoctoral, dental practice, and dental education domains for the inclusion of women. Statistical analyses show that there has been a consistent and progressive increase in the number of women in all stages of the pipeline. Over the past two decades, the number of female students attending and graduating from dental school has steadily increased. In 1984–85, 23.7 percent of all predoctoral students were women; in 2009–10, 45.1 percent were women. Similarly, in 1999, the graduating class was 35.3 percent women; in 2009, it was 46.1 percent women. In the postdoctoral domain, in 1996, 29.9 percent of all residents were women; in 2010, this had increased to 39.0 percent. In dental practice, the number of actively licensed women dentists in 1999 was 15.3 percent of the workforce; in 2010, this percentage had grown to 24.0 percent. In dental education, the number of women clinical faculty members has gradually increased from 669 in 1997–98 to 902 in 2007–08. Until 2000, there had been only two women deans and very few associate/assistant deans, with only sixteen in 1990. In 2000, major changes began with three women deans and seventy‐two women associate/assistant deans. In 2009–10, there were 111 associate/assistant women deans and twelve women deans. These data show a progressive increase in the presence of women in all domains of dentistry, especially in leadership positions in dental education.
Dental Students' Evaluations of an Interactive Histology Software
Authors: Rosas Cristian , Rubí Rafael , Donoso Manuel , Uribe Sergio
Published: June 2020

This study assessed dental students' evaluations of a new Interactive Histology Software (IHS) developed by the authors and compared students' assessment of the extent to which this new software, as well as other histology teaching methods, supported their learning. The IHS is a computer‐based tool for histology learning that presents high‐resolution images of histology basics as well as specific oral histologies at different magnifications and with text labels. Survey data were collected from 204 first‐year dental students at the Universidad Austral de Chile. The survey consisted of questions for the respondents to evaluate the characteristics of the IHS and the contribution of various teaching methods to their histology learning. The response rate was 85 percent. Student evaluations were positive for the design, usability, and theoretical‐practical integration of the IHS, and the students reported they would recommend the method to future students. The students continued to value traditional teaching methods for histological lab work and did not think this new technology would replace traditional methods. With respect to the contribution of each teaching method to students' learning, no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found for an evaluation of IHS, light microscopy, and slide presentations. However, these student assessments were significantly more positive than the evaluations of other digital or printed materials. Overall, the students evaluated the IHS very positively in terms of method quality and contribution to their learning; they also evaluated use of light microscopy and teacher slide presentations positively.
Students’ Perceptions of Their Education on Graduation from a Dental School in India
Authors: Shetty Vittaldas B. , Shirahatti Ravi V. , Pawar Prakash
Published: June 2020

This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing students’ perceived learning experience at the time of graduation from a dental school in India. The domains appraised were undergraduate curriculum, student motivation and support services, institutional infrastructure, administrative services, components of teaching‐learning programs, confidence level in carrying out specific clinical procedures, career choice, and postgraduate specialty preference after graduation. The authors surveyed forty‐five dental interns at the end of their undergraduate course, a 100 percent response rate from the class. The results showed that over 95 percent of the graduates were satisfied with the curriculum and 60 to 95 percent reported that the various components of the teaching‐learning process were adequate. Only 42 percent of the students were confident about setting up a practice; 65 percent wished to take a course on general dentistry; and 86 percent wanted to pursue postgraduate study. The principal conclusions were that although the program was satisfactory to the majority of participants, some areas of concern were identified that need improvement.
Oral Health Policy Forum: Developing Dental Student Knowledge and Skills for Health Policy Advocacy
Authors: Yoder Karen M. , Edelstein Burton L.
Published: June 2020

This article describes the planning, sequential improvements, and outcomes of Indiana University School of Dentistry's annual Oral Health Policy Forum. This one‐day forum for fourth‐year dental students was instituted in 2005 with the Indiana Dental Association and the Children's Dental Health Project to introduce students to the health policy process and to encourage their engagement in advocacy. Following a keynote by a visiting professor, small student groups develop arguments in favor and in opposition to five oral health policy scenarios and present their positions to a mock or authentic legislator. The “legislator” critiques these presentations, noting both effective and ineffective approaches, and the student deemed most effective by fellow students receives a gift award. During the afternoon, students tour the Indiana State House, observe deliberations, and meet with legislators. In 2009, 92 percent of students reported a positive impression of the forum, up from 60 percent in 2005. Half (49 percent) in 2009 indicated that they were more inclined to become involved with the political process following the forum, up from 21 percent in 2005. Dental students' feedback became increasingly positive as the program was refined and active learning opportunities were enhanced. This model for engaging students in policy issues important to their professional careers is readily replicable by other dental schools.