bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Use of a Standardized Dental Diagnostic Terminology in an Electronic Health Record
Authors: Tokede Oluwabunmi , White Joel , Stark Paul C. , Vaderhobli Ram , Walji Muhammad F. , Ramoni Rachel , Schoonheim‐Klein Meta , Kimmes Nicole , Tavares Anamaria , Kalenderian Elsbeth
Published: June 2020

Although standardized terminologies such as the International Classification of Diseases have been in use in medicine for over a century, efforts in the dental profession to standardize dental diagnostic terms have not achieved widespread acceptance. To address this gap, a standardized dental diagnostic terminology, the EZCodes, was developed in 2009. Fifteen dental education instutions in the United States and Europe have implemented the EZCodes dental diagnostic terminology. This article reports on the utilization and valid entry of the EZCodes at three of the dental schools that have adopted this standardized dental diagnostic terminology. Electronic data on the use of procedure codes with diagnostic terms from the three schools over a period from July 2010 to June 2011 were aggregated. The diagnostic term and procedure code pairs were adjudicated by three calibrated dentists. Analyses were conducted to gain insight into the utilization and valid entry of the EZCodes diagnostic terminology in the one‐year period. Error proportions in the entry of diagnostic term (and by diagnostic category) were also computed. In the twelve‐month period, 29,965 diagnostic terms and 249,411 procedure codes were entered at the three institutions resulting in a utilization proportion of 12 percent. Caries and periodontics were the most frequently used categories. More than 1,000 of the available 1,321 diagnostic terms were never used. Overall, 60.5 percent of the EZCodes entries were found to be valid. The results demonstrate low utilization of EZCodes in an electronic health record and raise the need for specific training of dental providers on the importance of using dental diagnostic terminology and specifcally how to use the terms in the electronic record. These findings will serve to increase the use/correct use of the EZCodes dental diagnostic terminology and ultimately create a reliable platform for undertaking clinical, outcomes, and quality improvement‐related research.
Evaluation of New Injection and Cavity Preparation Model in Local Anesthesia Teaching
Authors: Said Yekta Sareh , Lampert Friedrich , Kazemi Saeid , Kazemi Reza , Brand Henk S. , Baart Jacques A. , Mazandarani Mina
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate a recently developed preclinical injection and cavity preparation model in local anesthesia. Thirty‐three dental students administered an inferior alveolar nerve block injection in the model, followed by preparation on a tooth. The injection was evaluated by three observers, and the feedback from the model was registered. After completion of the practical session, the opinion of the dental students was explored with a ten‐item questionnaire. Thirty dental students (91 percent) performed the injection correctly according to the feedback of the model, and twenty‐eight students (85 percent) did so according to the expert opinion. The agreement between feedback from the training model and the expert opinion was high. The students were very satisfied with the opportunity to practice with the training model, as indicated by the high scores on each item of the questionnaire. These results suggest that use of this preclinical training model in anesthesia teaching may have beneficial effects on the administration of local anesthetics by dental students.
Predoctoral Teaching in Intravenous Conscious Sedation: Ten Years at Glasgow Dental School
Authors: Robb Nigel D. , Leitch Jason , O’Brian Conor , Walker Peter
Published: June 2020

Supervised clinical practice in intravenous conscious sedation was introduced into the predoctoral dental curriculum at Glasgow Dental School and Hospital, United Kingdom, with the appointment of two full‐time academic staff members in 2001. This article reviews the student experience gained in the succeeding ten years. All students administered intravenous sedation to patients during the course as well as assisting with intravenous sedation provided by their peers. The experience was variable, mainly as a result of student and patient attendance. Adverse weather and increasing student numbers also affected student experience. This study demonstrated that it is possible to provide supervised clinical sedation practice for students as part of a predoctoral dental curriculum.
Finding an Alternative to Formalin for Sterilization of Extracted Teeth for Teaching Purposes
Authors: Hope Christopher K. , Griffiths David A. , Prior Daniel M.
Published: June 2020

Formalin is a known carcinogen, so there is a need to establish whether a safer alternative is available for the sterilization of human teeth destined for use in clinical training. Any disinfectant that is not capable of sterilizing 100 percent of the samples tested should be considered a failure. In this study, biofilms of oral bacteria were grown on previously autoclaved extracted human teeth. These biofilm‐laden teeth were then screened against a range of disinfectants for an exposure time of seven days in a laboratory refrigerator. Culture methods were employed to validate the sterility of the tooth samples. Five percent Virkon and Gigasept PA proved effective against the laboratory model of disinfection and were carried forward to challenge freshly extracted human teeth. Gigasept PA was the only disinfectant that sterilized 100 percent of the tooth samples. Gigasept PA should be considered a safer and effective alternative to formalin for the sterilization of extracted teeth destined for teaching purposes.
Extent and Modes of Physics Instruction in European Dental Schools
Authors: Letić Milorad , Popović Gorjana
Published: June 2020

Changes in dental education towards integration of sciences and convergence of curricula have affected instruction in physics. Earlier studies of undergraduate curricula make possible comparisons in physics instruction. For this study, the websites of 245 European dental schools were explored, and information about the curriculum was found on 213 sites. Physics instruction in the form of a separate course was found in 63 percent of these schools, with eighty‐two hours and 5.9 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits on average. Physics integrated with other subjects or into modules was found in 19 percent of these schools. Half of these schools had on average sixty‐one hours and 6.9 ECTS credits devoted to physics. Eighteen percent of the schools had no noticeable obligatory physics instruction, but in half of them physics was found to be required or accepted on admission, included in other subjects, or appeared as an elective course. In 122 dental schools, the extent of physics instruction was found to be between forty and 120 contact hours. Physics instruction has been reduced by up to 14 percent in the last fourteen years in the group of eleven countries that were members of the European Union (EU) in 1997, but by approximately 30 percent in last five years in the group of ten Accession Countries to the EU.
Predoctoral Prosthodontic Curricula on Removable Partial Dentures: Survey of Turkish Dental Schools
Authors: Dikbas Idil , Ozkurt Zeynep , Kazazoglu Ender
Published: June 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the predoctoral removable partial denture (RPD) curricula in Turkish dental schools in regards to materials, techniques, and approaches. A questionnaire consisting of eighteen multiple‐choice questions was sent by e‐mail to the senior members of the prosthodontic departments of seventeen long‐established dental schools in Turkey. The response rate was 100 percent. All schools (100 percent) used custom trays for making final impressions of partially dentate arches, taught border molding of the custom tray for the edentulous areas, used modeling plastic impression compound in border molding the final impression trays, and used base metal alloys for RPD frameworks. None of the schools had an in‐house laboratory that fabricates RPD frameworks, and none of the students cast the frameworks of their own RPDs. The majority of schools used irreversible hydrocolloid as a final impression (70.6 percent) and dental surveyor (76.5 percent) in the designing of RPDs. The majority of schools did not fask their own RPDs (64.7 percent), did not treat patients using RPDs with attachments (76.5 percent), and did not perform the altered cast technique in bilateral and unilateral distal extension RPD cases (76.5 percent). Six teen schools (94.1 percent) had a minimum number of RPD arches that a student must complete in order to graduate. It was found that predoctoral RPD curricula in Turkish dental schools were both variable and similar.
Psychological Well–Being, Health, and Stress Sources in Turkish Dental Students
Authors: Uraz Ahu , Tocak Yasemin Sezgin , Yozgatlıgil Ceylan , Cetiner Sedat , Bal Belgin
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the psychological well–being and overall health of a group of Turkish dental students and their sources of stress. Two hundred and seventy–seven students (57 percent female) from Gazi University Dental Faculty completed the Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire, the Psychological General Well–Being (PGWB) index, and the SF–36 Health Survey. The results showed that the DES scores increased over the five–year period. Pressure to perform, faculty and administration, workload, and students’ perceptions of their self–efficacy were the most stress–provoking factors. Students whose first choice was dentistry experienced less stress and fewer health problems (p<0.05) than students whose first choice had not been dentistry. Psychological well–being and overall health were significantly associated with year of study. Statistically significant gender differences were observed on depressed mood and anxiety dimension scores of PGWB. Female students experienced greater stress than males, while male students had better overall health than females (p<0.01). Students who lived with their parents had lower PGWB scores (p<0.05). Age was significantly related with the DES and PGWB scores. These results found that stress among these Turkish dental students was influenced by gender, year of study, social background, and lifestyle. Based on the results of this study, recommendations can be made for changes in the dental education system in order to reduce stress among dental students especially during the last two years of study.
Reducing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident Risk Exposure: Lessons from Graduate Medical Education Reform
Authors: Buhrow Suzanne Morse , Buhrow Jack A.
Published: June 2020

It is estimated that, in the United States, more than 40,000 patients are injured each day because of preventable medical errors. Although numerous studies examine the causes of medical trainee errors and efforts to mitigate patient injuries in this population, little research exists on adverse events experienced by oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residents or strategies to improve patient safety awareness in OMFS residency programs. The authors conducted a retrospective literature review of contemporary studies on medical trainees’ reported risk exposure and the impact of integrating evidence–based patient safety training into residency curricula. A review of the literature suggests that OMFS residents face similar risks as medical trainees in medical, surgical, and anesthesia residency programs and may benefit from integrating competency–based safety training in the OMFS residency curriculum. OMFS trainees face particular challenges when transitioning from dental student to surgical resident, particularly related to their limited clinical exposure to high–reliability organizations, which may place them at higher risk than other medical trainees. OMFS educators should establish resident competence in patient safety principles and system improvement strategies throughout the training period.
U.S. Dental School Applicants and Enrollees, 2011 and 2012 Entering Classes
Authors: Garrison Gwen E. , McAllister Dora Elías , Anderson Eugene L. , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

This report examines the characteristics of dental school applicants and enrollees using data from the 2010–11 and 2011–12 application cycles of the American Dental Education Association's Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (ADEA AADSAS℠). The report presents data on the demographic composition and academic preparation of applicants, first–time enrollees, and total first–year enrollees during these two application cycles. The data indicate that the number of applicants has decreased modestly during this time, yet the number of first–time, first–year enrollees continues to rise mainly reflecting the opening of new dental schools and expansion of existing class sizes at some schools. Findings also indicate reduced gaps by gender in dental school applicants and enrollees. By contrast, the percentage of underrepresented minority applicants and enrollees increased only slightly. The results highlighted in this study have important implications for health professions education advisors, dental educators, and members of the broader dental education community.
Perceptions and Practices of Dental School Faculty Regarding Evidence‐Based Dentistry
Authors: Marshall Teresa A. , Straub‐Morarend Cheryl L. , Qian Fang , Finkelstein Michael W.
Published: June 2020

Successful integration of critical thinking and evidence‐based dentistry (EBD) concepts throughout didactic and clinical dental curricula require faculty support. Critical thinking and EBD definitions and practice continue to evolve, and not all dental faculty members were exposed to such concepts during their education. The objective of this study was to understand faculty members’ perspectives on both critical thinking and EBD. An online survey was designed to assess full‐ and part‐time faculty members’ understanding, practice and teaching of critical thinking and EBD, interest in and perceived significance of EBD, and perceived barriers to teaching critical thinking and EBD at one U.S. dental school. Forty‐three faculty members completed the survey for a 41 percent response rate. Most respondents (46 percent) defined critical thinking as the use of evidence or the scientific method in decision making and EBD as clinical practice based on “science only” (39 percent) or “quality science only” (34 percent). Based on their individual definitions, over 75 percent of the respondents reported incorporating critical thinking into didactic and clinical teaching; 79 percent and 47 percent, respectively, reported incorporating EBD into their didactic and clinical teaching. While these faculty members confirmed the importance of teaching students EBD, they identified barriers to teaching as time, knowledge, and resources. These results, which reflect one school's efforts to understand faculty perceptions and practices of EBD, suggest that faculty training and resource support are necessary for successful curricular integration of critical thinking and EBD.
Motivational Factors and Future Plans of Nigerian Orthodontic Residents
Authors: Yemitan Tolulase Abosede , Bamgbose Oladipo J. , Fadeju Dada A.
Published: June 2020

This study was conducted to investigate factors influencing career choice of Nigerian orthodontic residents and to identify their future plans. All orthodontic residents in the Nigerian residency training programs were invited to complete a survey in July 2010. Data were categorized by demographic variables and were analyzed with statistical methods including chi‐square analyses. Twenty‐eight of the thirty‐seven orthodontic residents in Nigeria completed the survey. The most important factor influencing the decision to pursue specialty training in orthodontics was a “passion for orthodontics” (42.9 percent), followed by “intellectual stimulation/challenge” (25 percent). The decision to become an orthodontist was made by 32.1 percent of the respondents while in dental school; 35.7 percent decided after completing dental school during private practice and 14.3 percent during a dental residency, while 3.6 percent had already decided before starting their dental school studies. Eleven residents (39.3 percent) said they plan to work in a private practice environment. Only four residents indicated that they will most likely practice primarily in an academic setting, while ten were undecided. Most residents (85.7 percent) reported planning to practice in an urban setting. A passion for orthodontics was the major attraction for orthodontic residency training for most residents in Nigeria, and few residents were considering academic career choices after graduation.
Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Continuing Dental Professional Development on Learning, Behavior, or Patient Outcomes
Authors: Firmstone Victoria R. , Elley Karen M. , Skrybant Magdalena T. , Fry‐Smith Anne , Bayliss Sue , Torgerson Carole J.
Published: June 2020

This study is based on a systematic review of studies using a randomized controlled trial or quasi‐experimental design in order to synthesize existing evidence evaluating the effectiveness of continuing professional development (CPD) interventions in dentistry on learning gains, behavior change, or patient outcomes. The authors searched a range of electronic databases from 1986 to the present and screened all potentially relevant studies for inclusion, using pre‐established inclusion/exclusion criteria. Following data extraction and quality appraisal of all included studies, a narrative synthesis of the studies was undertaken. Ten studies (in fourteen articles) were included. All were evaluation studies of CPD interventions targeted exclusively at dentists. The ten included studies evaluated a range of interventions: courses/workshops, written information, CAL, audit/self‐reflection, face‐to‐face support, and black box combinations of these interventions. Two high‐ and moderately high‐quality studies evaluated CAL CPD for dentists and found equivocal impact of CAL for dentists. A black box combination of interventions was rigorously evaluated and showed moderate impact on patient care. This finding suggests that multimethod and multiphased CPD has potential for the greatest impact. There is a need for more high‐quality randomized controlled trials evaluating CPD interventions in dentistry. It is important that future evaluations of CPD interventions clarify the nature of the interventions such that they are explicit and replicable and that appropriate outcomes are selected (health of patients and change in practice or behavior as well as knowledge and understanding) in order to move the evidence base of effective practice forward in this area of dental education.
Brazilian Dental Students’ Intentions and Motivations Towards Their Professional Career
Authors: Santos Beatriz Ferraz dos , Nicolau Belinda , Muller Katia , Bedos Christophe , Zuanon Angela Cristina Cilense
Published: June 2020

Investigating career motivations and intentions of dental students provides a better understanding of their role in society and contributes to the debate on dental education and practices. This study describes the profile, career choice motivations, and career intentions of Brazilian dental students and evaluates factors related to these choices. A cross‐sectional study was carried out among dental students from three Brazilian public universities (N=915), with a response rate of 83.7 percent. Students (N=766) responded to a self‐administered questionnaire about sociodemographic factors, reasons for choosing dentistry as a career, and future career intentions. Job conception was found to be the main reason for choosing dentistry as a profession. Most students intended to become specialists and work in both the public and private sectors simultaneously. Female students (OR 2.23, 95 percent CI=1.62–3.08), low‐income students (OR 1.86, 95 percent CI=1.10–3.13), and students beginning their program (OR 1.87, 95 percent CI=1.22–2.85) were more likely to work in the public and private sectors simultaneously than other types of students. This study suggests that choice of career and career plans are influenced by factors related to the students’ characteristics and their conception of the profession. The opportunity to combine private and public dental practice may be viewed as a way to achieve income and job security.
Rapid Prototyping and 3D‐Virtual Models for Operative Dentistry Education in Brazil
Authors: Soares Paulo Vinícius , de Almeida Milito Giovana , Pereira Fabrícia Araújo , Reis Bruno Rodrigues , Soares Carlos José , de Sousa Menezes Murilo , de Freitas Santos‐Filho Paulo César
Published: June 2020

Many dental students struggle for visual recognition when first exposed to the study of tooth cavity preparation in the operative dentistry laboratory. Rapid prototypes and virtual models of different cavity preparations were developed for the incoming first‐year class of 2010 at the Dental School of Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil, to help them to visualize the subtle differences in cavity preparations and are described in this article. Rapid prototyping techniques have been used in dental therapy, mainly for the fabrication of models to ease surgical planning in implantology, orthodontics, and maxillofacial prostheses. On the other hand, the application of these technologies associated with 3D‐virtual models in dental education is waiting to be exploited, once they have significant potential to complement conventional training methods in dentistry.
Critical Incidents, Successes, and Challenges of Community‐Based Dental Education
Authors: Mathieson Kathleen M. , Gross‐Panico Michelle L. , Cottam Wayne W. , Woldt Janet L.
Published: June 2020

In 2006, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University (ATSU ASDOH) implemented an intensive community‐based education program for its inaugural fourth‐year students called the Integrated Community Service Partnerships (ICSP) program. As part of the ICSP program, students spend half of their clinical experience (approximately ninety‐five days) in rotations at four or five community‐based clinics. More than sixty clinics in Arizona and throughout the country serve as rotation sites. ATSU ASDOH conducts focus groups with all fourth‐year students prior to graduation for program improvement and research. The purpose of this study was to characterize critical incidents students identified as instrumental to learning, as well as successes and challenges of the program. Qualitative data from the 2009 and 2010 focus groups were analyzed, including a total of 104 students. The types of critical incidents students chose to describe in the focus groups involved patient factors, contextual factors, and interpersonal factors. While students believed their ICSP program external rotation experiences were fundamental in their clinical and professional development, they also noted challenges associated with this intense community‐based education program.
Feasibility of a Computerized Clinical Decision Support System for Treating Tobacco Use in Dental Clinics
Authors: Montini Theresa , Schenkel Andrew B. , Shelley Donna R.
Published: June 2020

This study tested the feasibility of using information technology to improve dentists’ adherence to the Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guidelines by offering a web‐based computer‐mediated clinical decision support system (CDSS) for tobacco use treatment in dental clinics. The authors developed a CDSS tool, deployed the software in one of New York University College of Dentistry's general practice clinics, interviewed associate student dentists, and reviewed a random selection of patients’ charts to determine if, after implementation, there were changes in tobacco use screening and referral to treatment. Students reported that the CDSS was easy to use, increased their efficiency, and provided better quality of evidence than was available prior to the intervention. Chart reviews demonstrated that, after CDSS implementation, patients in the target clinic were significantly more likely to be screened for tobacco use (<0.001), and tobacco‐using patients were more likely to be advised (<0.001), referred to the state's Quit Line (<0.001), and prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (0.035). This study concludes that it is feasible to implement a CDSS for tobacco use treatment in dental clinics. The CDSS is a promising method for improving adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines and warrants further study.
Assessment of Root Canal Treatment Outcomes Performed by Turkish Dental Students: Results After Two Years
Authors: İlgüy Dilhan , İlgüy Mehmet , Fişekçioğlu Erdoğan , Ersan Nilüfer , Tanalp Jale , Dölekoğlu Semanur
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate radiographically the periapical status and technical standard of root canal therapies performed by a group of undergraduate dental students in Turkey two years following completion of the treatments. A random sample of 264 patients who received root canal treatment from undergraduate students at the Yeditepe University Faculty of Dentistry in 2009 were recalled after two years. The study sample consisted of 319 root‐filled teeth in 158 dental patients (females=97, males=61) who presented to the student clinics during that time frame. For each root‐filled tooth, two periapical radiographs were examined to identify the periapical status, one showing pre‐treatment and the other showing post‐treatment status. The quality of endodontic treatment was examined according to the distance between the end of root filling and radiographic apex and the density of the obturation according to presence of voids within the root filling material. This examination found that 54.2 percent of roots had fillings of acceptable length, while 37.3 percent were short, 7.8 percent were overfilled, and 0.6 percent was unfilled; 2.5 percent of the teeth were observed with broken root canal instruments. After two years, PAI scores of teeth with acceptable length of root canal filling (0–2 mm from the radiographic apex) were found to be lower than those of the overfilling and short filling cases (>2mm) (p<0.01). Moreover, voids were detected in the root canal fillings of 52.7 percent of endodontically treated teeth. The PAI scores of root fillings with inadequate density were significantly higher than adequate ones (p<0.01). Although endodontic treatments performed by undergraduate students do not appear to be unqualified compared to those performed by general practitioners, more emphasis must be placed on the technical quality of endodontic treatment to obtain better results.
Saudi Arabian Dental Students’ Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Obesity in Children and Adults
Authors: Wyne Amjad H. , Al‐Hammad Nouf , Nainar S.M. Hashim
Published: June 2020

The objectives of this study were to determine knowledge/beliefs of a group of Saudi Arabian dental students regarding overweight/obesity (OW/OB). Dental students (fourth‐year, fifth‐year, and interns) at King Saud University College of Dentistry completed an anonymous questionnaire regarding OW/OB in children and adults. Frequency distribution and chi‐square analyses were done. The total respondents were 260 (response rate=87 percent), most of whom were male (59 percent). Half of the respondents reported their knowledge of OW/OB in adults/children to be average, with knowledge of pediatric OW/OB rated lower (37 percent reported it as fair/poor) than adult OW/OB (17 percent reported it as fair/poor). Only a third (34 percent) of the respondents selected body mass index (BMI) as the best method to identify OW/OB. More than half of the respondents correctly believed that OW/OB was a problem in many adults/children in Saudi Arabia. A slightly higher proportion endorsed a role for dentists in the identification/prevention of OW/OB in children (76 percent) as compared to adults (69 percent). Female respondents had better knowledge than males about OW/OB and were more likely to correctly select BMI as the best method for identifying OW/OB. These findings may provide support for the expansion of education in these areas in the dental curriculum.
Long‐Term Outcomes of a Dental Postbaccalaureate Program: Increasing Dental Student Diversity and Oral Health Care Access
Authors: Wides Cynthia D. , Brody Harvey A. , Alexander Charles J. , Gansky Stuart A. , Mertz Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2020

The University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry established the Dental Postbaccalaureate Program in 1998 to provide reapplication assistance to students from economically and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who were previously denied admission to dental school. The goals were to increase diversity in the dental school student population and improve access to dental services for underserved populations. This article assesses the program's short‐, mid‐, and long‐term outcomes and is the first to examine long‐term practice patterns after a dental postbaccalaureate program. Data collected on all participant (n=94) demographics, pre/post‐program DAT scores, and post‐program dental school admission results were used to assess short‐ and mid‐term outcomes. Long‐term outcomes and practice patterns were assessed using results of a census survey administered between 2009 and 2011 to the participants who had completed dental school and been in practice for at least two years (n=57). The survey had a response rate of 93 percent (n=53). Descriptive statistical techniques were used to examine the responses and to compare them to U.S. Census Bureau data and nationally available practice data for new dental graduates. Program participants’ DAT scores improved by an average of two points, and 98 percent were accepted to dental school. All survey respondents were practicing dentistry, and 81 percent reported serving underserved populations. These participants treat more Medicaid recipients than do most dentists, and their patient population is more diverse than the general population. The outcomes demonstrate that the program's graduates are increasing diversity in the dental student population and that their practices are providing access to care for underserved populations.
A Survey of Degree Completion Programs in Dental Hygiene Education
Authors: Portillo Karen M. , Rogo Ellen J. , Calley Kristin H. , Cellucci Leigh W.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify specific information related to U.S. dental hygiene baccalaureate degree completion programs. Learning experiences, assessment methods, and baccalaureate institutional partnerships were assessed. Of the sixty dental hygiene programs that offer a degree completion program, the forty‐two that met the inclusion criteria (including having operated for at least three years) were invited to participate in a thirty‐eight item online survey. A 62 percent (n=26) response rate was obtained. Learning experiences in responding programs included core dental hygiene courses, general education courses, and elective dental hygiene courses. Emphasis areas offered by various programs were in the specialty areas of education, public or community health, and research. Respondents reported that their graduates were employed in multiple settings (65 percent; n=17), with 19 percent (n=5) reporting employment in the combined grouping of private practice, education, and public health. Institutional partnerships included articulation agreements (88 percent; n=21), community college baccalaureate (8 percent; n=2), and university extension (4 percent; n=1) models. The findings of this study provide a baseline for assessing the educational composition and design of U.S. dental hygiene degree completion programs. However, results of this study showed inconsistencies among learning experiences that might raise concerns when considering students’ level of preparation for graduate education and future leadership roles in the profession.
Electronic Health Records: A Valuable Tool for Dental School Strategic Planning
Authors: Filker Phyllis J. , Cook Nicole , Kodish‐Stav Jodi
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate if electronic patient records have utility in dental school strategic planning. Electronic health records (EHRs) have been used by all predoctoral students and faculty members at Nova Southeastern University's College of Dental Medicine (NSU‐CDM) since 2006. The study analyzed patient demographic and caries risk assessment data from October 2006 to May 2011 extracted from the axiUm EHR database. The purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between high oral health care needs and patient demographics, including gender, age, and median income of the zip code where they reside in order to support dental school strategic planning including the locations of future satellite clinics. The results showed that about 51 percent of patients serviced by the Broward County‐based NSU‐CDM oral health care facilities have high oral health care needs and that about 60 percent of this population resides in zip codes where the average income is below the median income for the county ($41,691). The results suggest that EHR data can be used adjunctively by dental schools when proposing potential sites for satellite clinics and planning for future oral health care programming.
Current Trends in Community‐Based Clinical Teaching Programs in U.K. and Ireland Dental Schools
Authors: Lynch Christopher D. , Ash Peter J. , Chadwick Barbara L.
Published: June 2020

Community‐based clinical teaching/outreach programs using a variety of approaches have been established in many predoctoral dental schools around the world. The aim of this article is to report current trends in the teaching of community‐based clinical teaching/outreach teaching in dental schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In late 2010‐early 2011, a questionnaire was distributed by e‐mail to deans of the eighteen established dental schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The questionnaire included both open and closed questions relating to current and anticipated trends in community‐based clinical teaching. Fourteen responses were received (response rate=78 percent). All fourteen responding schools reported inclusion of a community‐based clinical teaching program. Ten schools indicated that their program was based on total patient (comprehensive) care including the treatment of child patients. In nine schools, the program is directed by a senior clinical academic in restorative dentistry. As well as student dentists, ten schools and seven schools include teaching of student dental therapists and student dental hygienists, respectively. There is a varied experience within the schools surveyed in terms of the extent, nature, and content of these programs. Overall, however, community‐based clinical teaching was seen as part of the future of dental school education in many schools as an ideal way of preparing graduates for Dental Foundation Training and subsequent independent practice.
Development of Undergraduate Gerodontology Courses in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany from 2004 to 2009
Authors: Nitschke Ina , Kunze Julia , Reiber Thomas , Sobotta Bernhard A.J.
Published: June 2020

The growing number of individuals over the age of sixty‐five with specific dental needs requires increased teaching efforts to adequately prepare predoctoral dental students. The study assessed whether such increases in undergraduate gerodontology teaching in German‐speaking countries between 2004 and 2009 occurred. Questionnaires were mailed in 2004 and 2009 to all deans (n=37) and all department heads (n=140) of Austrian, Swiss, and German dental schools. Results show that gerodontology is still mostly included in traditional core subjects but that specific lecture series and practical teaching have increased. These cover a broad variety of subjects including geriatric medicine, gerontopsychiatry, nursing care, pharmacology, and public health. The number of departments with dedicated staff for gerodontology, research activities, and mean number of publications has increased. Barriers to the further integration of the subject include its continued exclusion from final examinations in Austria and Germany. Guidelines of the European College of Gerodontology (2009), which aim to prepare students to provide dental treatment to seniors by teaching theoretical knowledge, practical skills, patient management techniques, and the ethical foundation of gerodontology, need to be implemented. Continued professional education of faculty in all departments, intensified cooperation between universities, and the presence of faculty specializing in gerodontology are suggested.
Structured Student‐Generated Videos for First‐Year Students at a Dental School in Malaysia
Authors: Omar Hanan , Khan Saad A. , Toh Chooi G.
Published: June 2020

Student‐generated videos provide an authentic learning experience for students, enhance motivation and engagement, improve communication skills, and improve collaborative learning skills. This article describes the development and implementation of a student‐generated video activity as part of a knowledge, observation, simulation, and experience (KOSE) program at the School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It also reports the students’ perceptions of an activity that introduced first‐year dental students (n=44) to clinical scenarios involving patients and dental team aiming to improve professional behavior and communication skills. The learning activity was divided into three phases: preparatory phase, video production phase, and video‐watching. Students were organized into five groups and were instructed to generate videos addressing given clinical scenarios. Following the activity, students’ perceptions were assessed with a questionnaire. The results showed that 86 percent and 88 percent, respectively, of the students agreed that preparation of the activity enhanced their understanding of the role of dentists in provision of health care and the role of enhanced teamwork. In addition, 86 percent and 75 percent, respectively, agreed that the activity improved their communication and project management skills. Overall, the dental students perceived that the student‐generated video activity was a positive experience and enabled them to play the major role in driving their learning process.
Women's Motivation to Become Dentists in Brazil
Authors: Kfouri Maria G. , Moyses Samuel J. , Moyses Simone Tetu
Published: June 2020

There has been a marked increase of women in dentistry in Brazil and in many countries around the world. The behavioral mechanisms behind the choice of career differ between men and women, and the inclination to care for others is thought by some to be more present in women than it is in men. This article discusses the reasons that lead women to choose dentistry as a profession in Brazil and the impact of feminization on the current and future profile of the profession, based on the ethics of care. The authors’ review of the relevant literature published between 2000 and 2011, primarily in Brazil, suggests that whereas men have tended to choose dentistry as a good business opportunity, women have tended to base their decision on relations with other people and the flexibility of practicing the profession. Many women dentists have been found to decide to work fewer hours, report more interruptions in their activities, and have less preference to work in private practice than men dentists. In the view of service users and dental auxiliaries in Brazil, women dentists invest more time in their patients and communicate in a more pleasant, sensitive, and friendly manner. The conclusion suggests that characteristics often associated with women can affect the dental profession in Brazil by introducing greater concern with the promotion of health and other people's well‐being in contrast to traditional dentistry based on curative procedures.
The Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument for Oral Health Providers: A Validity Study with Dental Students
Authors: Behar‐Horenstein Linda S. , Garvan Cyndi W. , Moore Thomas E. , Catalanotto Frank A.
Published: June 2020

Valid and reliable instruments to measure and assess cultural competence for oral health care providers are scarce in the literature, and most published scales have been contested due to a lack of item analysis and internal estimates of reliability. The purposes of this study were, first, to develop a standardized instrument to measure dental students’ knowledge of diversity, skills in culturally competent patient‐centered communication, and use of culture‐centered practices in patient care and, second, to provide preliminary validity support for this instrument. The initial instrument used in this study was a thirty‐six‐item Likert‐scale survey entitled the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument for Oral Health Providers (KEPI‐OHP). This instrument is an adaption of an initially thirty‐three‐item version of the Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills Scale‐Counselor Edition (MAKSS‐CE), a scale that assesses factors related to social justice, cultural differences among clients, and cross‐cultural client management. After the authors conducted cognitive and expert interviews, focus groups, pilot testing, and item analysis, their initial instrument was reduced to twenty‐eight items. The KEPI‐OHP was then distributed to 916 dental students (response rate=48.6 percent) across the United States to measure its reliability and assess its validity. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the scale's validity. The modification of the survey into a sensible instrument with a relatively clear factor structure using factor analysis resulted in twenty items. A scree test suggested three expressive factors, which were retained for rotation. Bentler's comparative fit and Bentler and Bonnett's non‐normed indices were 0.95 and 0.92, respectively. A three‐factor solution, including efficacy of assessment, knowledge of diversity, and culture‐centered practice subscales, comprised of twenty‐items was identified. The KEPI‐OHP was found to have reasonable internal consistency reliability to warrant its use for baseline and repeated measures in assessing changes in dental students’ growth in cultural competence across four‐year dental curricula.
Perceptions and Practices of U.S. Dental Schools Regarding Curriculum Integrated Format and Traditional Format Licensure Exams
Authors: Desai Shamik , Allareddy Veerasathpurush , Donoff R. Bruce , Howell T. Howard , Karimbux Nadeem Y.
Published: June 2020

The dental licensure exam in the United States has evolved over the past ten years, and two formats—the traditional format and curriculum integrated format—are now available for students to satisfy licensure requirements. The objective of this study was to examine the differences and relative merits of the two formats. A twenty‐five‐question survey was distributed to the fifty‐seven U.S. dental schools at the time. The survey included both quantitative and discrete variables and followed a strategic sequential order. The first set of questions sought to determine what type of board preparatory/mock exam each dental school offered, and the next set of questions asked which licensure exam each school formally offered. The final questions were qualitative in nature and aimed to determine the school representatives’ opinions about the curriculum integrated format versus traditional format. Of the fifty‐seven schools contacted, thirty‐seven agreed to participate (response rate=64.9 percent). Fourteen schools reported that they administer the traditional format only and twelve administer the curriculum integrated format only, while eleven offer both. Thirty‐two schools offered mock board exams to their graduating students, and twenty‐four of those said their mock exams were identical in format to the actual qualifying clinical exams offered at their institution. The respondents reported no significant advantage to preparing for the curriculum integrated format examination as compared to the traditional format examination with regards to number of clock hours taken from regular curriculum time. In reporting on this study, this article provides an overview of the relative advantages and disadvantages of the two examination formats used for the dental licensure process in the United States.
Effect of an Enrichment Program on DAT Scores of Potential Dental Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Authors: Johnson Kimberly P. , Woolfolk Marilyn , May Kenneth B. , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: June 2020

The objectives of this study were to explore whether Dental Admission Test (DAT) training in an enrichment program for potential dental students increases the participants’ Perceptual Achievement Test (PAT) and academic average (AA) scores and whether the length of the program and personal factors such as the number of disadvantages correlate with the DAT scores. Data were collected from 361 students in the summer enrichment program at one dental school between 1994 and 2011. Their baseline, midpoint, and end of program PAT and AA DAT scores were collected. Seventy students self‐reported official scores. These students’ PAT scores increased from 14.40 at baseline to 17.09 at midpoint to 17.84 at program end (p<0.001), and their AA scores increased from 13.53 to 14.09 to 15.12 (p<0.001). Their official scores were higher than the beginning scores (PAT: 14.42 vs. 16.15; p<0.001; AA: 13.61 vs. 16.23; p<0.001). The longer the program, the more the students improved their official scores (PAT: r=0.35; p=0.003; AA: r=0.24; p=0.044). The more disadvantages the students self‐reported, the better their official test scores were (PAT: r=0.40; p<0.001; AA: r=0.43; p<0.001). This study found that the DAT training during summer enrichment programs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds led to significant improvements in their DAT scores. The longer the programs, the more the students improved; and the more disadvantages the students had, the more they benefitted.
Performance of Experienced Dentists in Switzerland After an E‐Learning Program on ICDAS Occlusal Caries Detection
Authors: Rodrigues Jonas Almeida , de Oliveira Renata Schlesner , Hug Isabel , Neuhaus Klaus , Lussi Adrian
Published: June 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an e‐learning program on the validity and reproducibility of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in detecting occlusal caries. For the study, 170 permanent molars were selected. Four dentists in Switzerland who had no previous contact with ICDAS examined the teeth before and after the e‐learning program and scored the sites according to ICDAS. Teeth were histologically prepared and assessed for caries extension. The significance level was set at 0.05. Sensitivity before and after the e‐learning program was 0.80 and 0.77 (D1), 0.72 and 0.63 (D2), and 0.74 and 0.67 (D3,4), respectively. Specificity was 0.64 and 0.69 (D1), 0.70 and 0.81 (D2), and 0.81 and 0.87 (D3,4). A McNemar test did not show any difference between the values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) before and after the e‐learning program. The averages of wK values for interexaminer reproducibility were 0.61 (before) and 0.66 (after). Correlation with histology presented wK values of 0.62 (before) and 0.63 (after). A Wilcoxon test showed a statistically significant difference between before and after the e‐learning program. In conclusion, even though ICDAS performed well in detecting occlusal caries, the e‐learning program did not have any statistically significant effect on its performance by these experienced dentists.