bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Genome Projects: Implications for Dental Practice and Education
Authors: Wright J. T. , Hart T. C.
Published: June 2020

Information from the Human Genome Project (HGP) and the integration of information from related areas of study and technology will dramatically change health care for the craniofacial complex. Approaches to risk assessment and diagnosis, prevention, early intervention, and management of craniofacial conditions are and will continue to evolve through the application of this new knowledge. While this information will advance our health care abilities, it is clear that the dental profession will face challenges regarding the acquisition, application, transfer, and effective and efficient use of this knowledge with regards to dental research, dental education, and clinical practice. Unraveling the human genomic sequence now allows accurate diagnosis of numerous craniofacial conditions. However, the greatest oral disease burden results from dental caries and periodontal disease that are complex disorders having both hereditary and environmental factors determining disease risk, progression, and course. Disease risk assessment, prevention, and therapy, based on knowledge from the HGP, will likely vary markedly for the different complex conditions affecting the head and neck. Integration of Information from the human genome, comparative and microbial genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, and related technologies will provide the basis for proactive prevention and intervention and novel and more efficient treatment approaches. Oral health care practitioners will increasingly require knowledge of human genetics and the application of new molecular‐based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.
A Method for Comparison of Biomedical Publication Quality Across ISI Discipline Categories
Authors: Cleaton‐Jones Peter , Myers Glenda
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this paper is to offer a method to help to objectively compare quality of publication in biomedical journals in different disciplines with varying ISI Impact Factors (IF). Three methods—the number of journals per ISI Journal Citation Report discipline category/10, the IF/10, and the log (IF+1)/10—were used to calculate an article score. The distribution of article scores were compared across three defined ISI discipline categories: two clinical categories, dentistry (ISI category—dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine, forty‐five journals) and medicine (ISI category—medicine, internal and general, 110 journals), and one basic science category, physiology (ISI category—physiology, seventy‐four journals). The use of article scores per discipline category enables a reasonable, relative comparison of the quality of biomedical publications of individuals across disciplines for the purpose of promotion or awarding of research grants.
Predicting Student Performance in Preclinical Technique Courses Using the Theory of Ability Determinants of Skilled Performance
Authors: Gray Sarah A. , Deem Lisa P.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this research was to validate Ackerman's theory of ability determinants of skilled performance using sub‐test scores of the Dental Admission Test (DAT) in predicting student performance in preclinical technique courses. The Ackerman theory is a valid, reliable schema in the applied psychology literature used to predict complex skill acquisition. Inconsistent stimulus‐response skill acquisition depends primarily on determinants of cognitive ability. The cognitive phase of skill acquisition is associated with demands on general abilities. Task accomplishment requires attentional resources, and inconsistent tasks do not improve with practice. It is theorized that the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) is a valid cognitive determinant for spatial ability in this schema. Each new procedure learned in the preclinical technique courses is novel, includes a spatial relations component, and reflects inconsistent skill acquisition. The PAT scores of four classes were compared to the final grades in eight preclinical technique courses. Results showed that PAT scores account for a significantly high proportion, approximately 25 percent, of the variance of the final grades in the preclinical technique courses. Based on this strong correlation, dental school admissions committees may consider re‐evaluating the weight of the DAT scores in the admissions process.
Curriculum Emphasis and Resident Preparation in Postgraduate General Dentistry Programs
Authors: Lefever Karen H. , Atchison Kathryn A. , Mito Ronald S. , Lin Sylvia
Published: June 2020

In 1999 HRSA contracted with the UCLA School of Dentistry to evaluate the impact of federal funding on postgraduate general dentistry programs. Part of that evaluation analyzed curriculum emphasis and preparation of incoming residents in advanced general dentistry programs over a five‐year period. Directors of 208 civilian AEGD and GPR programs were surveyed about the curriculum content of their programs, increased or decreased emphasis in thirty subject areas, and resident preparation and quality (GPA and National Board scores). Results indicate that curriculum changes in AEGD and GPR programs over the time period have been responsive to the changing nature of general practice. At least half of all program directors reported that their residents were less than adequately prepared in fourteen curriculum areas. Sub‐analyses were conducted for AEGD/GPR programs and HRSA‐funded versus nonfunded programs. Multivariate regression identified lower student quality as the most important program variable in predicting a perceived need for resident remediation. Logistic regression showed that programs with higher resident GPA and National Board Part I scores had less difficulty filling resident positions.
Family Violence Content in Dental Hygiene Curricula: A National Survey
Authors: Gutmann Marylou E. , Solomon Eric S.
Published: June 2020

Dental personnel are in an excellent position to recognize suspected abuse of dental patients because 65‐75 percent of abuse occurs in the head and neck area. While most dental and dental hygiene curricula include the topic of child abuse, it has previously been unknown if other types of abuse, such as intimate partner abuse, elder abuse, and abuse of disabled persons, are addressed. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which dental hygiene programs have incorporated these family violence topics into the curriculum. Specific data on content, teaching methods, faculty, and resources were collected. Reasons for not including family violence in the curricula, attitudes on mandatory continuing education, and support services available for abuse victims were also examined. A fifteen‐item survey was sent to all 229 U.S. accredited dental hygiene programs. Surveys were returned from 173 programs for a response rate of 77.5 percent. Child abuse was taught in most programs (N=122, 70.5 percent), while elder abuse (N=95, 54.9 percent), intimate partner abuse (N=81, 46.8 percent), and abuse of individuals with disabilities (N=80, 46.2 percent) were taught in fewer programs. Reasons for not including family violence in the curricula (N=31, 18 percent) varied. The need is critical for increased curriculum attention in U.S. dental hygiene programs to help stem the epidemic of family violence. Raising dental hygienists' awareness of the problem and potentially increasing the number of reports of and referrals for suspected violence may help more victims.
Dental Education in Europe: The Challenges of Variety
Authors: Scott John
Published: June 2020

Dental education varies considerably across Europe, with differing traditions of stomatology (dentistry as a specialty of medicine) and odontology (single autonomous discipline). Dental curricula within the European Union (EU) are governed by European law expressed in directives that are binding on all EU member states. The Dental Directives (78/686/EC) base the curriculum on the odontological model, but compliance by individual schools is often poor. The differences within the EU will likely intensify with the accession of Eastern/Central European countries where the stomatological tradition is strong. Moreover, current proposals within the EU will reduce even the limited existing effectiveness of the Dental Directives. The DentEd Thematic Network Project, which aims to promote convergence of European curricula through voluntary self‐assessment and outside peer review, has involved about 25 percent of European schools. Its effectiveness in inducing changes in individual schools is unknown. It is not an accreditation system, and there is no intention to establish a European‐wide common curriculum. Dentists' vocational training, here defined as “the organised education of the newly qualified dentist in supervised practice,” is present in various models in many European countries, but is compulsory in only a few. Continuing dental education (CDE) is encouraged in most countries, but CDE‐dependent licensure is required in only two.
Dental Informatics: An Emerging Biomedical Informatics Discipline
Authors: Schleyer Titus K.L.
Published: June 2020

Biomedical informatics is a maturing discipline. During the last forty years, it has developed into a research discipline of significant scale and scope. One of its subdisciplines, dental informatics, is beginning to emerge as its own entity. While there is a growing cadre of trained dental informaticians, dental faculty and administrators in general are not very familiar with dental informatics as an area of scientific inquiry. Many confuse informatics with information technology (IT), are unaware of its scientific methods and principles, and cannot relate dental informatics to biomedical informatics as a whole. This article delineates informatics from information technology and explains the types of scientific questions that dental and other informaticians typically explore. Scientific investigation in informatics centers primarily on model formulation, system development, system implementation, and the study of effects. Informatics draws its scientific methods mainly from information science, computer science, cognitive science, and telecommunications. Dental informatics shares many types of research questions and methods with its parent discipline, biomedical informatics. However, there are indications that certain research questions in dental informatics require novel solutions that have not yet been developed in other informatics fields.
Works in Progress: A Comparison of Dental School Experiences Between Passing and Failing NERB Candidates, 2001
Authors: Ranney Richard R. , Wood Morton , Gunsolley John C.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this report is to compare outcomes on the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) clinical examination to selected measures of academic performance in one U.S. dental school. The data came from results of the spring 2001 NERB examination at that school. Five measures of academic performance—number of Class II amalgam restorations completed, number of Class III/IV composite restorations completed, fixed prosthodontic units performed, fourth‐year class rank, and GPA—were compared between those who passed and those who failed NERB's restorative exercise (RESTOR) and provisional fixed partial denture exercise (SIM). Analyses could not confirm a positive relationship between the school performance measures and the NERB outcome of passing RESTOR on the first attempt. On the other hand, those who passed SIM on the first attempt had, on the average, performed more amalgams, composites, and fixed prosthodontic units as students than those who failed; they also had, on average, better class rank and higher GPA. Therefore, only performance on SIM related to performance in school. However, both RESTOR and SIM had a similar number of failures from the top as well as the bottom portions of the class. These preliminary data from one dental school class raise questions about the validity of the NERB clinical examination for licensure decisions.
A Standardized Open‐Ended Questionnaire as a Substitute for a Personal Interview in Dental Admissions
Authors: Gafni Naomi , Moshinsky Avital , Kapitulnik Jaime
Published: June 2020

This paper discusses the need for reliable and valid measures of personality and motivational factors in the prediction of success and attrition in a dental school. The admissions system currently used in most schools includes personality factors that are measured by an interview. Our study examined whether the interview could be replaced by a standardized, open‐ended questionnaire, thus increasing standardization and objectivity and avoiding the possible biases of the interview. The relationship between the standardized questionnaire score and the interview score in a dental school in Israel was examined, as well as the relationship between the standardized questionnaire score and the admissions decisions. The results showed that the questionnaire and the interview probably measure a common construct, enabling us to tentatively recommend a two‐stage admissions process: all candidates meeting certain academic criteria should be asked to answer the questionnaire; those candidates scoring above a certain percentile on the questionnaire should either be admitted outright or invited for an interview.
Making Gross Anatomy Relevant to Dental Students
Authors: Guttmann Geoffrey D. , Ma Terence P. , MacPherson Brian R.
Published: June 2020

This paper describes the curriculum design and enhancements of dental gross anatomy courses at three universities in North America. The greatest problem for gross anatomy faculty is making the regions of the body below the neck relevant to dental students for their future clinical education as well as the longer term dental practice. The proposed solutions demonstrated in the three courses range from satisfying the student's grade and test requirements, such as passing the anatomical sciences section of the National Board Dental Examination Part I, to making the material relevant to clinical dentistry. Strategies to increase relevance include incorporating clinical faculty into the gross anatomy course and integrating dental clinical material into the course. Lastly, pedagogical innovations include peer teaching, the use of the Internet and intranet for examination preparation, and the animation of dental procedures to illustrate relevant anatomy to dentistry.
The Current Status of the Anatomical Sciences Curriculum in U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools
Authors: Guttmann Geoffrey D.
Published: June 2020

The anatomical sciences form one of the major building blocks of the basic medical sciences in the professional training of dentists. This paper defines the courses and classifies the formats of teaching for each course within the anatomical sciences curriculum. Information was gathered from the Internet, specifically the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) website links to U.S. and Canadian dental schools and their online catalogues or bulletins as well as online course syllabi. The results demonstrate the distribution of schools in the United States and Canada teaching anatomical sciences in the following categories: stand‐alone, sequential, and multifaceted courses for gross anatomy; stand‐alone and integrated courses for histology; stand‐alone, integrated, incorporated, and no course for neuroanatomy; and stand‐alone, incorporated, and no course in embryology. This paper concludes with the proposition that a survey of the usage of anatomical knowledge in use in a typical dental general practice needs to be conducted. The results of such a survey need to be evaluated with the intention of determining what should be taught in a dental clinical anatomical sciences curriculum.
Diabetes Mellitus as a Modulating Factor of Endodontic Infections
Authors: Fouad Ashraf F.
Published: June 2020

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with serious health consequences. The association between diabetes and periodontal disease is well documented. However, the progression and healing of endodontic infections in diabetic patients has not been adequately studied. In this review, diabetes mellitus is explored as a potential modulating factor of endodontic pathosis. Recent data on the relationship between the clinical presentation of pulpal and periradicular disease, as well as the outcome of endodontic treatment in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, are presented. Diabetics who present for endodontic treatment, particularly those with periradicular pathosis, may have increased perioperative symptoms. Cases with preoperative periradicular lesions are less likely to be determined successful two years or longer postoperatively if the patient reports a history of diabetes. Studies examining the pathogenesis of periradicular lesions in mouse models with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes suggest that the lesion size may be increased and the animals have increased serious sequelae. Preliminary findings suggest that some bacterial species may be more prevalent in necrotic pulp of diabetic than nondiabetic patients. More studies are needed to further explore the microbiology of endodontic infections and to determine effective treatment strategies in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients.
Addressing Disparities Through Dental‐Medical Collaborations, Part 1. The Role of Cultural Competency in Health Disparities: Training of Primary Care Medical Practitioners in Children's Oral Health
Authors: Mouradian Wendy E. , Berg Joel H. , Somerman Martha J.
Published: June 2020

This paper introduces a series of articles examining specific dental‐medical educational collaborations intended to decrease oral health disparities. The first article discusses cultural competency and its relationship to oral health disparities. The next two articles present pediatric oral health educational programs for medical practitioners, one targeting primary care practitioners and the other training family practice residents. This introductory article reviews the national public health agenda for oral health, explains the rationale for targeting dental‐medical educational collaborations to address health disparities, and identifies important gaps in dental as well as medical education, especially in the area of infant oral health. Key findings of the two projects are reviewed as well as lessons learned. We call for leadership in dental education in three critical areas: cultural competency, infant oral health, and ethical and professional values. Given the historical isolation of dentistry, strong leadership at the level of the dean's office is needed to advance the agenda of eliminating oral health disparities through collaborations among dentistry, medicine, and the other health professions. Finally, an appreciation of the professional obligations of dental educators, practitioners, and the profession of dentistry can add resolve to this new prioritization.
Concurrent Validity of Written and OSCE Components of the Canadian Dental Certification Examinations
Authors: Gerrow Jack D. , Murphy H. Joseph , Boyd Marcia A. , Scott David A.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) Written Examination and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) by correlating students' scores with their performance in the final year of the D.D.S./D.M.D. program. The subjects of this study were the 2,317 students at nine Canadian dental schools who completed both NDEB examinations between 1995 and 2000. The findings indicate positive correlations (r=0.43 and r=0.46, p<. 001, for the written and OSCE examinations respectively) between students' examination scores and final year results. Year‐to‐year and school‐to‐school variations were minimal. These findings supported the concurrent validity of both NDEB examinations.
Strategies to Create and Sustain a Diverse Faculty and Student Body at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine
Authors: Frankl Spencer N.
Published: June 2020

The challenges and opportunities inherent in creating and sustaining a diverse student body and a diverse faculty, staff, and administration are discussed in the context of the experience of the Boston University School of Dental Medicine. The role of the school's evolution as a learning organization is highlighted as an essential contributing factor to success in minority recruitment and retention efforts.
Dental Anxiety and Personality: Investigating the Relationship Between Dental Anxiety and Self‐Consciousness
Authors: Economou George C.
Published: June 2020

This study investigated whether personality plays a role in a condition called dental anxiety. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between dental anxiety (the negative response to the stress elicited from a dental interaction) and self‐consciousness (the tendency to evaluate aspects of oneself that are subject to private and public display). The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics possessed by dentally anxious individuals who face potential health risks because of their avoidance. Sixty York University undergraduate students were recruited by convenience sampling to participate. These subjects completed Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale and the Self‐Consciousness Scale. The Self‐Consciousness Scale consists of three subscales, including private self‐consciousness, public self‐consciousness, and social anxiety. Results indicated an 0.54 significant correlation between dental anxiety and self‐consciousness. The public self‐consciousness and social anxiety subscales correlated the most with dental anxiety. Furthermore, the data did not indicate a significant moderating relationship for gender between the two aforementioned variables. These results contribute to the establishment of personality characteristics as one of the dimensions determining dental anxiety.
Validity and Reliability of Portfolio Assessment of Competency in a Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Program
Authors: Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , Kim Juhu , Palm Richard L. , Mills G. Edward , Noble Elizabeth , Overman Pamela R.
Published: June 2020

This study examined the validity and reliability of portfolio assessment using Messick's unified framework of construct validity. Theoretical and empirical evidence was sought for six aspects of construct validity. Seven faculty raters evaluated twenty student portfolios using a primary trait analysis scoring rubric. A significant relationship (r = .81‐.95; p < .01) between the seven subscales in the scoring rubric demonstrates measurement of a common construct. There was a significant relationship between portfolios and GPA (r = .70; p < .01) and the NBDHE (r = .60; p < .01). The relationship between portfolios and the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) examination was both weak and nonsignificant (r = .19; p > .05). A fully crossed, two‐facet generalizability (G) study design was used to examine reliability. ANOVA demonstrated that the greatest source of variance was the scoring rubric itself, accounting for 78 percent of the total variance. The smallest source of variance was the interaction between portfolio and rubric (1.15 percent). Faculty rater variance accounted for only 1.28 percent of total variance. A phi coefficient of .86, analogous to a reliability coefficient in classical test theory, was obtained in the decision study by increasing the subscales to fourteen and decreasing faculty raters to three. In conclusion, the pattern of findings from this study suggests that portfolios can serve as a valid and reliable measure for assessing student competency.
Developing a Pediatric Oral Health Therapist to Help Address Oral Health Disparities Among Children
Authors: Nash David A.
Published: June 2020

Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General documented the profound and significant disparities that exist in the oral health of children in the United States. Recently, the country has been issued a National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, under the leadership of the Office of the Surgeon General. Among the significant factors contributing to the disparities problem is the access to oral health care by disadvantaged populations. There are inadequate numbers of dentists able and willing to treat children, particularly poor and minority children. In the early part of the twentieth century, New Zealand faced a significant problem with oral disease among its children and introduced a School Dental Service staffed by allied dental professionals, known as “school dental nurses,” who had received two years training in caring for the teeth of children. A number of other countries have since adopted this model. This article reviews attempts to develop a comparable approach in the United States. Furthermore, it justifies and advocates the development of pediatric oral health therapists in the United States as a means of addressing the disparities problem that exists in this nation. These pediatric oral health therapists would be trained in a two‐year program to provide dental care services to children. The article concludes by asserting that such action is a practical and cost‐effective way for dentistry to fulfill its professional obligation to care for the oral health of all children, thus ensuring justice in oral health for America's children.
Factors Influencing Use of Dental Services in Rural and Urban Communities: Considerations for Practitioners in Underserved Areas
Authors: Heaton Lisa J. , Smith Timothy A. , Raybould Ted P.
Published: June 2020

Individuals’ utilization of dental services depends upon an array of factors, including access to care, financial restrictions, attitudes toward dental care, and dental fear. These factors, in turn, may vary across geographic locations and demographic groups. The goals of this study were to assess the use of dental services in both rural and urban areas of Kentucky and to examine challenges facing practitioners in rural areas. Individuals sampled from a rural population and patients in rural and urban dental clinics completed questionnaires about use of dental services, self‐rated dental health, and dental fear. While these variables were strongly interrelated, differences emerged across locations. Patients in the urban area reported having more dental insurance but not better dental health. Patients in more rural areas reported seeking more emergency dental treatment but not more dental fear. While these factors are important considerations across locations, dental practitioners in rural areas in particular should be aware of barriers to dental care facing individuals in these areas. They have unique opportunities to provide education to their patients regarding the importance of dental care and the role of oral health in overall physical health.
An Evaluation of Two Dental Simulation Systems: Virtual Reality versus Contemporary Non‐Computer‐Assisted
Authors: Jasinevicius T. Roma , Landers Michael , Nelson Suchitra , Urbankova Alice
Published: June 2020

Contemporary dental simulation systems were developed to improve dental students’ transition from the preclinical laboratory to the clinic. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a virtual reality computer‐assisted simulation system (VR) with a contemporary non‐computer‐assisted simulation system (CS). The objectives were to determine whether there were differences between the two systems in the quality of dental students’ preparations and the amount of faculty instruction time. Students who completed their first year of dental school and had no previous experience preparing teeth were group matched according to their performance in the first‐year Dental Anatomy laboratory course and assigned to VR (n=15) or CS (n=13). In the summer, they spent two weeks (~3 hrs/day) executing amalgam and crown preparations on typodont teeth. Short presentations describing the preparations were given to both groups; however, preparation criteria were available on the computer for the VR group, while the CS group received handouts. Both groups could request feedback from faculty, although VR also obtained input from the computer. A log was kept of all student‐faculty (S‐F) interactions. Analysis of the data indicated significant differences between groups for the following variables: mean number of S‐F interactions was sixteen for the VR group versus forty‐two for the CS group; and mean time of S‐F interactions was 1.9±2 minutes versus 4.0±3 minutes (p<0.001) for VR and CS, respectively. Faculty spent 44.3 hours “interacting” with twenty‐eight students, averaging 0.5 hours per VR student and 2.8 hours per CS student. Thus, CS students received five times more instructional time from faculty than did VR students. There were no statistical differences in the quality of the preparations. While further study is needed to assess virtual reality technology, this decreased faculty time in instruction could impact the dental curriculum.
Perceptions of Dental Schools from Within and Outside the University
Authors: Dederich Douglas N. , Lloyd Patrick M. , Dixon‐Farmer Cherae , Geurink Kathy Voight , Nadershahi Nader A. , Robinson Fonda G. , Scannapieco Frank A.
Published: June 2020

Perceptions of dental schools held by high‐level administrators of their parent institutions and officials in the local community have great potential to influence the future of dental education. The intent of this investigation was to gain a preliminary knowledge of such perceptions at seven institutions in the United States and to use this information to formulate hypotheses that can provide the basis for further targeted investigations that provide evidence useful in decision making and planning processes within dental schools. Interviews with university administrators, executive directors of state dental associations, and state government officials in seven areas of the United States were conducted. The hypotheses drawn from these interviews are: 1) dental schools are generally too insular and need to interact more with their parent institutions and external community; 2) dental schools need to systematically and continually get the message of the value of their services out to the public and political constituencies; and 3) multidisciplinarity and integration with other units are important to university administrators but largely outside the concerns of those external to the university. We suggest that these hypotheses form the basis of subsequent, more targeted, follow‐up investigations with the intent of formulating specific recommendations for action.
Comparison of Dental Students Selected as Student Clinicians by Japanese Dental Schools
Authors: Komabayashi Takashi , Kohno Tomoko , Kawamura Makoto
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to determine if students selected from Japanese dental schools for competition at the Japan Dental Association meeting and who subsequently won awards were different from students who did not win. Eighty abstracts submitted from 1995 to 2001 by dental students for the Japan Student Clinician Program (SCP) award were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analysis using backward stepwise selection was completed with the dependent variables. The results were as follows: 1) more female students won awards than did male students, but the difference was not statistically significant; 2) students who had a higher level of dental education won more awards, but the difference was not statistically significant; and 3) students presenting clinical subjects for the table clinic had a higher probability of being selected as prize winners (P<.05) than did those dental students presenting basic science subjects. Only the subject field of table clinic had a statistical correlation to prize‐winning possibility, which implies that this program fairly evaluated students based on a scoring system used by the judges. No discriminations in gender and level of dental education were observed. This study suggests that the methodology used here might apply to other award programs to determine if the program is fair, equal, and unbiased.
A Comparison of Health Professions Student Attitudes Regarding Tobacco Curricula and Interventionist Roles
Authors: Fried Jacquelyn L. , Reid Britt C. , DeVore Linda E.
Published: June 2020

Health care providers who feel prepared are more apt to assume tobacco interventionist roles; therefore, educational preparation is critical. A nonprobability sample of health professions students at an urban academic health center were asked to respond to a twenty‐two‐item survey eliciting demographic, behavioral, and tobacco‐related attitudinal information. Frequency distributions were assessed with Pearson chi‐square statistics. The overall response rate was 76.7 percent, and final sample size was 319. Current use of spit tobacco (ST) was 2.5 percent and current smoking 5.6 percent. In comparing current smokers to nonsmokers and current ST users to nonusers, we found that no differences in proportion agreeing with any of the five questions about attitudes and opinions were statistically significant at p‐value 0.05. At least 70 percent of students from each of six health professions programs agreed it was their professional responsibility to help smokers quit, and at least 65 percent agreed to the same responsibility for helping ST users quit. The proportion agreeing that their programs had course content describing their role in helping patients quit tobacco use varied widely by program from 100 percent agreement among dental hygiene and pharmacy students to 14.6 percent of physical therapy students (p‐value <0.001). When asked whether their program adequately prepared them to help smokers quit, agreement ranged from 100 percent among dental hygiene students to only 5.5 percent among physical therapy students (p‐value <0.001). Almost 90 percent of dental hygiene students agreed that they were adequately trained to help ST users quit, but no other program had a percentage of agreement above 34 percent (p‐value <0.001). Consistent and comprehensive multidisciplinary tobacco‐related curricula could offer desirable standardization.
Does Performance on School‐Administered Mock Boards Predict Performance on a Dental Licensure Exam?
Authors: Stewart Carol M. , Bates Robert E. , Smith Gregory E.
Published: June 2020

Many dental schools consider the successful completion of a state or regional dental licensure examination as one of the significant benchmarks for assessing effectiveness of the curriculum. At the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD), performance on the state dental licensure examination is monitored and compared with senior year mock board performance and clinical productivity to identify factors that may contribute to state board “pass” rates. A retrospective analysis was conducted of “first‐time” performance on the Florida Dental Licensure Exam for graduates from classes 1996 to 2003. Using ANOVA, licensure exam performance data was analyzed and compared with performance on the senior mock board exam and clinical productivity, determined by numbers of procedures completed in each discipline. Significant relationships were noted between four of thirteen aspects of mock board performance and clinical productivity data and performance on the Florida Dental Licensure Exam. First, a significant relationship (p<0.05) was found between passing the senior mock board fixed prosthodontic preparation and successful completion of that procedure on the state licensure exam. Second, a significant relationship (p<0.05) was noted between the clinical (patient‐based) Class II amalgam on the senior mock board and passing that procedure on the state licensure exam. Third, a significant relationship was noted (p<0.05) between the number of Class IV clinical composite procedures completed during dental school and passing the licensure exam Class IV manikin composite procedure. Fourth, there was a significant relationship (p<0.01) between the number of clinical Class II amalgam procedures completed during the junior and senior years and passing the state licensure exam clinical amalgam procedure. No significance was found between the remaining five mock board procedures (Class II composites, Class IV composites, pin amalgams, endodontic, and periodontal scaling/root planing) and performance on the like procedures on the licensure exam. Likewise, no significance was found between the remaining four productivity measures (numbers of Class II composites, endodontic teeth treated, crowns and abutments completed, and quadrants of periodontal scaling/root planing) and performance of these procedures on the state licensure exam.
DevSeloping Cultural Competence and Social Responsibility in Preclinical Dental Students
Authors: Rubin Richard W.
Published: June 2020

Dental student development of cultural competence and social responsibility is recognized by educators as an important element in the overall shaping of minds and attitudes of modern dental practitioners. Yet training modalities to achieve these competencies are not clearly defined, and outcome measurements are elusive. This article shows an effective method to meet these desired outcomes. Sixty‐one freshmen (class of 2005) participated in forty hours of nondental community service, and reflective journals were completed by the end of second year. Competency outcomes were measured by selecting key words and phrases found in the individual journals. Key phrases were related to compassion, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Also, phrases had to be accompanied by written indications of direct program causation. The combination of active‐learning (based upon service learning models) in public health settings outside of the dental realm, accompanied by reflective journaling, enhanced cultural understanding and community spirit in the majority of students.
An Exploratory Study of Orthodontic Resident Communication by Patient Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Koerber Anne , Gajendra Sangeeta , Fulford Reginald L. , BeGole Ellen , Evans Carla A.
Published: June 2020

Race has been shown to affect the quality of physician‐patient relations. In view of this, dentistry must consider whether race also affects dentist‐patient relations. The purpose of this study was to explore whether orthodontic residents showed more social connection and concern for European ancestry patients, were more negative to minority patients, and appropriately used interventions designed to overcome cultural differences. Communications in sixty‐eight dentist‐patient encounters were analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). The frequencies of each type of utterance were examined according to the patient's race/ethnicity. The race/ethnic groups were European (nineteen), African American (eleven), Latino (thirty‐four), and Asian (four). In 90 percent of the sessions, the resident and the patient were of different ethnicity. Residents used social connection utterances more with European ancestry patients, but used personal utterances more with Latino patients. Residents did not use open‐ended questions or probes for patient understanding more with minority patients. The communication patterns observed in this study were similar to those reported in the literature. This study has limitations, but additional research may confirm that residents communicate differently with patients by race and could use more appropriate methods of dealing with cross‐cultural situations. More research on cross‐cultural communication is needed.
Dental School Vacant Budgeted Faculty Positions, Academic Year 2002–03
Authors: Weaver Richard G. , Haden N. Karl , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

The number of vacant budgeted full‐time faculty positions has changed little over the last three years, standing in 2002–03 at 280. The number of part‐time vacancies, though, has continued to decline to twenty‐seven. The average number of vacancies per school was 5.7, down from 6.4 of the past several years. The average number of vacancies reported to be usual and normal at any one time was 3.6. Forty‐three percent of the schools reported four or fewer vacant budgeted faculty positions in 2002–03. Overall, the order of primary disciplines by their number of vacancies varies from year to year; however, with no particular trend by discipline. Also there does not appear to be any significant correlation between discipline and the length of time a position has been vacant. Fifty‐five percent of the vacant positions had been vacant less than seven months. Salary/budget limitations and lack of response to position announcements were the most frequently reported factors influencing the ability to fill a position. There were 921 reported faculty separations in 2002–03. Forty‐six percent were a result of faculty leaving for private practice. The number of new faculty reported in 2002–03 was 1,231. Fifty‐one percent of the new faculty came from private practice. The total number of faculty reported in 2002–03 was 357 more than reported in 2001–02. Rather than a perceived pending shortage of faculty, it may be more of an endemic number of vacancies due to the amount of time needed to fill a position. While there is no indication expressed in the survey that current vacancies are adversely affecting the quality of dental education, foresight, planning, and necessary steps need to continue to ensure the preparation and continuity of a dental workforce sufficient in size and expertise to meet the teaching, research, patient care, and administrative needs of the dental education community.
Clinical Decision Support Systems: Perspectives in Dentistry
Authors: Mendonça Eneida A.
Published: June 2020

Clinical decision‐support systems (CDSSs) are computer programs that are designed to provide expert support for health professionals making clinical decisions. The goal of these systems is to help health professionals analyze patient data and make decisions regarding diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of health problems. This article discusses the characteristics of such systems, addresses the challenges in developing them, identifies potential barriers for their use in clinical practice, and provides perspectives for the future.
Influence of Online Formative Assessment Upon Student Learning in Biomedical Science Courses
Authors: Olson Byron L. , McDonald James L.
Published: June 2020

Research suggests that high‐quality formative assessment has a strongly positive effect upon student learning. Unfortunately, formative assessment does not appear to be frequently used in didactic dental curricula. Our hypothesis was that providing students with practice online exam questions would enable those who voluntarily took the exam to perform better on subsequent summative exams than did students who did not utilize this opportunity. A test bank of exam questions was written for dental students enrolled in two different biomedical science courses. Half the questions were arbitrarily assigned to an electronic test site; the other half were used as a written summative classroom exam taken later. Students who took the online formative exam in the first semester course scored 8.8 percent higher on the summative exam than did those who did not take the practice exam. This represents almost a full letter grade higher for the formative exam‐takers. Students who took the formative online exam in the second semester course scored 5.2 percent higher on the summative exam than did the non‐takers. Both of these differences were statistically significant. Under these experimental circumstances, providing formative online exams appeared to promote student performance as reflected by higher scores on the summative exams.
A Snapshot of the U.S. Postdoctoral Pediatric Dentistry Faculty Workforce, 2002
Authors: Casamassimo Paul S. , Feigal Robert , Adair Steven M. , Berg Joel , Stewart Ray
Published: June 2020

This study characterizes the faculty shortage in U.S. postdoctoral pediatric dentistry (PD) education. The objectives of the study were to determine: 1) the changes in PD faculty numbers and teaching loads between 1995 and 2002 for postdoctoral PD education, 2) current faculty age and training, and 3) distribution of faculty by age. A questionnaire was sent in 2002 to fifty‐four programs, of which forty‐six responded (85 percent). Dental school and residency mean class sizes increased in the seven‐year study period from 82.8 to 91.8 and from 6.0 to 8.5, respectively. Full‐ and part‐time mean faculty positions increased as did vacancies, the latter growing from 15 to 38.9 and changing during the period from 5 to 10.8 percent of available positions. About one‐third of programs used general dentists to teach PD, while programs using foreign‐trained educators grew from 4 to 13 percent. Twenty‐nine percent of full‐time and 27 percent of part‐time faculty are fifty‐five years or older, and young entry‐level faculty, age twenty‐five to twenty‐nine, represent only 2 percent and 5 percent of full‐ and part‐time faculty respectively. Faculty vacancies have increased along with numbers of students and residents, and the largest segment of PD faculty is within a decade of retirement age.
Enamel Matrix Derivative for Periodontal Tissue Regeneration in Treatment of Intrabony Defects: A Cochrane Systematic Review
Authors: Esposito Marco , Coulthard Paul , Thomsen Peter , Worthington Helen V.
Published: June 2020

We reviewed the literature on the efficacy of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in comparison with open flap debridement, guided tissue regeneration (GTR), and bone grafting for the treatment of intrabony defects. We searched four major electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least one year of follow‐up. Several journals were handsearched with no language restrictions. Outcome measures were: tooth loss, changes in probing attachment levels (PAL), pocket depths (PPD), gingival recessions (REC), marginal bone levels on intraoral radiographs, and postoperative infections. Screening of eligible RCTs, assessment of the methodological quality, and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. No difference in tooth loss was observed. A meta‐analysis (eight trials) showed that EMD‐treated sites displayed statistically significant PAL improvements (mean difference 1.3 mm) and PPD reduction (1 mm) when compared to flap surgery. When EMD was compared to GTR (six trials), GTR showed a statistically significant reduction of PPD (0.6 mm) and increase of REC (0.5 mm). No difference in postoperative infections was observed. No trials compared EMD with bone grafts alone. EMD is able to significantly improve PAL levels and PPD reduction when compared to flap surgery; however, there is no evidence that more teeth could be saved. There was no evidence of important differences between EMD and GTR.