bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Application of a New Learning Object for Teaching Operative Dentistry Using Augmented Reality
Authors: Espejo‐Trung Luciana Cardoso , Elian Silvia Nagib , De Cerqueira Luz Maria Aparecia Alves
Published: June 2020

Learning objects (LOs) associated with augmented reality have been used as attractive new technologic tools in the educational process. However, the acceptance of new LOs must be verified with the purpose of using these innovations in the learning process in general. The aim of this study was to develop a new LO and investigate the acceptance of gold onlay in teaching preparation design at a dental school in Brazil. Questionnaires were designed to assess, first, the users’ computational ability and knowledge of computers (Q1) and, second, the users’ acceptance of the new LO (Q2). For both questionnaires, the internal consistency index was calculated to determine whether the questions were measuring the same construct. The reliability of Q2 was measured with a retest procedure. The LO was tested by dental students (n=28), professors and postgraduate students in dentistry and prosthetics (n=30), and dentists participating in a continuing education or remedial course in dentistry and/or prosthetics (n=19). Analyses of internal consistency (Kappa coefficient and Cronbach's alpha) demonstrated a high degree of confidence in the questionnaires. Tests for simple linear regressions were conducted between the response variable (Q2) and the following explanative variables: the Q1 score, age, gender, and group. The results showed wide acceptance regardless of the subjects’ computational ability (p=0.99; R2=0), gender (p=0.27; R2=1.6%), age (p=0.27; R2=0.1%), or group (p=0.53; R2=1.9%). The methodology used enabled the development of an LO with a high index of acceptance for all groups.
Exploring Professional Development Needs of Educators in the Health Sciences Professions
Authors: Schönwetter Dieter J. , Hamilton Joanne , Sawatzky Jo‐Ann V.
Published: June 2020

An increasing number of institutions of higher education are clustering their health sciences schools into a common unit. Therefore, it is imperative that the individual faculty development units assume new mandates to meet faculty development needs for stakeholders across these disciplines. Critical to providing current and relevant professional development activities is an awareness of the needs of academicians, including common as well as discipline‐specific needs. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the extent to which factors such as discipline, rank, gender, education, and years as an academician impact on perceived needs for faculty development. In February 2012, a cross‐sectional survey of the perceived faculty development needs of academicians in the health sciences unit of a Canadian university was conducted using an online assessment tool. A total of 133 out of 1,409 potential participants completed the survey, for a response rate of 9.4%. The findings revealed more similarities than differences in terms of perceived faculty development needs. In addition, differences were found across all health professions schools and in factors such as discipline, academic rank, education, gender, and years as an academician. These findings suggest that faculty development and educational specialists should understand the shared as well as the unique needs of the individual health sciences schools in planning their professional development services.
Calculus Detection Calibration Among Dental Hygiene Faculty Members Utilizing Dental Endoscopy: A Pilot Study
Authors: Partido Brian B. , Jones Archie A. , English Dana L. , Nguyen Carol A. , Jacks Mary E.
Published: June 2020

Dental and dental hygiene faculty members often do not provide consistent instruction in the clinical environment, especially in tasks requiring clinical judgment. From previous efforts to calibrate faculty members in calculus detection using typodonts, researchers have suggested using human subjects and emerging technology to improve consistency in clinical instruction. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a dental endoscopy‐assisted training program would improve intra‐ and interrater reliability of dental hygiene faculty members in calculus detection. Training included an ODU 11/12 explorer, typodonts, and dental endoscopy. A convenience sample of six participants was recruited from the dental hygiene faculty at a California community college, and a two‐group randomized experimental design was utilized. Intra‐ and interrater reliability was measured before and after calibration training. Pretest and posttest Kappa averages of all participants were compared using repeated measures (split‐plot) ANOVA to determine the effectiveness of the calibration training on intra‐ and interrater reliability. The results showed that both kinds of reliability significantly improved for all participants and the training group improved significantly in interrater reliability from pretest to posttest. Calibration training was beneficial to these dental hygiene faculty members, especially those beginning with less than full agreement. This study suggests that calculus detection calibration training utilizing dental endoscopy can effectively improve interrater reliability of dental and dental hygiene clinical educators. Future studies should include human subjects, involve more participants at multiple locations, and determine whether improved rater reliability can be sustained over time.
Comparing Comprehensive Care and Departmental Clinical Education Models: Students’ Perceptions at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
Authors: Dehghan Mojdeh , Harrison Janet , Langham Sue , Scarbecz Mark , Amini Mehdi
Published: June 2020

In summer 2012, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry transitioned from a departmental clinical education model to a comprehensive care/group leader model. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of the fourth‐year class of dental students who, because the transition took place during their training, had experienced treating patients under both educational models. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was designed to assess the students’ opinions on the efficiency of their effort, availability of specialty faculty, stress, collaboration with classmates, and availability of exposure to different practice styles and techniques under the two systems. The students were also given an opportunity to provide open‐ended feedback on the shortcomings and advantages of the systems. The Class of 2013 had 81 students, 55 of whom participated in the survey for a response rate of 67.9%. The majority (86%) of the respondents preferred the comprehensive care model and reported feeling that, in it, they were able to accomplish more comprehensive dentistry with greater consistency of supervision from faculty in a more patient‐centered environment than in the departmental model. However, 56 percent considered having the same group leader for two years a disadvantage and recommended rotation of at least one group leader every six months. The results of this survey can help this college and other dental schools that are seeking to optimize their educational model to best serve students’ educational experience and the dental needs of their patient population.
Implementing a Prenatal Oral Health Program Through Interprofessional Collaboration
Authors: Jackson Jeffrey T. , Quinonez Rocio B. , Kerns Amanda K. , Chuang Alice , Eidson R. Scott , Boggess Kim A. , Weintraub Jane A.
Published: June 2020

Interprofessional collaboration has become a critical component of accreditation standards in dentistry and medicine. This article reports on implementation in an academic setting of a prenatal oral health program (pOHP) that addresses coordinated care, accreditation standards, and new clinical practice guidelines. The pOHP is an educational intervention for third‐year medical students, residents, and faculty members to deliver preventive oral health information and referral to a dental home for pregnant women. At the same time, senior dental students and faculty members are introduced to prenatal oral health principles and delivery of comprehensive oral health care to pregnant women. A systems‐based approach was used to guide the pOHP implementation during the 2012–13 academic year. Participants were 96 third‐year medical students (50% of the total in an obstetrics and gynecology clerkship) and all 81 fourth‐year dental students. During that academic year, 126 dental referrals were made to the School of Dentistry, and 55 women presented for care, resulting in 50% (n=40) of dental students participating in the clinical experience and delivery of simple to complex oral health procedures. The prenatal period is a frequently missed opportunity to address oral health care. The pOHP is an interprofessional collaboration model designed to educate dental and medical providers and provide a system of referral for comprehensive clinical care of pregnant patients, including educating women about their oral health and that of their children. Such programs can help meet interprofessional accreditation standards and encourage implementation of practice guidelines.
Measuring Team‐Based Interprofessional Education Outcomes in Clinical Dentistry: Psychometric Evaluation of a New Scale at an Australian Dental School
Authors: Storrs Mark J. , Alexander Heather , Sun Jing , Kroon Jeroen , Evans Jane L.
Published: June 2020

Previous research on interprofessional education (IPE) assessment has shown the need to evaluate the influence of team‐based processes on the quality of clinical education. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional team‐based treatment planning (TBTP) on the quality of clinical education at the Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Queensland, Australia. A scale was developed and evaluated to measure interprofessional student team processes and their effect on the quality of clinical education for dental, oral health therapy, and dental technology students (known more frequently as intraprofessional education). A face validity analysis by IPE experts confirmed that items on the scale reflected the meaning of relevant concepts. After piloting, 158 students (61% response rate) involved with TBTP participated in a survey. An exploratory factor analysis using the principal component method retained 23 items with a total variance of 64.6%, suggesting high content validity. Three subscales accounted for 45.7%, 11.4%, and 7.5% of the variance. Internal consistency of the scale (α=0.943) and subscales 1 (α=0.953), 2 (α=0.897), and 3 (α=0.813) was high. A reliability analysis yielded moderate (rs=0.43) to high correlations (0.81) with the remaining scale items. Confirmatory factor analyses verified convergent validity and confirmed that this structure had a good model fit. This study suggests that the instrument might be useful in evaluating interprofessional or intraprofessional team‐based processes and their influence on the quality of clinical education in academic dental institutions.
Graduating Dental Students’ Views of Competency Statements: Importance, Confidence, and Time Trends from 2008 to 2012
Authors: Whitney Eli M. , Walton Joanne N. , Aleksejuniene Jolanta , Schönwetter Dieter J.
Published: June 2020

Competency documents are used in dental education as both an educational framework and an accreditation instrument. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceptions of graduating dental students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) regarding the importance of each competency statement, as well as to assess their confidence in their abilities associated with each statement. The instrument was based on the survey developed by Schönwetter et al. at the University of Manitoba using the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry competency document. The current study surveyed UBC graduating students in the years 2008 through 2012. The response rates ranged from 66.7% to 95.9%, averaging 77.5% across all five years. The results showed that, overall, the students rated all the competencies as important, but they rated their confidence lower than the perceived importance. Correlation coefficients averaged a moderate correlation of 0.376 for all competency statements except the five with the greatest discrepancy between perceived importance and confidence. The competencies the students perceived as most important tended to be associated with tasks frequently performed during predoctoral dental education. The instrument used in this study can help other academic dental institutions identify patterns of students’ perceived competency importance and confidence to inform allocation of teaching time and resources and adopt new methodologies to address identified areas of need.
Patient Satisfaction Surveys in Dental School Clinics: A Review and Comparison
Authors: Ahmady Arezoo Ebn , Pakkhesal Mina , Zafarmand A. Hamid , Lando Harry Alan
Published: June 2020

Health care is becoming more patient‐centered and, as a result, patients’ experiences of care and assessment of satisfaction are taken more seriously. Patient satisfaction influences treatment cooperation, and better cooperation leads to healthier patients in the long term. This generalization clearly applies in the dental school clinic setting. Furthermore, dental school clinics’ administrators and clinicians should know about the dimensions of their patient satisfaction in order to provide the highest quality of care. The aim of this study was to review studies published between 1980 and March 2014 to identify the dimensions used to measure patients’ satisfaction when they receive services in dental school clinics. The PubMed database was used to access published studies using patient satisfaction surveys in dental school clinics, and the dimensions used in these surveys were then categorized. Through several stages of searching in PubMed, the authors selected 41 articles from a total of 730; after further critical appraisal, nine articles were retained. Five dimensions included in patient surveys were identified: quality, interaction, access, environment, and cost. Determining the dimensions used in patient satisfaction surveys in dental school clinics can assist academic dental institutions in providing the highest quality of care.
An “XL” Endodontics Intervention for Dental Students Required to Repeat the Course: Changing Frustration to Improved Grades and Attitudes
Authors: Alcota Marcela , Fuenzalida Alejandra , Barrientos Claudia , Garrido Mauricio , de Gauna Pilar Ruiz , González Fermín E.
Published: June 2020

Given the psychological and financial costs involved with failing a clinical course, especially in developing countries, an alternative educational method was tested with students who had to repeat the year‐long endodontic course at the University of Chile Faculty of Dentistry. The objectives of the intervention were to deepen theoretical knowledge and practical experiences, as well as to reinforce personal confidence in an endodontic clinical setting for students who failed the regular endodontic course. The aim of this study was to evaluate the success of this new model of educational intervention. In the study, 28 students who had failed the endodontic course repeated it with an alternative teaching method. The students attended patients immediately following practical competence exams, and they had access to simulated models that used rotary instruments and access cavities and had emergency care practice. Feedback sessions were held after each clinical session. Final grades were compared with those of other students who repeated the course without the intervention from 2007 to 2009. A survey was administered to understand the causes of initial failure and their opinions of the intervention. Students who participated in the alternative course did significantly better than their counterparts from previous years who did not receive the intervention (5.7±0.3 vs. 5.4±0.2; p<0.05). Their overall perception of the intervention was positive, and the main cause for previous course failure was personal insecurity and slow clinical care performance (54.2% of the students). The intervention course not only improved grades but also generated interest in endodontics, a contrasting perspective to the frustration students usually express after repeating the course. The results of this study support the introduction of similar interventions in endodontics and perhaps other courses.
Health Professions Ethics Rubric: Validation of Reliability in an Interprofessional Health Ethics Course
Authors: Poirier Therese I. , Hecht Keith A. , Lynch J. Christopher , Otsuka Allen S. , Shafer Kathy J. , Wilhelm Miranda J.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to validate a health professions ethics rubric by an interprofessional team. The rubric was used by two pharmacy and two dental faculty members to score ethics cases submitted by 16 teams comprised of 80 pharmacy and 50 dental students. A debriefing session for each case was moderated by a non‐rater faculty member to arrive at a consensus score for the cases. Interrater reliability was calculated for the four raters and the debriefing scores as well as the four raters without the debriefing scores. The overall interrater correlations were in the range of 0.790 to 0.906 for the four raters. Issues ranged from 0.320 to 0.758. Principles ranged from 0.610 to 0.838. Options ranged from 0.655 to 0.843. Analysis ranged from 0.667 to 0.918. Solution ranged from 0.739 to 0.886. With the inclusion of the consensus scores, the interrater correlations were even higher. The best correlations were for the overall score and solution components of the rubric. With further edits in the rubric and enhanced training by faculty raters and changes in the ethics learning session, the revised rubric could be evaluated again for grading. Further training for faculty using the rubric for grading student cases should enhance its reliability. Demonstrating to students the ethical decision making process using the rubric should enhance the validation process.
Considerations for Use of Dental Photography and Electronic Media in Dental Education and Clinical Practice
Authors: Stieber Jane C. , Nelson Travis , Huebner Colleen E.
Published: June 2020

Photography and electronic media are indispensable tools for dental education and clinical practice. Although previous research has focused on privacy issues and general strategies to protect patient privacy when sharing clinical photographs for educational purposes, there are no published recommendations for developing a functional, privacy‐compliant institutional framework for the capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photographs and other electronic media. The aims of this study were to research patient rights relating to electronic media and propose a framework for the use of patient media in education and clinical care. After a review of the relevant literature and consultation with the University of Washington's director of privacy and compliance and assistant attorney general, the researchers developed a privacy‐compliant framework to ensure appropriate capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photography and electronic media. A four‐part framework was created to guide the use of patient media that reflects considerations of patient autonomy and privacy, informed consent, capture and storage of media, and its transfer, use, and display. The best practices proposed for capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photographs and electronic media adhere to the health care code of ethics (based on patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity), which is most effectively upheld by a practical framework designed to protect patients and limit institutional liability. Educators have the opportunity and duty to convey these principles to students who will become the next generation of dentists, researchers, and educators.
Will Large DSO‐Managed Group Practices Be the Predominant Setting for Oral Health Care by 2025? Two Viewpoints
Authors: Cole James R. , Dodge William W. , Findley John S. , Young Stephen K. , Horn Bruce D. , Kalkwarf Kenneth L. , Martin Max M. , Winder Ronald L.
Published: June 2020

This Point/Counterpoint article discusses the transformation of dental practice from the traditional solo/small‐group (partnership) model of the 1900s to large Dental Support Organizations (DSO) that support affiliated dental practices by providing nonclinical functions such as, but not limited to, accounting, human resources, marketing, and legal and practice management. Many feel that DSO‐managed group practices (DMGPs) with employed providers will become the setting in which the majority of oral health care will be delivered in the future. Viewpoint 1 asserts that the traditional dental practice patterns of the past are shifting as many younger dentists gravitate toward employed positions in large group practices or the public sector. Although educational debt is relevant in predicting graduates’ practice choices, other variables such as gender, race, and work‐life balance play critical roles as well. Societal characteristics demonstrated by aging Gen Xers and those in the Millennial generation blend seamlessly with the opportunities DMGPs offer their employees. Viewpoint 2 contends the traditional model of dental care delivery—allowing entrepreneurial practitioners to make decisions in an autonomous setting—is changing but not to the degree nor as rapidly as Viewpoint 1 professes. Millennials entering the dental profession, with characteristics universally attributed to their generation, see value in the independence and flexibility that a traditional practice allows. Although DMGPs provide dentists one option for practice, several alternative delivery models offer current dentists and future dental school graduates many of the advantages of DMGPs while allowing them to maintain the independence and freedom a traditional practice provides.
ADEA/AAL Institute for Allied Health Educators: Program Evaluation
Authors: Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , Overman Pamela R. , Grzesikowski Tami , Tucker‐Lively Felicia , Weinstein George , Haden N. Karl
Published: June 2020

Revised accreditation standards for dental and dental hygiene education programs have increased emphasis on faculty development that can improve teaching and learning, foster curricular change including use of teaching and learning technologies, and enhance retention and satisfaction of faculty. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL) established the Institute for Allied Health Educators (IAHE) in 2007 to address faculty development needs for allied dental and allied health educators. In 2009, it was transitioned to an online program, which resulted in increased enrollment and diversity of participants. After seven years, a comprehensive program evaluation was warranted. The authors developed an online questionnaire based on Kirkpatrick's four‐level model of training evaluation; for this study, levels one (satisfaction), two (knowledge and skill acquisition), and three (behavior change) were examined. Of the 400 program participants invited to take part in the study, a 38% response rate was achieved, with the majority indicating full‐time faculty status. Nearly all (95–97%) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed the program contributed to their teaching effectiveness, and 88–96% agreed or strongly agreed it enhanced their knowledge of educational concepts and strategies. In addition, 83% agreed or strongly agreed the program helped them develop new skills and confidence with technology, with 69% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it helped them incorporate technology into their own educational setting. Nearly 90% were highly positive or positive in their overall assessment of the program; 95% indicated they would recommend it to a colleague; and 80% agreed or strongly agreed they had discussed what they learned with faculty colleagues at their home institutions who had not attended the program. Positive findings from this evaluation provide evidence that the IAHE has been able to meet its goals.
Integrating Oral Health with Non‐Communicable Diseases as an Essential Component of General Health: WHO's Strategic Orientation for the African Region
Authors: Varenne Benoit
Published: June 2020

In the context of the emerging recognition of non‐communicable diseases (NCDs), it has never been more timely to explore the World Health Organization (WHO) strategic orientations on oral health in the WHO African region and to raise awareness of a turning point in the search for better oral health for everyone. The global initiative against NCDs provides a unique opportunity for the oral health community to develop innovative policies for better recognition of oral health, as well as to directly contribute to the fight against NCDs and their risk factors. The WHO African region has led the way in developing the first regional oral health strategy for the prevention and control of oral diseases integrated with NCDs. The support of the international oral health community in this endeavor is urgently needed for making a success story of this initiative of integrating oral health into NCDs.
Dental Hygiene Students’ Perceptions of a Cultural Competence Component in a Tobacco Dependence Education Curriculum: A Pilot Study
Authors: Doucette Heather J. , Maillet Peggy J. , Brillant Martha G. , Tax Cara L.
Published: June 2020

First Nations and Inuit peoples have tobacco use rates three times that of the Canadian national average. Providing tobacco dependence education (TDE) requires an understanding of the factors surrounding tobacco use that are culturally specific to this population. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new cultural competence component for Canadian First Nations and Inuit peoples in a TDE curriculum at Dalhousie University School of Dental Hygiene, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. In 2011, the TDE curriculum was revised to include a First Nations and Inuit people's cultural component. A 32‐question survey was developed for the study, with questions divided into four subscales regarding students’ perceived knowledge, skills, comfort level, and attitudes about working with this population. Responses from students in two succeeding years were compared: the first cohort had not participated in the revised curriculum (56% response rate), and the second cohort had (63% response rate). The results showed an overall improvement in the subscales evaluated and a significant (p=0.002) improvement in the knowledge subscale of the students who received the new TDE curriculum, specifically regarding knowledge about sociocultural characteristics, health risks, and cultural healing traditions of First Nations and Inuit people. Although the results indicated an increase in the knowledge of the culture of First Nations and Inuit peoples, it is unclear whether the students felt better prepared to provide TDE to this population. For future research, the investigators would examine what learning experiences and further changes to the curriculum could be provided to facilitate the level of preparedness to successfully deliver TDE.
Communication Skills in Dental Students: New Data Regarding Retention and Generalization of Training Effects
Authors: Broder Hillary L. , Janal Malvin , Mitnick Danielle M. , Rodriguez Jasmine Y. , Sischo Lacey
Published: June 2020

Previous studies have shown that a communications program using patient instructors (PIs) facilitates data‐gathering and interpersonal skills of third‐year dental students. The aim of this study was to address the question of whether those skills are retained into the students’ fourth year and generalized from the classroom to the clinic. In the formative training phase, three cohorts of D3 students (N=1,038) at one dental school received instruction regarding effective patient‐doctor communication; interviewed three PIs and received PI feedback; and participated in a reflective seminar with a behavioral science instructor. In the follow‐up competency phase, fourth‐year students performed two new patient interviews in the clinic that were observed and evaluated by clinical dental faculty members trained in communications. Mean scores on a standardized communications rating scale and data‐gathering assessment were compared over training and follow‐up sessions and between cohorts with a linear mixed model. The analysis showed that the third‐year students’ mean communication and data‐gathering scores increased with each additional encounter with a PI (p<0.05) and that communication scores were not only maintained but increased during the fourth‐year follow‐up competency evaluations (p<0.05). Based on changes in the communications curriculum, prior instruction facilitated the students’ clinical communication performance at baseline (p<0.05). This study suggests that the current Clinical Communications program improved students’ data‐gathering and interpersonal skills. Those skills were maintained and generalized through completion of the D4 students’ summative competency performance in a clinical setting.
Evaluation of a Comprehensive Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program: Dental Students’ Perceptions of Preparedness and Clinical Practice
Authors: Mackie Zainab F. , Loewen Jill M. , Savaya Mathew G.
Published: June 2020

The aims of this study were to assess dental students’ perceptions of their preparedness for providing treatment for tobacco dependence and to determine if their training resulted in successful practice in the dental school clinic. Since the tobacco dependence treatment program began at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, all third‐ and fourth‐year dental students have been required to complete an online survey about their attitudes and experience with tobacco dependence treatment. This descriptive study and retrospective analysis utilized these survey data from the initiation of the program in fall 2002 through 2010 (615 third‐year and 590 fourth‐year students, for a total of 1,205, all of whom participated in the surveys). The results showed that most of the students believed they were at least adequately prepared to provide treatment. The majority said they ask patients about tobacco use and advise patients about its negative health consequences, yet the average of their perception of patient interest in quitting was below 18%. Although the students reported being at least adequately prepared to assess patient interest in quitting, their assessment was much lower than the nearly 70% of U.S. tobacco users that general studies have found are interested in quitting. These students’ perception of such low patient interest reflects a misconception they may have about their own preparedness, and it suggests a barrier exists for them in providing effective tobacco dependence treatment services. This perception signals a need for curriculum and assessment changes to increase the effectiveness of this school's tobacco dependence treatment program.
Psychometric Validation of the Academic Motivation Scale in a Dental Student Sample
Authors: Orsini Cesar , Binnie Vivian , Evans Phillip , Ledezma Priscilla , Fuentes Fernando , Villegas Maria J.
Published: June 2020

The Academic Motivation Scale is one of the most frequently used instruments to assess academic motivation. It relies on the self‐determination theory of human motivation. However, motivation has been understudied in dental education. Therefore, to address the lack of valid instruments to assess academic motivation in dental education and contribute to future research in the field, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of this instrument in a sample of dental students. Participants were 989 Chilean undergraduate dental students (86% response rate) who completed a survey containing a Chilean face‐valid version of the Spanish Academic Motivation Scale and three other motivation‐related instruments to assess the survey's construct and criterion validity. Later, 76 of the students (out of 100 invited) took the survey again to assess its test‐retest stability. The instrument's construct validity was supported by the superior goodness of fit of the seven‐subscale Academic Motivation Scale over competing models through confirmatory factor analysis and by the expected correlations among its subscales. The concurrent criterion validity was supported by the confirmation of correlations between its subscales and external criteria. Adequate internal consistency and test‐retest correlations were also found. The evidence from this study suggests that the Academic Motivation Scale is a preliminarily valid and reliable instrument to assess motivation in the predoctoral dental context. Future research in this area is needed to confirm or refute these results.
Incorporating Experiential Learning Techniques to Improve Self‐Efficacy in Clinical Special Care Dentistry Education
Authors: Watters Amber L. , Stabulas‐Savage Jeanine , Toppin James D. , Janal Malvin N. , Robbins Miriam R.
Published: June 2020

The New York University College of Dentistry has introduced a clinical rotation for fourth‐year dental students that focuses on treating people with special health care needs (PSN). The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that clinical experience in treating patients with special health care needs during predoctoral education is associated with increased self‐assessed student ability and comfort and therefore self‐efficacy. The study also investigated whether other characteristics, such as prior personal or volunteer experience with this population, service‐mindedness, and/or the inclination to treat underserved populations, were associated with comfort in treating PSN. A survey was used to assess changes in students’ perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding treating PSN before and after the clinical experience for July 2012–June 2013. The survey included questions about students’ service‐mindedness, comfort, perceptions of abilities of PSN and educational importance of learning to treat PSN, desire for clinical experience, and future intent or interest in treating PSN. Out of 364 students invited to participate, 127 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 34.9%. The results showed statistically significant increases on six items following training: impressions about the importance of oral health among PSN, comfort in treating people with cognitive disabilities and with medical complexities, intent to treat PSN in future practice, interest in including PSN in postgraduate training, and belief that PSN could be treated in the private practice setting. These students reported preferring to learn in the clinical setting over didactic instruction. This clinical experience was associated with improved self‐efficacy in treating PSN and increased intentions to treat this population in future practice. Improvements were particularly evident among those with the least prior experience with PSN and were independent of other aspects of the students’ past experience, future goals, or personality characteristics.
Attitudes of Korean Dental Students Toward Individuals with Special Health Care Needs
Authors: Lee Hyo‐Seol , Jung Hoi In , Kim Seon‐Mi , Kim Jiyoen , Doh Re Mee , Lee Jae‐Ho
Published: June 2020

The purposes of this study were to ascertain the attitudes of dental students toward individuals with special health care needs (SHCNs) in Korea and to elucidate the characteristics associated with these attitudes. The authors recruited students from four of the 11 dental schools in Korea to participate in a survey; these schools were selected for regional balance. The Scale of Attitudes toward Disabled Persons (SADP) was used as the primary survey instrument, and ten independent variables were included. Of the 1,100 possible participants, 1,057 responded to the survey, for a response rate of 96.1%. The results showed that although the students’ attitudes did not differ significantly by gender, their attitudes did show statistically significant differences on nine other variables: age, year, religion, self‐esteem, friends with a disability, volunteering, admission course, concern for individuals with SHCNs, and intention to treat individuals with SHCNs (all p<0.05). The attitudes of these Korean dental students toward individuals with SHCNs were relatively unfavorable, showing lower SADP scores than reported in Western countries and likely reflecting Eastern cultural values in general. Future efforts should place greater emphasis on special care dentistry education and encourage the development of more favorable attitudes regarding the treatment of individuals with SHCNs.
Assessing Critical Thinking Outcomes of Dental Hygiene Students Utilizing Virtual Patient Simulation: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Allaire Joanna L.
Published: June 2020

Dental hygiene educators must determine which educational practices best promote critical thinking, a quality necessary to translate knowledge into sound clinical decision making. The aim of this small pilot study was to determine whether virtual patient simulation had an effect on the critical thinking of dental hygiene students. A pretest‐posttest design using the Health Science Reasoning Test was used to evaluate the critical thinking skills of senior dental hygiene students at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston Dental Hygiene Program before and after their experience with computer‐based patient simulation cases. Additional survey questions sought to identify the students’ perceptions of whether the experience had helped develop their critical thinking skills and improved their ability to provide competent patient care. A convenience sample of 31 senior dental hygiene students completed both the pretest and posttest (81.5% of total students in that class); 30 senior dental hygiene students completed the survey on perceptions of the simulation (78.9% response rate). Although the results did not show a significant increase in mean scores, the students reported feeling that the use of virtual patients was an effective teaching method to promote critical thinking, problem‐solving, and confidence in the clinical realm. The results of this pilot study may have implications to support the use of virtual patient simulations in dental hygiene education. Future research could include a larger controlled study to validate findings from this study.
Impact of Technique‐Specific Operative Videos on First‐Year Dental Students’ Performance of Restorative Procedures
Authors: Patel Shalizeh A. , Barros Juliana A. , Clark Christina M. , Frey Gary N. , Streckfus Charles F. , Quock Ryan L.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of psychomotor operative video demonstrations on first‐year dental students who are performing specific procedures for the first time in a preclinical setting. The class was randomly divided into two groups, and three restorative procedures were selected. On the date on which each procedure was to be performed in the preclinical laboratory for the first time, one group (experimental, n=50) was shown a technique video for that specific procedure immediately before commencing the exercise; the control cohort (n=50) did not view the video. Technical performance on procedures was evaluated by students and two calibrated and blinded examiners. The students’ perceptions of the experience were also collected in a survey. All first‐year students participated in the study, for a 100% response rate. A Mann‐Whitney U test did not show any group differences in technical performance (mean values on preparation: 77.1 vs. 77.8; amalgam: 82.7 vs. 82.8; composite: 79.7 vs. 78.0). A Spearman rho test revealed a significantly higher correlation in 13 out of 25 evaluation categories between student self‐assessment and blinded examiner assessment for the experimental group. A chi‐square test of questionnaire responses revealed a positive student perception of administering these videos for the preparation (X2=4.8, p<0.03), the amalgam restoration (X2=12.4, p<0.001), and the composite restoration (X2=11.3, p<0.001). The psychomotor video demonstrations did not immediately improve student performance on preclinical operative procedures, but they were well received by students and augmented self‐assessment ability. These findings suggest that videos can be a useful teaching aid in a preclinical environment, especially regarding comprehension of concepts.
Annual ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors: 2014 Graduating Class
Authors: Wanchek Tanya , Cook Bryan J. , Anderson Eugene L. , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

This study presents the results of the annual American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Survey of Dental School Seniors for the graduating class of 2014. Where appropriate, data from past surveys are incorporated to show changes over time. The survey covers a range of topics, including students’ decisions to pursue a dental career, dental school experience, financing of dental education, planned activities after graduation, and perceived preparation to treat underserved groups. The survey response rate was 84% and included respondents from all 58 U.S. dental schools with graduating classes in 2014. The findings characterize who is entering the dental profession, how they will contribute to the dental workforce, and whether schools are meeting the perceived needs of students. Following graduation, these seniors reported primarily planning to enter private practice (45%) or advanced dental education (38%). Of those going into private practice, 65% planned to be an associate at a private dental practice. Nearly 11% had no educational debt, while the remaining respondents averaged $247,227 in total educational debt. Although few seniors intended to teach immediately after graduation, over half planned to teach at some point in the future. Finally, most of these seniors reported that their schools had generally met their perceived needs; agreed or strongly agreed that the time spent on most subject areas was appropriate; and agreed or strongly agreed that their school's curriculum had adequately prepared them to practice in settings with culturally and ethnically diverse patients. Among the demographic findings were that a quarter of the seniors were from lower income families. These students were more likely to have become interested in dentistry as a career prior to undergraduate studies than did the higher income students. These and other results from the survey provide a look into the experiences and perceptions of new dental professionals.
Dental Student Academic Integrity in U.S. Dental Schools: Current Status and Recommendations for Enhancement
Authors: Graham Bruce S. , Knight G. William , Graham Linda
Published: June 2020

Cheating incidents in 2006–07 led U.S. dental schools to heighten their efforts to enhance the environment of academic integrity in their institutions. The aims of this study were to document the measures being used by U.S. dental schools to discourage student cheating, determine the current incidence of reported cheating, and make recommendations for enhancing a culture of integrity in dental education. In late 2014‐early 2015, an online survey was distributed to academic deans of all 61 accredited U.S. dental schools that had four classes of dental students enrolled; 50 (82%) responded. Among measures used, 98% of respondents reported having policy statements regarding student academic integrity, 92% had an Honor Code, 96% provided student orientation to integrity policies, and most used proctoring of final exams (91%) and tests (93%). Regarding disciplinary processes, 27% reported their faculty members only rarely reported suspected cheating (though required in 76% of the schools), and 40% disseminated anonymous results of disciplinary hearings. A smaller number of schools (n=36) responded to the question about student cheating than to other questions; those results suggested that reported cheating had increased almost threefold since 1998. The authors recommend that schools add cheating case scenarios to professional ethics curricula; disseminate outcomes of cheating enforcement actions; have students sign a statement attesting to compliance with academic integrity policies at every testing activity; add curricular content on correct writing techniques to avoid plagiarism; require faculty to distribute retired test items; acquire examination‐authoring software programs to enable faculty to generate new multiple‐choice items and different versions of the same multiple‐choice tests; avoid take‐home exams when assessing independent student knowledge; and utilize student assessment methods directly relevant to clinical practice.
Development of a Drilling Simulator for Dental Implant Surgery
Authors: Kinoshita Hideaki , Nagahata Masahiro , Takano Naoki , Takemoto Shinji , Matsunaga Satoru , Abe Shinichi , Yoshinari Masao , Kawada Eiji
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a dental implant surgery simulator that allows learners to experience the drilling forces necessary to perform an osteotomy in the posterior mandibular bone. The simulator contains a force‐sensing device that receives input and counteracts this force, which is felt as resistance by the user. The device consists of an actuator, a load cell, and a control unit. A mandibular bone model was fabricated in which the predicted forces necessary to drill the cortical and trabecular bone were determined via micro CT image‐based 3D finite element analysis. The simulator was evaluated by five dentists from the Department of Implantology at Tokyo Dental College. The ability of the evaluators to distinguish the drilling resistance through different regions of the mandibular bone was investigated. Of the five dentists, four sensed the change in resistance when the drill perforated the upper cortical bone. All five dentists were able to detect when the drill made contact with lingual cortical bone and when the lingual bone was perforated. This project successfully developed a dental implant surgery simulator that allows users to experience the forces necessary to drill through types of bone encountered during osteotomy. Furthermore, the researchers were able to build a device by which excessive drilling simulates a situation in which the lingual cortical bone is perforated—a situation that could lead to negative repercussions in a clinical setting. The simulator was found to be useful to train users to recognize the differences in resistance when drilling through the mandibular bone.
Impact of Digital Tooth Preparation Evaluation Technology on Preclinical Dental Students’ Technical and Self‐Evaluation Skills
Authors: Gratton David G. , Kwon So Ran , Blanchette Derek , Aquilino Steven A.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of digital tooth preparation imaging and evaluation technology on dental students’ technical abilities, self‐evaluation skills, and the assessment of their simulated clinical work. A total of 80 second‐year students at one U.S. dental school were assigned to one of three groups: control (n=40), E4D Compare (n=20), and Sirona prepCheck (n=20). Students in the control group were taught by traditional teaching methodologies, and the technology‐assisted groups received both traditional training and supplementary feedback from the corresponding digital system. Three outcomes were measured: faculty technical score, self‐evaluation score, and E4D Compare scores at 0.30 mm tolerance. Correlations were determined between the groups’ scores from visual assessment and self‐evaluation and between the visual assessment and digital scores. The results showed that the visual assessment and self‐evaluation scores did not differ among groups (p>0.05). Overall, correlations between visual and digital assessment scores were modest though statistically significant (5% level of significance). These results suggest that the use of digital tooth preparation evaluation technology did not impact the students’ prosthodontic technical and self‐evaluation skills. Visual scores given by faculty and digital assessment scores correlated moderately in only two instances.