bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of project ACORDE materials: applied evaluative research in a preclinical technique course
Authors: Shugars DA , Trent PJ , Heymann HO
Published: June 2020

Two instructional strategies, the traditional lecture method and a standardized self‐instructional (ACORDE) format, were compared for efficiency and perceived usefulness in a preclinical restorative dentistry technique course through the use of a posttest‐only control group research design. Control and experimental groups were compared on (a) technique grades, (b) didactic grades, (c) amount of time spent, (d) student and faculty perceptions, and (e) observation of social dynamics. The results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of Project ACORDE materials in teaching dental students, provided an example of applied research designed to test contemplated instructional innovations prior to use and used a method which highlighted qualitative, as well as quantitative, techniques for data gathering in applied research.
Status of the predoctoral dental education program and its impact on graduate dental education
Authors: Allen DL
Published: June 2020

This discussion paper prepared for the Task Force on Graduate (Postdoctoral) Dental Education generally describes the status of the current pre‐doctoral dental program and its relationship with graduate dental education. Factors that have influenced the dental curriculum in the last ten years are presented. Major changes that have occurred and are projected to occur in the predoctoral program and their potential impact on graduate dental education are discussed. Some of the major issues facing dental education in general are outlined. A proposal is presented for greater flexibility in dental education, both at the predoctoral and advanced levels, which would permit more interaction among the several programs. This flexibility is presented not only from the standpoint of enhanced educational opportunities, but also from a cost‐effective point of view.
Evaluation of a technique alloy for use in teaching intracoronal cast gold procedures
Authors: Franco SJ , Kelsey WP
Published: June 2020

The instability of the gold market has not diminished the position of the intracoronal cast gold restoration as the treatment of choice in certain clinical situations. While cast gold inlay and onlay techniques will probably remain part of the dental school curriculum, the cost factor in teaching these procedures at the preclinical level can be minimized by using a less expensive technique alloy. One such alloy was evaluated for suitability as a gold substitute in teaching the fabrication of the intracoronal cast gold restoration. The remarkable similarity of the handling characteristics of this metal to type I and type II casting gold alloys is discussed.
Academic and disciplinary dismissal in dental education: the legal basis
Authors: Moore RN , Nash DA , Andes JO
Published: June 2020

The courts have traditionally granted universities absolute discretion in determining whether a student has met the academic requirements of the institution and have not interfered in dismissals unless there was a clear indication that the action was arbitrary, capricious, or in bad faith. Recent court cases are cited that indicate that the courts are now beginning to require that students be informed of academic (including clinical) deficiencies and be provided the opportunity to correct the problem. When the dismissal is for disciplinary rather than academic reasons, more procedural due process is required. Although a formal judicial hearing is unnecessary, the dental administrator should be given an opportunity to hear both sides of the issue in considerable detail and the student should be given the essential elements of procedural due process of law.
Retention of part‐time faculty
Authors: Powell GL
Published: June 2020

Part‐time faculty members are a large and important part of teaching programs at dental schools across the nation. Retaining part‐time faculty members is important in order to provide consistency of instruction and because training new faculty requires time and effort that otherwise would go into building a stronger teaching program. This paper discusses methods used at the University of Washington School of Dentistry department of restorative dentistry to keep the part‐time faculty actively engaged in dental education year after year. These methods include involving the faculty members in the entire teaching program, providing them with inservice training, and doing some personal things for them. The methods have proved successful as shown by the retention rate in the last three years.
Reliability of scaling error detection
Authors: Biller IR , Kerber PE
Published: June 2020

Reliability of scaling error detection among dental hygiene instructors is a basis for grade equity. This study tested statistically (ANOVA) grading reliability and variance factors using ten students' scaling performance scores while treating 34 patients. Nine instructors were grouped according to experience, and the patients were grouped according to four difficulty levels. The interinstructor differences were significant in the inexperienced group only. Variance analysis implied that 26 to 94 percent of the grade given is due to instructor differences rather than the students' performances. Experienced graduate students graded most consistently (26 percent of variance due to instructor differences) while faculty were less consistent (64 percent) and inexperienced graduate students exhibited marked inconsistency (94 percent). Error detection appeared to be more closely related to the instructors' educational background than to experience. Results of the study suggest the need for clinical rotation of instructors as well as for instructor calibration.
Lidocaine metabolism and toxicity: a laboratory experiment for dental students
Authors: Kusek JC
Published: June 2020

A laboratory exercise for dental students based on a modification of the classical pentobarbital sleeping‐time experiment is presented. The substitution of a toxic dose of lidocaine in place of an anesthetic dose of pentobarbital allows demonstration of the same general principles of drug metabolism, i.e., induction of the hepatic drug metabolizing systems by phenobarbital, reduction of hepatic drug metabolism by liver damage or disease, or both, and the relationship between the rate of drug detoxification and the duration and intensity of drug effects. However, the use of lidocaine demonstrates its toxic and lethal actions and increases the relevance of the experience for dental students.
Activities by the schools to improve the distribution of dentists: an AADS report
Authors: McDonald RE , Barton P
Published: June 2020

It appears that most dental schools have not yet become actively involved in efforts to solve maldistribution problems. However, there seems to be increasing interest in the potential benefits of extramural experience programs. Coordination of efforts by the schools, the state dental associations, and the state boards of dental examiners is very limited, but is clearly needed. Admissions committees seem to be trying to take into account the needs of rural areas and the inner city as well. Finally, the results of the survey point up the need for further study of these problems and of the value of particular approaches to them.
Computer‐based management of a clinical teaching program
Authors: Fast TB , Stringfellow HR , Cammett SM
Published: June 2020

A management system is described that uses a computer to assist in the matching of patients and dental students, the monitoring of patient care, and the tracking of student clinical progress in a teaching environment that emphasizes the comprehensive patient care approach.
Interpretation and use of the dental admission and aptitude tests
Authors: Boyd MA , Teteruck WR , Thompson GW
Published: June 2020

Despite the fact that all dental school applicants in Canada are required to take the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and their counterparts in the United States take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), there is an apparent lack of understanding in the translation and application of the information provided by the test. A review of the literature might assist admissions committee members in interpreting DAT results and in making more sound decisions in selecting students, To put the information into perspective, a brief overview of the history of the DAT, its composition, underlying concepts, and the problems of validation and guidelines for its use are presented.
Correlates of the orthodontic aspects of the general dentist's practice
Authors: Manasse RJ , Dooley RJ
Published: June 2020

A study was undertaken to determine the extent of orthodontic referrals and treatment performed by general dentists. The relevance of this study to dental education was found in attempting to ascertain the extent and type of predoctoral training of general dentists and relating this to the number of referrals and the extent and type of orthodontic treatment performed by the general practitioner. Results indicate that those general practitioners who graduated after 1945 tend to make significantly more referals than earlier graduates, and that general practitioners who had treated patients orthodontically in their predoctoral training tend to continue doing so in practice.
Dental school capitation – an historical perspective
Authors: Winslow JE , Warren GB
Published: June 2020

The Health Professions Capitation Grant program was in existence for nine years. At its inception the capitation grant program was intended principally to be an incentive program for various health professions schools, dental schools among them, to increase the output of manpower. In recent years, the program had changed its emphasis for dental schools to curricular modifications designed to improve the geographic and specialty distribution of dental graduates. All the same time the appropriations for the program had steadily declined since 1972. These developments and the legislative actions that led to the termination of the capitation program are reviewed.
Inservice training for part‐time dental faculty
Authors: Powell GL , Barrett JE
Published: June 2020

Part‐time faculty outnumber full‐time faculty in clinical dentistry departments. They spend many hours in contact with students and often serve as role models of dental practitioners. Yet, part‐time faculty have had very little formal training in instructional techniques. This article describes an inservice training program for part‐time faculty involving workshops, weekly meetings, and practice sessions. The program was developed to provide training in some basic teaching techniques. Part‐time faculty were given an instructional manual and copies of student syllabi and the opportunity to participate in the development and use of the student criteria sheets. The results of the program indicate that the faculty felt the program was an effective use of their time and they will accept, and even look forward to, future inservice training opportunities.
The necessity for trained advanced dental professionals
Authors: Hillenbrand H
Published: June 2020

The differentiation of the workforce in dentistry is discussed in terms of its history, the development of the specialties, and advanced education. The differentiations in the general practitioner workforce, through general practice residencies and the proposed advanced educational programs in general dentistry, are discussed. The possibility of further differentiation in the workforce by drastic changes in Section 18 of the Principles of Ethics of the American Dental Association (ADA) is analyzed and evaluated. The differentiations in the dental auxiliary workforce are noted and some conclusions and recommendations in all of these areas are presented.
Interschool relationships in academic health centers
Authors: Morris AL
Published: June 2020

Within academic health centers there exists a well‐established “pecking order” which influences daily life. Interschool relationships are inextricably bound to fundamental interprofessional relationships and ultimately to the relationships of individuals from different professions. This paper explores the behavior of individual professionals in seeking an understanding of the way things happen, or do not happen, between schools in academic health centers. Interschool relationships in administration, basic science education, and interdisciplinary clinical education are discussed.
Dental nursing in Suriname: training and deployment
Authors: Guile EE , Hagens E , de Miranda JC
Published: June 2020

A program for training dental nurses in Suriname is described. The objective of the program is to alleviate the serious manpower shortage in a country with 16 dentists for a population of 400,000. The program is compared with others in the world to demonstrate unique characteristics. This program is one more indicator of the growing trend in developing countries toward using the dental nurse model for alleviating the high rate of oral diseases found in children and young adults.
Dental education in the Netherlands
Authors: Nash DA , Plasschaert AJ , Verdonschot EH
Published: June 2020

Dental education varies throughout the world as a result of the unique circumstances and needs of each country. The dental educator can derive benefit by comparing and contrasting different systems. Dental education in the Netherlands is characterized in this paper by summarizing several of it components. Dental practice is reviewed and the development of dental education traced. The structure and functioning of a typical school of of dentistry is discussed as well as admissions, student finances, curriculum, and certification. In addition, postgraduate and auxilliary education are reviewed.
A computer‐based approach to analyzing a patient pool
Authors: Wooten RK
Published: June 2020

A mechanism for analyzing a patient pool using the computer is described. This system, used by the division of dental hygiene at Virginia Commonwealth University, is presented as a model for evaluating patients profiles. The in‐depth analysis provided by this method is helpful in determining whether the patient‐related needs of the education program are being met. Descriptions of the various patients parameters are provided, and guidelines are presented to assist those institutions considering such a system
Screening for specific learning disabilities among dental students
Authors: Parks AW , Antonoff SJ , Drake C , Olivier C , Sedita J , Weiss I , Daddi B
Published: June 2020

At a time when recognition of the needs of handicapped students is of great concern, many handicapped persons have not yet been identified. Even with the advent of legislation mandating educational equity for all handicapped students, those with specific learning disabilities (SLD) still remain unidentified or unserved by institutions of higher education. In 1979, New York University College of Dentistry instituted a classwide screening and testing program for SLD students. The program sought to identify accepted students “at risk” for SLD through the administration of a two‐hour battery of tests designed by learning disabilities specialists. Follow‐up in‐depth evaluations yielded a 90 percent accuracy rate on correct identification of SLD students based on the screening results. This article presents specific test results, analyses of data, and comparison of self‐report measures and suggests educational implications, including suggestions for program accommodations.
A practical evaluation system for preclinical restorative dentistry
Authors: Edwards WS , Morse PK , Mitchell RJ
Published: June 2020

This paper describes an attempt to build a functional evaluation system incorporating several aspects of the evaluation process that have been advocated in educational research. The system–which employs performance criteria, analytical grading, rater calibration, student self‐evaluation, mark‐sense grading forms, and computer tabulation–has been in effect for six years at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. The main advantages of this approach are prompt, specific feedback to students concerning their performance on practical exams and diagnostic aids to course directors. In addition, rater calibration has resulted in interrater reliability usually around 0.80 or higher. The major disadvantages of the system are the faculty time required and dependence on a computer.
Tenure in U.S. and Canadian dental schools
Authors: Scheetz JP , Mendel RW
Published: June 2020

This paper presents information about how tenure decisions are made in dental schools and examines dental deans' opinions regarding the value of the tenure system. Deans view teaching ability and scholarly accomplishments as the most important factors in tenure decisions. The tenure process usually involves a series of reviews by different groups of individuals. Deans perceive tenured faculty as having the greatest degree of influence in the decision to award or deny tenure. In addition, deans regard tenure as motivating younger faculty members to achieve excellence in teaching and scholarship. Deans also feel that the award of tenure is not detrimental to the continued productivity of faculty members.
Hypnosis in dental education: a survey of U.S. dental schools, 1980
Authors: Simpson RB , Dedmon H , Logan N , Jakobsen J
Published: June 2020

This paper reports the results of a 1980 survey of the teaching of hypnosis in U.S. dental schools. Responses were received from 60 dental schools. Information was obtained on hypnosis education in both the predoctoral and postdoctoral curriculums, including what is being taught, how hypnosis education is structured in the curriculum, who is teaching hypnosis, the number of students receiving hypnosis education, and attitudes and policies about hypnosis education. Results of this survey were compared to previous surveys by Parrish (1973) and Scott (1977, for the United Kingdom). The survey reveals a gradual increase in the number of U.S. dental schools teaching hypnosis.
A risk management program for dental schools
Authors: Pollack BR , Waldman HB
Published: June 2020

Risk management is an organized activity designed to reduce the risk of legal claims and minimize the awards that arise as a result of professional and general negligence by the staff of an institution. As a result of the malpractice crisis, the accompanying unprecedented rise in insurance costs, and the transformation of dental school clinics to include the role of providing services to the community, Risk Management Programs are assuming an ever‐increasing prominence. This article describes the development and organization of the Risk Management Program at one school.
An alternative approach to teaching statistics to dental students
Authors: Hutton JG , Levy RA , Martin HB
Published: June 2020

From a review of the literature, instruction in statistics appears to be common in dental schools but beset with problems. Based, in part, on several surveys of the statistics content of dental literature, there is some general agreement that dentists‐in‐training need to acquire a working knowledge of statistics. Content guidelines developed for health science statistics courses are available and are considered entirely appropriate for dental education. Several authors have suggested that computer‐assisted instruction is ideally suited to minimize the problems encountered in teaching statistics to dental students. Computer‐assisted instruction is expensive, however, and self‐instruction using a programmed text was found, on the basis of preliminary evaluation, to be an effective and inexpensive alternative.
A predental career program in a postgraduate institution
Authors: Jensen OE , Brunette PM
Published: June 2020

Providing potential dental school applicants with a realistic exposure to the practice of dentistry, in cooperation with undergraduate career counseling offices, is one way to ensure adequate recruitment of qualified and motivated individuals. The Department of General Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Center has operated such a structured volunteer program for interested high school and college students for the past three years. Twenty‐six students have completed the program, and their responses have been extremely positive. In almost all cases, the students have been valuable and popular adjuncts in the operation of the postgraduate training program. The experience gives the students insight into the profession of dentistry and provides them with a rational basis for making career decisions.
Resolved: that a fifth year of dental education be a requirement. Remarks for the affirmative
Authors: Morris AL , Hasler JF , Mulvihill JE
Published: June 2020

Evidence has been presented that leading deans of dental schools and leaders of the AADS support the assertion that the current four‐year dental curriculum is overcrowded. Furthermore, it has been shown that the magnitude of the problem of overcrowding is regarded as serious and has been so recognized for at least twenty years. Evidence was also presented that educators, students, and the practicing profession support the assertion that the current four‐year curriculum does not prepare students adequately for dental practice. Evidence was then presented that the overcrowding and inadequacies of the current curriculum cannot be corrected by merely manipulating or restructuring curricular elements within the context of predental and four years of predoctoral education. Finally, it was shown that, in the opinion of educators and students, the overcrowding and inadequacies of the current four‐year curriculum can be overcome by establishing a fifth year of dental education as a requirement.
Career options for the dental graduate: report of a conference
Authors: Neidle EA
Published: June 2020

The unexpectedly high attendance (over five hundred) at the conference and the large number of individuals who had to be turned away provide proof that there is considerable interest in diverse dental careers. Interest is high not only among students and recent graduates: there were members of classes ranging from 1940 to 1985 in attendance. Another conference on the same topic in January in another region of the country also attests to the worthwhile information imparted by such a conference. Finally, it is safe to say that the dental degree has been too narrowly viewed in terms of its career potential, and that dental graduates believed, in the past, that they were prepared to do a very limited range of things. The conference established beyond doubt that it is possible to enter a variety of dentally related careers, either directly from dental school or after some period in private practice, and speakers offered concrete advice on how this might best be done. In a recent article on predoctoral dental education in the 1980s, Dr. Louis Terkla made the basic assumption that, in the future, “schools of dentistry will revise their practice planning courses to orient and prepare graduating students to assume career roles other than as solo practitioners.” The Conference on Career Options for the Dental Graduate subserved that goal.
An instructional resource center in a senior dental clinic
Authors: Berrong JM , Hendricson WD , Evans JJ
Published: June 2020

This paper describes the development of an instructional materials resource center designed specifically for senior dental students. The resource center is located on the clinic floor near the students' operatories. Development of the resource center began with a needs assessment involving 60 dental students and faculty from the General Practice Department. A pilot series of six slide‐tape programs, developed to determine the best format for subsequent materials, was field‐tested with senior dental students. The students exceeded the field test minimum competency level of 80 percent on each of the pilot programs. Students using a self‐instructional format outperformed students who received a version without standard self‐instructional elements on five of six tests; the differences were statistically significant on three tests. Cost‐effective production techniques have reduced the development cost of subsequent programs to below a hundred dollars per program. Twenty programs were completed in the 1981–82 academic year.
Nonrestricted multiple‐choice examination items
Authors: Kolstad R , Goaz P , Kolstad R
Published: June 2020

Multiple‐choice items are frequently used in objective examinations. The format chosen should conform to the nature of the instruction. Knowledge about cumulative information, such as lists of attributes, can be tested efficiently by means of multiple‐choice items that include a variable number of correct answers. In contrast to conventional, single‐answer questions, nonrestricted multiple‐choice items are capable of including more facts and fewer incorrect responses. In addition, the nonrestricted format is not burdened with the repetitious pattern of one correct answer coupled with several incorrect responses, a cue that may promote successful guessing. Item analyses can be performed on examinations that include both conventional and nonrestricted items. The reliability of one examination constructed totally with nonrestricted items was analyzed by means of the Kuder‐Richardson Formula No. 20. The value 0.72 proved this examination to be both discriminating and consistent.
The admission index in the dental school admissions process
Authors: Staat RH , Yancey JM
Published: June 2020

Preprofessional students' grade point averages (GPAs) and aptitude test scores have been moderately successful in predicting student performance in dental school. The authors attempted to improve the predictability of the school's admission process by combining several preprofessional academic averages and selected nongraded personal attributes into a single Admission Index (AI) score. A Pearson r of 0.67 was found for the relationship between the AI and first‐year dental school GPA for University of Louisville dental students accepted into the class of 1984. The correlation coefficient generated from the AI and first‐year dental school GPA was markedly superior to those generated by any single predictor. The authors propose that the AI is of value not only for its use in the admission process, but also in the development of an interceptive student monitoring program for the less‐qualified student.
Preoperative assessment for practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons
Authors: Webb CH , Lebowitz MS
Published: June 2020

A three‐day workshop was designed for practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons to review the clinical skills needed for preoperative assessment. The intent of the workshop was to prepare participants for broader hospital privileges under the new recommendations of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. The course was characterized by small group interaction and team‐teaching involving physicians and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Instruction included observation of simulated cases, a review of the documentation of such encounters, lecture‐discussions, and examination of patients with positive physical findings.
A practicum for oral cancer teaching
Authors: Barr CE , Goldberg MD
Published: June 2020

This article describes a hospital‐based method for teaching oral cancer to general practice residents, which involves the use of patients for whom the residents are responsible. The residents present prepared cases of patients of the hospital dental department according to a predetermined protocol. These conferences begin with a talk on a subject germane to the cases being presented and include complete documentation of clinical history and laboratory findings, photographs, projection of microscope slides of the lesion, and a thorough discussion of therapy and rehabilitation. The residents have had significant contact with the cancer patients from the time of initial patient complaint to completion of therapy. The practicum is based on thorough case review and builds on didactic information provided in the undergraduate dental school curriculum.
Model for cost‐containment planning in dental clinics
Authors: Bauer LB
Published: June 2020

Cost‐containment possibilities in dental clinics present complex challenges to dental clinic management in the 1980s. A hypothetical model using mean cost components has been presented, together with strategies for cost reduction. Although clinical cost management is a complex task, these costs are the most significant and manageable in the dental school. Clinical cost containment is related to curriculum, faculty ego, staff morale, and many other factors separate from clinic operations. Rational cost containment requires a thorough understanding of the relative value of various costs and of the interrelation of costs, as well as firm commitment to control these costs by responsible faculty, particularly the dean. The escalating effect of uncontrolled clinical costs may result in the financial downfall of some schools in the 1980s. The observation that in the average dental school costs exceed income by a factor of approximately 3.5:1 (with an estimated range of 2:1 to 30:1) suggests that cutting costs in many schools may be more effective than raising clinic income. With inflation, the effect of the predominant cost factor versus income becomes more significant over time.
The guided design strategy in the biochemistry laboratory
Authors: Adams AB
Published: June 2020

This article describes a nontraditional biochemistry laboratory course for first‐year dental students. The course consisted of two laboratory exercises adapted to the guided design strategy and a short research project. The major advantage of the guided design laboratories was subjectively determined to be the development of problem‐solving skills, which students previously enrolled in a traditional laboratory course seemed to lack. Students exposed to the guided design approach successfully applied these skills when performing their research projects. These students also reflected a better understanding of the biochemical principles encountered. The major disadvantages were the great amount of faculty time required to prepare the guided design materials and the reduced amount of subject matter covered. Student evaluation scores of the new laboratory program showed dramatic improvement over those for the traditional laboratories. In addition, students' attitudes toward the new biochemistry laboratories were more positive than those exhibited in the traditional course.
Review articles for continuing education in pharmacology
Authors: Dionne RA
Published: June 2020

The efficacy of educational review articles as alternatives to traditional continuing education courses in pharmacology was evaluated using pre‐tests and post‐tests and an intrasubject cross‐over design. There was a significant improvement (p less than 0.001) from pre‐test to post‐test in a group of 44 subjects who read an article reviewing the clinical pharmacology of nitrous oxide. This observation suggests that educational review articles may be useful as adjuncts to traditional sources of information for continuing education in pharmacology.
Primates as a teaching model for biopsy
Authors: Margarone JE , Natiella  , Natiella RR
Published: June 2020

It is our intention to poll former participants in this elective to determine their experience in biopsy of oral tissues in practice. To date, student critiques of this elective course have been positive; participants have strongly suggested that we continue this method of instruction. The use of animals can be justified by the fact that experience gained in this course is applicable to the serious problem of early detection of oral cancer. Curricula that include biopsy procedures will produce dentists who will be comfortable using this important diagnostic method in their practices. Studies indicate that more general dentists are utilizing biopsy. It is important that this trend be encouraged, and the use of the nonhuman primate in a course such as that described above is a positive step in this direction.
Is there a need for dental sealants? Epidemiological indications in the 1980s
Authors: Stamm JW
Published: June 2020

This paper has attempted to review dental caries epidemiology as it may relate to the subject of dental sealants. As such, the major emphasis has been on the epidemiology of permanent tooth caries among children and adolescents. The review touched four major areas. First, the current distribution of dental caries and its relationship to various epidemiological factors was discussed as it pertains to North America. Second, the evidence for declining caries experience was reviewed from a North American, European, and Australia/New Zealand perspective. Third, a superficial discussion of dental caries epidemiology in selected developing countries was offered and certain contrasts to caries patterns in developed countries were illustrated. Fourth, a brief attempt was made to evaluate the relative significance of pit and fissure caries in children.
Effectiveness of a dental school program in the prevention of infective endocarditis and other related infections
Authors: Jaspers MT , Little JW , Hartwick WL
Published: June 2020

Dental records of 99 patients for whom a medical consultation was required to establish or eliminate the need for infective endocarditis prophylaxis were examined. The purpose of the review was to determine if the consultative process was effective and if patients requiring antibiotic prophylaxis were managed according to the current American Heart Association guidelines. The record review indicated that the consultative process is effective in determining need but that there are deficiencies in management documentation. An analysis of the consultation replies revealed that dental staff members must be thoroughly familiar with the current American Heart Association recommendations for the prevention of infective endocarditis.
Susceptibility and immunity to hepatitis B and rubella in a dental school population
Authors: Fotos PG , Miller RW , Graham WL , Bowers DC
Published: June 2020

The incidence of hepatitis B infections and the rubella susceptibility of females was assessed in a dental school population, utilizing a commercially available enzyme immunosorbent assay. Surface antibody to hepatitis B virus was found in 8 percent of those individuals who provide direct patient care. The number of subjects nonimmune to rubella virus was 9 percent. Ninety percent of the individuals tested for past hepatitis B infection gave no knowledge of previous illness. More than half of the nonimmune rubella subjects gave a positive history of previous vaccinations or actual measles infection. This study supports the concern that patient histories present some shortcomings when used as monitors of disease history with regard to the rubella and hepatitis B viruses, and demonstrates the value of low‐cost, expedient screening in institutions involved in educating health professionals.
Teaching dental anatomy with light‐activated resins
Authors: Chalkley Y , Denehy GE , Schulein TM
Published: June 2020

A method has been described in which light‐activated resins are incorporated into the dental anatomy laboratory. This procedure is a valuable addition to the anatomy course because students (1) work with a restorative material appropriate for anterior teeth, (2) learn the unique properties of the light‐activated resins, and (3) apply the principles of dental anatomy to a clinically relevant task.
A rater training program in removable prosthodontics
Authors: Weaver  , Saeger W
Published: June 2020

Four faculty members in removable prosthodontics participated in a three‐phase rater training program. Nine complete dentures were given an overall rating by three outside experts to obtain an accuracy measure. A three‐point rating scale was used: R (cannot be appreciably improved), S (clinically acceptable), and T (clinically unacceptable). During the pretraining phase, the average interrater reliability was .57 as estimated by intraclass correlation, and the mean accuracy correlation was .76. The rater training phase consisted of a four‐hour session including presentations and discussions of rating terminology and formats, observer accuracy, and related issues. In the post‐training phase, the same nine complete dentures were rated by the four faculty members, using the same three‐point rating scale and a five‐point scale. The average post‐training interrater reliabilities were .56 and .76 on the three‐ and five‐point scales, respectively. The mean accuracy correlation was .78.
Differences among entering dental classes in attitudes toward health care issues
Authors: Bader JD
Published: June 2020

Attitudes toward social and professional issues in health care were examined for six successive entering classes in a single dental school. Attitudes were assessed on six scales derived by factor analysis of a larger set of questions presented to first‐year students. The analyses focused on detection of annual variations and longer term differences in attitudes, and on associations between attitudes and students' background characteristics. Both annual variations and longer term differences were found, but no strong associations between students' characteristics and attitudes were noted. The finding that entering students' attitudes differ between classes can be of importance to educators' teaching strategies.
Addressing the negative impact of scholarship on dental education
Authors: Mackenzie RS
Published: June 2020

Defined broadly, scholarship is the essence of academic and professional life. In several ways, however, scholarship as defined, perceived, and applied within the university has a negative impact on dental education. When scholarship is defined in terms of numbers of publications, faculty efforts are turned away from other important forms of scholarship. The review process for publication quality is unreliable, and the focus on numbers of publications encourages multiple authorship and papers of less practical significance. The proposed solution of nontenure tracks for clinicians creates its own difficulties. Broadening the definition of scholarship will encourage better clinical teaching, clinical judgment, and clinical assessment of student performance, and will result in more satisfied teachers, students, and alumni, and ultimately in better health care through improved judgments and decision processes. The perception that scholarship is a meaningless university hurdle for clinicians must be dispelled.
Formal instruction in dental professional ethics
Authors: Ozar DT
Published: June 2020

Programs in professional ethics are still in their infancy in American dental schools. Enough has been learned, however, to know that formal instruction in dental professional ethics is essential to such a program and that arguments against this approach cannot withstand careful examination. We have developed a set of aims and a sense of the kinds of subject matter that will enable us to achieve these aims. We are beginning to identify the kinds of individuals and teams needed to teach these courses. We have learned that these courses will not succeed unless they are taken seriously by the dental school community and actively supported by the faculty. What is needed for the teaching of dental professional ethics has become clear. It is time to proceed in earnest.
Format selection in machine‐scored classroom achievement tests
Authors: Kolstad RK , Wagner MJ , Kolstad RA
Published: June 2020

Performance on classroom achievement tests should reflect student accomplishment on a targeted set of instructional objectives. One prerequisite for meaningful edumetric assessment is the structuring of each component item in an appropriate format. In a comparative study measuring the effect of item format on student performance, incorrect choices were selected 2.4‐fold more frequently on multiple choice items than on their content‐identical, multiple true‐false derivatives. On similar trials, scores on complex multiple‐choice items ranged upward of 20 percent higher than on their content‐identical, multiple true‐false counterparts. The strengths and weaknesses of various test item formats are discussed and specific recommendations for format selection are made.
A method to review and revise the dental curriculum
Authors: Collett WK , Gale MA
Published: June 2020

A major problem in dental education has been the inability of dental educators to add to, delete from, and modify the curriculum efficiently. This has been especially true in the case of deleting material that no longer is appropriate and whose presence hinders the addition of new material. Continuous modification of the core curriculum in a systematic and equitable manner is essential to meeting the needs of future graduates. In conjunction with a flexible, modular core curriculum, the review/revision process at the University of Florida College of Dentistry appears to be successful. This paper describes the organizational and operational aspects of this system, discusses experiences with its use over the past ten years, and projects further refinements of the process.
Suggested revisions in the radiology curriculum based on probable future trends
Authors: Kaugars GE , Collett WK , Broga DW
Published: June 2020

Based on the trends noted in a recent survey of dental practitioners, the following areas in the predoctoral dental radiology curriculum should be emphasized: clinical use of rectangular cones; clinical use of E speed intraoral film; theory, maintenance, and use of automatic processors; theory and clinical use of panoramic machines; and opportunities to teach clinical techniques to others.
Danish dental education: a cultural perspective
Authors: Moore R
Published: June 2020

The effects of Danish cultural traditions on dental education in Denmark are described, as well as the system's current structure and developing issues. Some Danish ideas for future exports of dental education programs and dental personnel are also discussed.
Moral reasoning in dental hygiene students
Authors: Newell KJ , Young LJ , Yamoor CM
Published: June 2020

Sixty‐five students participated in a study designed to identify the level of moral reasoning of dental hygiene students. Comparisons were made with typical college students and a normative group composed of individuals representing a cross‐section of ages and educational levels. The relationships among level of moral reasoning and clinical performance, other selected academic measures, and cognitive style were also assessed. The results indicated that post‐certificate dental hygiene students reasoned about moral dilemmas at a higher level than the normative group and at the same level as the college student group. In addition, clinical performance, National Board Dental Hygiene Examination scores, Dental Hygiene Aptitude Test (reading scores), high school rank, and cognitive style correlated positively with level of moral reasoning and specific stages of moral development for postcertificate students.
Description of a faculty‐student group practice
Authors: Colangelo GA , Cohen LA , Serio FG
Published: June 2020

Dental schools are facing budgetary constraints, decreasing clinic patient populations, and increasing competition. At the same time, there is a need to provide students a realistic educational environment. The Dental Practice Systems (DPS) Program is a partially self‐supported student‐faculty group practice designed to address these issues. All individuals appearing for care are accepted into the program. Services are delivered by vertical teams of faculty preceptors, in‐house specialty consultants, dental and dental hygiene students, and appropriate auxiliaries. All third‐ and fourth‐year students rotate through the program providing clinical services. In addition, fourth‐year students are assigned specific managerial responsibilities. The DPS Program maximizes the use of auxiliaries and students, allowing each to function as autonomously as is consistent with good patient care.
Student perception of faculty role models
Authors: Lange B , Friedman R
Published: June 2020

Few studies have been conducted on the effect of faculty role models on dental students. Questionnaires were developed to compare faculty self‐perceptions with dental students' perceptions of the role they desired to achieve. Results indicated a minimal relationship between the self‐perceptions of faculty and the students' identification of their desired future role in the dental profession. Furthermore, faculty were not perceived by students as being the most influential in molding their feelings about the practice of dentistry.
Effect of feedback on student attitudes
Authors: Scheid RC , D'Costa A , Gnezda‐Winter M
Published: June 2020

We sought to determine the change in student attitude toward a testing program when the students used a self‐assessment test and were given computer‐generated feedback. Ninety‐four junior dental students at one school were placed in two groups and surveyed about their attitudes toward the testing program of the Department of Operative Dentistry and themselves as operative dentists. A semantic differential instrument and Likert‐scale questions were used. One week later, the students in the experimental group participated in a self‐assessment and three weeks later received individual, computer‐generated feedback. Both groups were surveyed again at this time. Students in the experimental group exhibited a significant improvement in attitude toward the department's testing program but not toward themselves as operative dentists. The control group showed no significant change in attitude toward either concept.
The inquiry approach in dental hygiene education
Authors: Scott RL , Mayberry WE , Lefcoe D , Harrington MS
Published: June 2020

A study was done to assess the impact of an inquiry‐oriented curriculum in a dental hygiene program. Two instruments, designed to measure student perception of personal and faculty inquiry and disinquiry behavior, were administered to four consecutive classes twice a year between 1978 and 1981. Junior and senior students perceived a significant increase in faculty inquiry behavior and, initially, a decrease in disinquiry behavior. Time in the program affected student disinquiry behavior at a significant level, though no significant change was seen in inquiry behavior. National Board mean scores improved, and several categories of clinical productivity increased significantly during this period. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Dimensions of faculty evaluation of chair behaviors
Authors: Romberg E
Published: June 2020

Because effective mid‐level management is becoming increasingly important in dental education, this study attempted to determine the primary attributes of a chair's role. Using the results from one school's faculty evaluation of its department chairs, a factor analysis was conducted to uncover the underlying dimensions of chair behavior. Four factors emerged: “Departmental Management,” “Extradepartmental Relations,” “Interpersonal Relations,” and “Planning Skills.” Chairs rated each of the four factors to be of more importance to faculty job satisfaction than did the faculty themselves. Top‐level administrators can use knowledge of these basic factors to aid chairs in improving their administrative skills. In addition, to examine the validity of the logically derived scales initially identified during survey development, the scales were compared to the factors surfacing in this study and to the results of two previous factor analyses.