bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of animal models in research on dental implants
Authors: Natiella
Published: June 2020

The use of animal models in the study of dental implants has contributed greatly to our present understanding of the many different devices in use today. Animal testing plays a major role in assessing the safety and efficacy of dental implants. Standardized tests for determination of the toxicity and general biocompatibility responses of dental implants have been developed by the American Dental Association, the American National Standards Institute, and the Federation Dentaire Internationale. To date, animal testing has shown the nature of soft tissue attachment to implants and the types of interfacial tissues within bone sites. There have been increased studies correlating animal tests with in vitro analysis and human studies. Additional development of testing remains to be accomplished to show the effects of function on host tissue and the long‐term safety of dental implants.
Biocompatibility–the interaction of biomaterials and host response
Authors: Gross UM
Published: June 2020

Future developments for better biocompatibility of dental implants are possible and are discussed here. On each level of local host response, which is subdivided into four phases, improvements of knowledge in basic mechanisms concerning the interaction of biomaterial and host are necessary. For the development of new biomaterials, the limits for load with foreign ions and particles acting on cellular and extracellular matrix should be determined. An example is given for ZrO2‐containing glass ceramics. Biochemistry of soft and hard tissue bonding to biomaterials should be investigated. Biomechanical properties of implants could be adapted to individual needs of patients. New composite materials are candidates for the design of long‐term functioning implants.
Ten‐year study of strategies for teaching clinical inference in predoctoral orthodontic education
Authors: Jacobs RM
Published: June 2020

Dealing with the continuum of malocclusions in general practice requires diagnostic skills that, according to the Council on Dental Education guidelines, should include an ability to evaluate the severity of malocclusions and to assess the degree of treatment difficulty. This level of diagnostic skills is predicated upon the ability to make a judgment on the basis of inherently ill‐defined and insufficient data or, in other words, upon the ability to use rules and procedures of clinical inference. However, conventional methods of predoctoral orthodontic instruction appear to be unsuitable for transmitting these complex skills to dental students. For ten years, alternative instructional strategies involving guided discovery learning, repetitive practice in application of facts and principles to real‐life problems, and eventually a prescriptive diagnostic model were employed at our institution. Both classroom instruction and evaluation were focused on attaining mastery in two narrowly specified domains: “Evaluating the Severity of Malocclusions” and “Assessing the Degree of Treatment Difficulty.” The large proportion of items mastered by students and the high percent correct recorded on multiple‐choice examinations suggest that these instructional methods may be effective for teaching clinical inference at the predoctoral level of dental education.
How good is my test?
Authors: Chambers DW
Published: June 2020

Instructors must appraise the quality of their examinations, laboratory ratings, and any other test data upon which grade decisions are made. The basic concepts of test theory are reviewed to provide some support for making these appraisals. Four types of validity are discussed. The concept of reliability is presented along with a summary of various reliability coefficients and limitations on the interpretation of reliability. Practical suggestions are offered for instructors seeking to gauge the quality of their tests. The use of the standard error of measurement for estimating the likelihood of misgrading a student is demonstrated.
Economic growth in the U.S. dental sector, 1950–1986
Authors: Vermette ME , Doherty NJ
Published: June 2020

Previous research has shown that over the period 1950 through 1977 the dental sector experienced a faster rate of economic growth than did the economy at large. This study extends the period of analysis through 1986. The findings show that dentistry maintained its economic strength relative to the economy. The annual growth rate for dentistry of 4.8 percent was significantly greater (p less than 0.001) than the 3.3 percent rate for the economy. In addition, inflation has been less in dentistry, and growth in the dental sector was not adversely affected by the economic recession of 1978–1984.
Trends in dental hygiene applicant pool size and characteristics of students upon entry over three decades
Authors: Walsh MM , Ishida H
Published: June 2020

A survey was conducted to determine trends that have occurred in the dental hygiene applicant pool and characteristics of entering dental hygiene students between 1957 and 1987. A two page, 46‐item questionnaire with a cover letter and stamped pre‐addressed envelope was mailed to each dental hygiene program director in the United States. A second mailing was sent one month later to directors who had not responded to the first mailing. A total of 106 usable questionnaires were returned, for a 54 percent response rate for 1987 programs. Response rates for programs existing in 1977, 1967, and 1957 were 51 percent, 45 percent, and 45 percent, respectively. For associate degree/certificate and baccalaureate degree programs, results suggest trends toward (1) a dramatic decline in dental hygiene applicants over the past ten years, (2) a decrease in dental hygiene class size, (3) an increase in age of applicants and length of education prior to acceptance into dental hygiene programs, and (4) a slight decrease in applicants' overall grade point average and science grade point average in the past decade. In addition, findings indicate that dental hygiene remains predominantly a Caucasian woman's profession. Implications of these findings for recruitment efforts and the numbers of dental hygienists for the future are discussed.
Factors affecting dentist participation in a state Medicaid program
Authors: Damiano PC , Brown ER , Johnson JD , Scheetz JP
Published: June 2020

Provider participation is one factor affecting access to care for Medicaid recipients. There is evidence that providers are increasingly limiting their acceptance of Medicaid patients. Reasons cited for physicians and dentists not participating in Medicaid include low reimbursement rates, excessive paperwork, denial of reimbursement, and bureaucratic complexities. Telephone interviews were conducted with 92 dentists in California to determine factors affecting their decisions to participate in the California Medicaid (Medi‐Cal) program. Low fees, denial of payment, and broken appointments by patients were identified as the three most important problems with the program. Non‐participating dentists were more concerned about broken appointments, and complicated paperwork while less likely to believe the complexity of the program had recently decreased. Participating dentists were more concerned about the lack of services covered by Medi‐Cal. The fact that participating and non‐participating dentist have similar concerns about most aspects of the program may indicate that dentists who currently participate in Medi‐Cal may become non‐participants if problems with the program are not addressed.
Professional satisfaction among California general dentists
Authors: Shugars DA , DiMatteo MR , Hays RD , Cretin S , Johnson JD
Published: June 2020

Dentists' assessments of their jobs provide insights about issues in the dental profession needing attention. This study assessed professional satisfaction among 558 California general dentists using the 54‐item, multi‐faceted Dentist Satisfaction Survey (DSS). Although dentists tended to be satisfied with various facets of their jobs and careers, substantial variation in the levels of satisfaction was noted. The most satisfied dentists were older, reported higher incomes, attended more continuing education, and employed more dental auxiliaries than dentists who were the most dissatisfied. Fifty‐eight percent of the variation in overall job satisfaction was explained by quality of nonwork life and satisfaction with five facets of the profession: respect received from being a dentist, the actual process of delivering care, income derived from dentistry, relationships with patients, and reduced levels of job‐related stress. Dentists were most dissatisfied with the threat of malpractice, level of income, demands of managing the practice, and amount of personal time. Professional organizations should direct programs to address these issues. Dental educators should use these findings to counsel predoctoral students about the realities of dental practice and as an outcome measure of their programs. Moreover, these findings document the perceptions of the practicing profession and support several components of the SELECT recruitment strategy.
Effect of a geriatric educational experience on graduates activities and attitudes
Authors: Ettinger RL , McLeran H , Jakobsen J
Published: June 2020

Clinical geriatric dentistry has not been an important part of most dental curricula. However, changes in demographic and patient expectations signify that geriatric oral health care can no longer be equated with supplying dentures for an aging population, but must be understood as treatment of the complex needs of a dentate population. The 1975 to 1985 graduates of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry were surveyed to evaluate the influence on dental practice of a comprehensive geriatric dental curriculum introduced in 1980. The post‐1980 graduates were more likely to be practicing in larger population centers and less likely to be treating patients over 75 years of age. The dentists who graduated before 1980 were more likely to be consultants in nursing homes and carrying out examination, emergency care, and/or denture care, whereas the group of dentists who graduated after 1980 and had geriatric clinical experience with frail and functionally dependent older adults were more likely to be carrying out comprehensive care. When given a list of 18 geriatric dental and gerontological topics, few differences were found between cohort groups in terms of knowledge and confidence in carrying out procedures.
Management considerations for an HIV positive dental student
Authors: Comer RW , Myers DR , Steadman CD , Carter MJ , Rissing JP , Tedesco FJ
Published: June 2020

Health care workers who are HIV positive or who have AIDS are faced with unique and perplexing problems. Likewise dental students who are HIV positive present a special circumstance that demands review of ethical, legal, managerial, and medical considerations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the management considerations at the Medical College of Georgia following a recent report of an HIV positive dental student. The administration assembled a diverse team of experts for advice in the situation. This group assumed that the circumstance was a potential crisis with possible serious long‐term implications. Therefore detailed planning, appropriate announcements, and careful management have been the administration's principle goal for several weeks. The key management strategies and actions are described from the time of notification of the student's HIV antibody test results through the initial testing of the patient population subgroup.
The continuing education business
Authors: Chambers DW
Published: June 2020

The success and potential of school‐based continuing dental education programs has been limited because they are based on an inappropriate model. The information needs of practicing professionals are quite different from the needs of students preparing for licensure. This article describes four purposes served by information: (a) education, (b) certification, (c) network building, and (d) decision support. Dental education focuses on the first two while a broader view with emphasis on the latter two is appropriate for continuing education. The business of educating professionals is different from the business of educating candidates for the profession. An alternative conception of continuing dental education is presented based on the needs of its clients.
Instructional and information technology initiatives: the potential for delivery
Authors: Eisner J
Published: June 2020

An attempt has been made to discuss some of the issues and opportunities which lie ahead as dental educators, their institutions, and our national associations prepare for the expected growth in the instructional and informational technologies that curriculum reform and technological advances will promote. The issues stem from a perceived need to collectively deliver products, as well as discuss issues, within our associations. While most national professional associations are well equipped to focus on questions of policy rather than the production of specific products, I believe there is a real potential for the successful pursuit of both within dental education.
Interrater agreement on subgingival calculus detection following scaling
Authors: Pippin DJ , Feil P
Published: June 2020

Accurate and reliable detection of subgingival calculus is a difficult skill which relies on subjective tactile sensations for determinations. This one year retrospective study examined the interrater agreement among a large, generalized pool of clinical examiners who scored residual subgingival calculus after student scaling. Four thousand one hundred and sixty tooth surfaces were analyzed for examiner agreement. Interrater reliability for all paired clinical ratings was low (Kappa = .33). A second, companion study evaluated accuracy and reliability using raters' assessments about the existence of simulated calculus on the root surfaces of manikin teeth. In the second study interrater reliability also was low (Kappa = .34); the true positive and true negative ratios were 49 percent and 88 percent respectively, while the false positive and false negative ratios were 12 percent and 51 percent. These data suggest that there is a need in periodontics for effective examiner calibration methodologies and objective subgingival calculus detection techniques.
A longitudinal study of dental students' personality type preferences
Authors: Silberman SL , Freeman I , Lester GR
Published: June 2020

The Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator was administered to five classes of students at the beginning and end of their dental education. The 161 students who completed both tests were categorized according to personality type. The Spearman rank‐order correlation of the two sets of data was calculated and tested. Changes in personality type between the tests were noted using two different standards. The first standard defined change as any alteration in the four‐letter MBTI designation and thus was a measure of change in type. The second standard defined change utilizing the 95 percent confidence interval of the continuous score of each of the four MBTI scales and thus was a measure of change in the underlying construct, personality. The first standard indicated 75.8 percent of students change type; the second indicated 11.2 percent changed personality. These data are consistent with previously reported studies, but raise questions regarding what is being measured and how the data are being analyzed.
Research directions in oral health promotion for older adults
Authors: Gift HC
Published: June 2020

Health education and health promotion facilitate voluntary adoption of behaviors and provide educational, organizational, economic, and environmental supports for behaviors conductive to health. Health education and health promotion are complementary and any effort to eliminate oral disease requires both activities. Federal research initiatives in oral health promotion have encouraged more biomedical and behavioral research on oral health and aging through the establishment of research centers. Other initiatives have been established to speed the generation of basic and clinical research. Recent initiatives encourage research on aging and provide opportunities for oral health promotion during the coming decade. These include Healthy People 2000, the nation's health objectives for the decade; the NIH framework for the development of a strategic plan, and the NIDR Long‐Range Research Plan, Broadening the Scope.
Beyond pregnancy gingivitis: bringing a new focus to women's oral health
Authors: Redford M
Published: June 2020

The compromised functional status, physical confinement, medical conditions, and cognitive impairments of significant numbers of women have important implications for oral health risk and dental treatments. In addition, there are a variety of economic, social, psychological, and behavioral factors which are operative in placing women at high risk for development of oral diseases. This paper describes the available U.S. data on women's oral health and examines some of the biological, behavioral, and societal factors which may be important for a more comprehensive understanding of this subject. It is this broad array of factors which differentiate women from men and which should be considered when defining priority research and treatment issues for women's oral health.
Integrating primary oral health care into primary care
Authors: Isman RE
Published: June 2020

Despite increasing national attention and emphasis on primary health care, there has been little impetus to define or specify the content of primary oral health care. This paper defines primary oral health care and the scope of services it includes, using an adaptation of a Health Resources and Services Administration definition of primary health care and its attributes as its model. The proposed scope of services encompassed by primary oral health care is a set of basic dental services used by the Indian Health Service. Policy recommendations are presented to improve the integration of primary oral health services with primary health care and primary health care delivery.
Predictors of dental students' belief in the right to refuse treatment to HIV‐positive patients
Authors: Bennett ME , Weyant RJ , Simon M
Published: June 2020

We examined predictors of dental student's belief that they should be allowed to refuse treatment to HIV‐infected persons. We surveyed 181 first; second‐, and fourth‐year dental students at a large urban university using a 44‐item, self‐administered anonymous questionnaire and a measure of dispositional optimism. Several composite measures were created and their relationship to belief in the right to refuse treatment was assessed. Regression techniques were used to describe the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results indicated that non‐professional attitudes, low optimism scores, low levels of comfort with homosexuality, and gender were the best predictors of belief in the right to refuse treatment to HIV‐infected patients. Neither knowledge of HIV, year in dental school, or fear of contagion reliably predicted belief in the right to refuse treatment.
A case‐based learning model in orthodontics
Authors: Engel FE , Hendricson WD
Published: June 2020

This report describes a case‐based, student‐centered instructional model designed to mimic orthodontic problem‐solving and decision‐making in dental general practice. Groups of about ten junior students meet in a series of one‐hour seminars. One week prior to each seminar, a set of diagnostic data is distributed to every student and instructor for advance preparation. A list of questions is included to guide students through the analytical process and they record their diagnosis and treatment plan on a form. At each seminar two preassigned students lead the discussion, and others are randomly selected to answer the programmed questions. Instructors serve as facilitators and evaluators. To ensure consistency of evaluations and feedback, instructors are provided all the expected responses in advance, which they discuss in a pre‐seminar meeting. Both students and instructors rated the seminars positively. Students reported significantly higher (p < 0.01) levels of confidence after the seminars for each of seven reasoning skills. This teaching method can be applied to other dental areas to better develop the clinical reasoning skills of future dentists.
An overview of caries risk assessment, and its potential utility
Authors: Moss ME , Zero DT
Published: June 2020

The clinical findings that dentists use to estimate the future caries activity of patients are imperfect. Almost invariably there are protective factors in patients who go on to develop clinical caries and there are risk factors that persist in patients who do not develop clinical caries. Therefore, the clinical decision process is characterized by a level of uncertainty concerning the selection of patient management strategies for caries. To the degree that information relating to caries risk assessment can reduce the amount of uncertainty associated with decisions for clinical patient care in the present, that information has utility. Dentists face many treatment decisions daily. The integration of a mechanistic understanding of caries and use of clinical data may yield useful information that will improve clinical patient management. Certain factors affect the potential utility of caries risk screening from the clinician's perspective. These can be summarized in terms of the costs and benefits of the procedures as well as the availability and appeal of alternative procedures. Factored in with these considerations are the investment history one has made toward a given procedure and the propensity for changing one's behavior. These considerations are not easily addressed at present since costs and benefits for different therapeutic approaches have been developed for only a few dental conditions. We have put forth a framework that emphasizes the clinician as the key component in the assessment of caries risk. We argue that integration of the clinician's focus with a mechanistic understanding of caries and a probabilistic, empirical appreciation for caries activity will be beneficial for patient management. These arguments remain untested and should be challenged in a research setting. We need to establish whether information derived from risk assessment procedures leads to improved clinical outcomes. We need to have a better understanding of how clinicians process clinically available risk information. We need to determine what additional risk assessment information will improve the clinician's ability to identify high‐risk patients. We also need to establish whether there are differences in the usefulness of additional risk information depending on the level of experience of the clinician.
Soft edges–organizational structure in dental education
Authors: Chambers DW
Published: June 2020

There is no one best organizational structure for dental schools or for their major subunits. The classical alternatives of functional and divisional organization are discussed in light of the rule that follows function, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are presented. Newer models–decentralization, matrix, and heterarchy–show how features of functional and divisional structure can be blended. Virtual organizations, systems theory, and networks are also considered as new expressions of classical structures. The principle of suboptimization (soft edges) is presented.
Using a Delphi Technique in a needs assessment for an innovative approach to advanced general dentistry education
Authors: Smith TA , Lyon HE , Hardison D , Bogia B
Published: June 2020

The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry has been awarded a $500,000 grant to develop and test a university‐based educational program leading to a graduate certificate in Advanced General Dentistry, by the use of “extended campus” and distance learning methods. As an aid in developing this curriculum, dentists in general practice in non‐urban Kentucky were asked about their educational needs. A Delphi Technique approach to this assessment was adopted. Forty dentists in general practice in non‐urban areas in eastern and southern Kentucky were sent four mailings in which they rated or re‐rated 65 topics for inclusion in the curriculum. A total of 59 topics were voted to be essential or desirable for the curriculum, 40 of them by a 2/3 majority. The Delphi Technique was workable for involving students in curriculum design. The curriculum produced by this method has also proven to be attractive to the dentists and their colleagues.
Checklist agreement between standardized patients and faculty
Authors: Kopp KC , Johnson JA
Published: June 2020

The agreement between standardized patients' (SPs) and faculty in scoring student performance is an important component in determining the accuracy of SP assessment scores. For this study, checklist scores completed by SPs were compared to checklists completed by faculty. The SPs completed the checklists immediately following each SP‐student interaction. Faculty reviewed videotapes from randomly selected interactions and completed the same checklists as the SPs. Overall, agreement between SPs and faculty ranged between 81 percent and 92 percent, with a mean of 86 percent. The interpersonal skills agreement ranged from 78 percent to 97 percent and technical skills from 82 percent to 89 percent. Agreement between SPs and faculty was good especially in later cases. Discrepancies were most often due to SPs assigning credit when the faculty did not. This study supports the use of SPs as accurate, relatively inexpensive, and feasible recorders of student performance for selected skills.
Gender and the transition into practice
Authors: Solomon ES , Hayes MJ
Published: June 2020

Since 1990, over half the enrollees in advanced education pediatric dentistry programs have been women. The higher proportion of women in pediatric dentistry should permit examination of the practice patterns of groups of men and women at similar stages in their careers. In 1991 the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry surveyed 4,950 dentists about a variety of issues related to practice patterns and demographics, obtaining 2,362 responses. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the survey data by developing three age‐matched graduation cohorts based on gender and years since graduation: 1 to 5 years, 6 to 10 years, and over 10 years. Four areas were investigated: practice patterns, practice arrangements, distribution of time, and income. The overall differences in practice patterns between males and females were statistically significant for the Early Career Group (1 to 5 years). More males were in private practice and a higher proportion of them were practice owners. More women were dental school faculty or in private practice as an employee or contractor. The differences in practice patterns for males and females were not statistically significant for the Intermediate Career Group (6 to 10 years). In the Established Career group (over 10 years), the differences were again statistically significant, with more males as practice owners and shareholders and more women in solo practices. Analysis of time distribution showed that, in the two earlier career groups, women spend about twice as much time as men in child care. These findings may help to explain why many women in the early stages of their careers might prefer the flexibility of working for someone else. When the effects of gender and employment status on income were tested, significant differences were found for the Intermediate and Established groups, with males and practice owners having higher income levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dream busters … clinic income
Authors: Hasler JF
Published: June 2020

In summary, the best clinical education occurs in a setting of exemplary patient care. The critical factor is quality–not just technical quality, but those features by which patients judge quality. Commitment to service should be enhanced and barriers should be minimized in order to achieve efficient and personalized patient care. And, schools must always reach for a higher standard, (9) exceeding their patients' expectations. As Pacific Bell Telephone says in its commercials: “Good enough isn't.”
Variation in the use of crowns and their alternatives
Authors: Shugars DA , Hayden WJ , Crall JJ , Scurria MS
Published: June 2020

The use of crowns and their alternatives for the restoration of compromised posterior teeth is of interest to educators, purchasers, and patients. Considerable curricular time is devoted to learning these techniques, substantial amounts of money are spent on these procedures, and differences in the outcomes of these treatments may have consequences for tooth survival. To begin to understand more about the actual use of these procedures, the provision rates of these services in a sample of U.S. dental practices were examined. This study reports on the extent to which utilization patterns and subsequent costs of crowns and their alternatives were associated with certain patient and practice characteristics. Insurance claims for dental services submitted by general dental practices through an electronic claims clearinghouse were used. Crown ratios (crowns/crowns plus alternatives) were calculated for dental practices to evaluate relationships with available explanatory variables. Findings indicated that older patients were significantly more likely to receive crowns than those in younger groups, resulting in as much as a 33 percent increase in the mean per tooth cost of treatment in the oldest group. Regional variation existed in the provision of crowns and resulted in up to a 31 percent difference in the mean per tooth treatment cost between regions. Crown ratios exhibited variation beyond that accounted for by patient and practice factors, thus raising questions about the consistency of treatment recommendations among dentists. These findings support the need to examine further the consistency of crown use among general dentists and to modify current approaches for teaching treatment planning in predoctoral restorative curricula.
The sensitivity of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index to dental care
Authors: Dolan TA
Published: June 2020

The sensitivity of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) to dental treatment was evaluated using data from a community‐based oral health promotion project. Ninety‐six subjects completed baseline and twenty‐four‐month follow‐up interviews that included the GOHAI as well as other self‐reported measures of oral health. Subjects were predominantly white, female, not currently married, with less than a high school education, and had average age of seventy‐six years at baseline. Through the health promotion project, participants were offered low cost diagnostic and preventive services on a sliding fee basis. At twenty‐four months, subjects' records were abstracted regarding the receipt of dental hygiene, transportation, emergency, diagnostic, restorative, and prosthodontic services. Subjects were also asked about dental expenditures in the previous year and the type of dental care received, regardless of the source of care. The mean change in GOHAI scores from baseline to the twenty‐four‐month interview was 2.2 (std. dev. 6.6) and ranged from −15 to 30. Findings suggest that the GOHAI is sensitive to the provision of dental care, although additional research is needed to understand the impact of various dental services on the individual items of the GOHAI, as well as the overall index score. The potential applications of self‐reported oral health outcome measures such as the GOHAI in dental education are discussed.
Promoting the recruitment and retention of minority dental faculty: federal, state, and personal programs
Authors: Moore RN
Published: June 2020

There are federal programs available for both minority students and faculty. There are also private, state, and foundation funds available for minority students. The most important factor for these programs to succeed is the understanding of peoples' needs. We have to create an environment in which people are judged on their ability. At the same time we have to create an environment that rewards diversity.
A comparison of self‐reported dental health attitudes and behavior between selected Japanese and Australian students
Authors: Kawamura M , Iwamoto Y , Wright FA
Published: June 2020

To compare cross‐cultural differences of dental health behavior, 376 dental students in Japan and 213 in Australia were surveyed using a twenty‐item Hiroshima University‐Dental Behavior Inventory (HU‐DBI) questionnaire (in Japanese and English versions respectively). The mean DBI score of Year 1 Australian students was significantly greater than that of their Japanese peers (Australian 6.56, Japanese 5.57; P < 0.001), which suggested a higher level of dental health awareness in Australian students on entry. Only 7 percent of the Japanese students had been told by their dentist that they were performing a high level of plaque control, as contrasted with 50 percent of the Australian students. Furthermore, while only a small proportion of the Australian students (8 percent) reported a belief that they may eventually require dentures, 37 percent of the Japanese students held this belief (P < 0.001). The mean HU‐DBI score of the Japanese students was lower than that of the Australian students until Year 4. Differences between the genders were not a major feature.
Problem‐based learning at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry
Authors: Fincham AG , Baehner R , Chai Y , Crowe DL , Fincham C , Iskander M , Landesman HM , Lee M , Luo W , Paine M , Pereira L , Moradian‐Oldak J , Rosenblum A , Snead ML , Thompson P , Wuenschell C , Zeichner‐David M , Shuler CF
Published: June 2020

Responding to the recent Institute of Medicine report on dental education, the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology (CCMB) of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry has developed a parallel track program in dental education leading to the D.D.S. degree. This program was proposed in May of 1995, and the first class of twelve students was admitted in September of that year. Currently two classes are enrolled and plans to admit a further twelve students (Class of 2001) are in place. The educational strategy for this program is totally problem‐based. Students work in groups of six with a faculty facilitator, not necessarily a content expert. Facilitators are largely drawn from the multidisciplinary pool of research faculty at the center. All learning is mediated through biomedical and biodental problem cases. No formal lectures or classes are scheduled. The learning of clinical dental skills is promoted through focussed dental patient simulations in which students review clinical charts, radiographs, medical reports and then explore identified, hands‐on learning needs using patient simulators in a clinical context. Early patient exposure is obtained through dental office visits and other special patient clinics. Initial experience with this program suggests that the problem‐based learning (PBL) students learn as well (if not better) than their traditional program peers and develop excellent group and cognitive analytical skills. The absence of a pool of dentally related biomedical cases suitable for a PBL program has necessitated the use of innovative approaches to their development and presentation. It is believed that this educational approach will produce dental clinicians equipped with the self‐motivated, life‐long learning skills required in the ever‐changing world of bio‐dental sciences in the twenty‐first century.
What should biomedical sciences education in dental schools achieve?
Authors: Lantz MS , Chaves JF
Published: June 2020

Education for the first professional degree in dentistry is intended to produce graduates capable of offering a wide range of high quality dental services to the general public. More than that, it is expected that graduates will be firmly grounded in the scientific basis for their professional practices and be equipped to evaluate critically and integrate selectively new scientific findings that emerge during their professional lifetimes. In addition, they are expected to be able to work effectively with diverse patient populations and to conduct their practices with a high level of sensitivity to the ethical and psychosocial dimensions of patient care. Indiana University School of Dentistry has undergone a process of curriculum reform that has yielded a new first professional degree program. Its hallmarks are large, multidisciplinary courses (seven courses in the first two years) that are taught using a variety of strategies including problem‐based learning in small groups as well as lectures. The biomedical sciences curriculum is concept‐based. Students will demonstrate their understanding of science concepts and methods by applying them to the solution of research and health care problems. Biomedical sciences will be taught at a level that will provide a comprehensive understanding of the functioning of the human body in health and disease, allow students to assimilate the coming revolution in molecular medicine, and selectively use new diagnostics, preventives, and therapeutics that evolve as molecular biological technologies yield solutions to current medical and dental problems. Using the biomedical sciences curriculum as a vehicle, we will also achieve the goal of training dentists as critical thinkers, problem solvers, lifelong learners, and ethical practitioners, skillful in peer and self‐evaluation, and cognizant of the psychosocial as well as biomedical perspective of health and disease.
How competent do our graduates feel?
Authors: Greenwood LF , Lewis DW , Burgess RC
Published: June 2020

As part of a review of the undergraduate curriculum to assess its relevance for a future general practitioner, a survey of self‐perceived competency at graduation based on the competency list developed by the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry was circulated to recent graduates and the graduating class. The overall response was 67.5 percent, and revealed that approximately 70 percent of the respondents felt well prepared in approximately 69 percent of the competencies. These were the common “bread and butter” items of dentistry, such as basic restorative dentistry, examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, local anaesthesia, and scaling. Those areas reported as less well‐prepared for included financial and personnel management, performance of soft‐tissue biopsies, and management of chronic orofacial pain. Clarification of the raw survey results in focus groups was needed to uncover specific details that could lead to remedial action in problem areas.
Trends in predoctoral education in geriatric dentistry
Authors: Saunders RH , Yellowitz JA , Dolan TA , Smith BJ
Published: June 2020

Historically, education in geriatric dentistry has been limited in both quantity and quality. More recently, a number of educational initiatives have been developed in response to the growing number of older adults and their changing oral health status and dental treatment needs. A survey of U.S. and Canadian dental schools examined curriculum trends and assessed the effectiveness of educational initiatives and the value of AADS/AoA geriatric dental curricular materials. All schools responded. Compared to previous reports, more schools had geriatric didactic course(s), clinical rotations, and faculty with geriatric dental training. Fifty‐eight percent of dental schools support geriatric dentistry in their budgets. The primary barriers to program expansion continue to be the lack of trained faculty members, a crowded curriculum, and fiscal concerns.
Geriatric education in dental hygiene programs
Authors: Tilliss TS , Lavigne SE , Williams K
Published: June 2020

This study examined the current status of geriatric curricula in dental hygiene programs in both the United States and Canada and was comprised of a twenty‐six‐item survey sent to dental hygiene programs. Responses (82 percent) revealed didactic requirements in 89 percent of programs and clinical requirements in 54.2 percent of programs surveyed. Mean didactic clock hours were ten (+/− 8.2), while clinical clock hours were 21.8 (+/− 27.5). Specific geriatric courses were found in only 18.8 percent of programs, while 81.2 percent integrated geriatrics with other coursework. Both clinical (98.8 percent) and didactic courses (81.5 percent) were taught primarily by dental hygiene faculty. Clinical experiences were primarily provided at extramural sites (79 percent). Half of schools surveyed (49.5 percent) felt their geriatric curriculum was less than optimal. The authors conclude that current levels of geriatric dental hygiene education may not meet the increasing demands of this growing population.
A primer on financial aid
Authors: Wells A
Published: June 2020

It is apparent that financial aid is a complicated, ever‐changing business. The information provided in this article is only the tip of the financial aid iceberg. As student debt levels continue to increase, I encourage deans to work cooperatively with their financial aid officers. Invite your financial aid officers to participate in orientation and other pre‐ and post‐admission activities, help facilitate effective entrance and exist interviews, and encourage financial aid officers to meet and work with your students on a frequent basis. I also strongly encourage you to support their participation in national meetings such as the Professional Development Conference (PDC) for Health Professionals (which AADS cosponsors with the AAMC) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Officers (NASFAA). Participation in annual conferences is an important way for financial aid officers to network with other officers and to learn about important new legislation.
Linking postdoctoral general dentistry programs with managed care programs and settings
Authors: Weaver RG , Gray CF , Colangelo GA , Ferretti GA , Galbally JF , Garrison RS , Martens L , Hayes KL
Published: June 2020

This report presents the results of a small workgroup convened by the American Association of Dental Schools to examine experiences related to postdoctoral general dentistry programs linked with managed care systems and clinical settings. The workgroup was a component of an Association effort to identify and promote innovative and nontraditional methods by which the number of postdoctoral general dentistry (PGD) positions can be increased to meet current demand for PGD education. The participants identified factors and conditions that they believed to be critical to the planning, development, and conduct of PGD programs with substantial linkages with managed care systems and settings. The information should be helpful to others as they consider opportunities to establish PGD programs or increase their number of PGD training positions.
Effect of powder‐free latex examination glove use on airborne powder levels in a dental school clinic
Authors: Hermesch CB , Spackman GK , Dodge WW , Salazar A
Published: June 2020

Cornstarch powder on latex examination gloves acts as an airborne carrier of natural latex allergens resulting in cutaneous, conjunctival, and/or respiratory responses to latex, a particular concern in a dental school environment where concentrated use of latex examination gloves occurs. This study measured airborne powder levels associated with a trial substitution of powder‐free latex examination gloves for powdered latex examination gloves in a dental school clinic. Secondary aims of the study were to assess user acceptance of powder‐free gloves during the trial and to assess the financial impact of converting the entire dental school to a powder‐free environment. Air was sampled from two areas (dispensary and treatment room) of a student clinic fifteen to thirty minutes before the beginning of normal clinic sessions and again about 1.5 hours into the clinic session. The samples were microscopically analyzed for particulate counts of cornstarch powder. A written survey instrument assessed user acceptance of the two types of gloves. Historical financial data were used to estimate the cost of converting the entire dental school to a powder‐free environment. Both the dispensary and the treatment room showed significant reductions in airborne powder counts during use of powder‐free latex gloves and a return to high powder counts with resumption of powdered glove use. During the weeks of powdered glove use, the powder counts were also significantly lower before the beginning of the clinic session and higher during the clinic session. User acceptance of the powder‐free latex gloves was high. The increased cost per year to convert the entire dental school to a powder‐free environment was estimated to be $13,943.
Community‐based dental programs: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey‐New Jersey Dental School
Authors: Cinotti WR , Saporito RA , Feldman CA , Mardirossian G , DeCastro J
Published: June 2020

The dental school plans to incorporate CODE into the curriculum so that more students have community‐based dental educational experiences. Future plans also include increasing standardization of reports, clinical and administrative procedures, resources, and processes across the sites in order to lower managerial overhead. This process will be aided by further enhancement of computerized information systems and electronic links. The major lesson learned is that new extramural programs can be created and sustained by pooling school resources with those from the private and public sectors. Funding sources and opportunities available to one party alone are insufficient. While one‐time funding was used to build and furnish the NJDS extramural sites, the clinics were established only after business plans demonstrated the availability of funds to sustain their operations. The Statewide Network of Community Oral Health Care and CODE models are still evolving, but they are replicable not only in dental education but in other types of health services. The details of the partnerships and funding streams will vary from site to site, but through outreach and careful negotiation with potential partners and detailed contracts, the community service and educational missions of a health professions school can have a successful outcome.
Student productivity under requirement and comprehensive care systems
Authors: Evangelidis‐Sakellson V
Published: June 2020

This retrospective study reviews the educational and patient care effects of changing from a numerical requirements‐driven clinical curriculum to aa comprehensive care model driven by patient needs and led by faculty group leaders. In September 1994, the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery implemented a program in which all patient care shifted to a patient care completion model. Core assumptions included creating an educational setting where students were assigned to groups with continuously assigned faculty as group leaders, with intensive case discussion and monitoring of students' progress. All patient care took lace under the direction of the group leaders with involvement of other attending interdisciplinary faculty and auxiliary staff. Data suggest that, over the period of this study (1994–97), a significant increase occurred in the number of treatment plans completed by students with no compromise in the number of specific procedures completed by individual students. We concluded that a carefully structured and monitored comprehensive care/group leader‐driven model is beneficial for both student education and patient care.