bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leadership Development for Dental Students: What Do Students Think?
Authors: Victoroff Kristin Z. , Schneider Keith , Perry Crystal
Published: June 2020

Effective leaders are needed to move the dental profession forward, building on past accomplishments, meeting new challenges, and leading innovation and change. There is a lack of research findings regarding students’ perceptions of the importance of leadership abilities and/or their interest in developing leadership skills during their dental school experience. The purpose of this study was to explore dental students’ perceptions related to leadership development. A forty‐seven‐question, self‐administered, paper and pencil survey was administered to all students enrolled in the D.M.D. program at one Midwestern dental school. The response rate was 83 percent (225/272). The majority of students agreed that it is important for dentists to have leadership skills and that leadership skills can be learned. Most reported that they expect to assume a leadership role in their dental practices (97 percent), to participate in volunteerism in dentistry (85 percent), and to participate in non‐dentistry‐related leadership roles in the community (72 percent). Over one‐third (37 percent) anticipate participating in leadership roles in dental associations, 28 percent in academic dentistry, and 14 percent in military dentistry. Approximately two‐thirds of respondents agreed (42 percent) or strongly agreed (24 percent) that they would be interested in participating in a leadership development program if one were offered at their school. Students reported interest in improving their confidence, assertiveness, ability to communicate effectively (including public speaking), ability to listen to others, organizational skills, and ability to influence others. The results of this study suggest that many dental students are interested in developing leadership skills. Insights from this study can inform the design of leadership development programs.
Development and Assessment of a Cultural Competency Curriculum
Authors: Pilcher Elizabeth S. , Charles Laurine T. , Lancaster Carol J.
Published: June 2020

The recent intense attention given to the existence of racial and ethnic health care disparities in the United States has resulted in an enhanced focus on the problem and a call to integrate cultural competence training into health professions curricula. While most dental schools have formally integrated cultural competence into their curricula, the professional literature contains little information regarding the specific types of curriculum modifications necessary to prepare culturally competent dentists. The purpose of this article is to communicate the process and materials used to develop and present didactic curriculum content incorporating cultural competence and to report early data regarding its effectiveness in improving students’ knowledge and self‐awareness regarding cultural competence. The preliminary observation of differences between pre‐test and post‐test scores suggests that the curriculum content may have contributed to developing students’ cultural knowledge and self‐awareness. Students’ reflection papers also provided qualitative evidence that experience with the curriculum modules was transformational for some. Recommendations for future curriculum modifications and follow‐up research studies to validate the instrument are discussed.
Development of an Interdisciplinary Course in Information Resources and Evidence‐Based Dentistry
Authors: Levine Alan E. , Bebermeyer Richard D. , Chen Jung‐Wei , Davis Dell , Harty Carolyn
Published: June 2020

The capacity to locate, access, and appraise information is an important skill required for success in dental school and beyond. An interdisciplinary course was implemented to teach first‐year dental students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch about evidence‐based dentistry, search strategies, critical appraisal of the literature, and dental informatics. Students learned to develop a clinical question, conduct a search to find answers to that question, and critically appraise one of the retrieved resources. Over a period of four years, a total of 259 dental students completed a questionnaire that requested their assessment of this course. Seventy‐five percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they learned to effectively search databases such as the Cochrane Collaboration and PubMed and to critically appraise websites and journal articles and that the information on evidence‐based dentistry and critical thinking skills was valuable. In response to open‐ended questions, approximately 35 percent of the respondents mentioned the importance of learning to search PubMed and Cochrane databases. Approximately 20 percent of the respondents felt the course did not contain new information. These results indicated the effectiveness of the course in familiarizing the students with the capacity of online resources to help them locate, access, and appraise information pertinent to oral health issues and the practice of dentistry. A future goal is to integrate information and skills associated with evidence‐based practice into other courses in the dental curriculum.
Dentistry in Japan Should Become a Specialty of Medicine with Dentists Educated as Oral Physicians
Authors: Tanaka Kenzo , Honda Takeshi , Kitamura Kenji
Published: June 2020

In Japan, the population of elderly individuals (those sixty‐five years of age and older) will increase to over 30 percent of the total population by 2030. The elderly commonly have chronic diseases that result in individuals being biologically and pharmacologically compromised. Dentists must have a reliable knowledge of basic clinical medicine for these individuals to be safely and effectively treated. The isolation of dental education from medical education may have been advantageous in the past for the development of dentistry as a profession; however, changes in people's life expectancy and lifestyles, as well as rapid advances in the biomedical sciences, require dentists to have a thorough foundation in biomedical science and clinical medicine not dissimilar from a physician in any other field of medicine. A reformation of dental education is necessary if optimum oral health care is to be provided for patients in the future. It is thus advocated that dentistry should become one specialty of medicine known as oral medicine, and we propose that the education of dentists should be modified to produce oral physicians.
Factors That Influence Dental Students’ Attitudes About Older Adults
Authors: Nochajski Thomas H. , Waldrop Deborah P. , Davis Elaine L. , Fabiano Jude A. , Goldberg Louis J.
Published: June 2020

Our study considered dental students’ general attitudes towards older persons using the Aging Semantic Differential. The influence of age, gender, cohort, education, and academic exposure on general attitudes towards older adults was evaluated using a total of 328 dental students across all four years of academic standing. Students were assessed in the fall and spring semesters. The results showed differential responding on the four subscales, with slight positive ratings on the autonomy, acceptability, and integrity subscales and a slight negative rating for instrumentality. Females expressed more negative attitudes than their male counterparts, with no age differences. There was also no significant impact from a specific, didactic educational component offered to the fourth‐year students. However, the fourth‐year students were the only group to show positive changes across the full academic year. The results suggest that general attitudes can be changed, but didactic (classroom) forms of education alone are insufficient to meaningfully modify students’ perceptions of the elderly. Exposure to older adults in a clinical setting appears to be a critical element, as the fourth‐year students received much greater exposure to older patients and more intensified interface with their mentors.
Student‐to‐Student Local Anesthesia Injections in Dental Education: Moral, Ethical, and Legal Issues
Authors: Rosenberg Morton , Orr Daniel L. , Starley Eric D. , Jensen Dayne R.
Published: June 2020

This article reports the findings of a survey‐based study conducted to determine U.S. dental schools’ institutional protocols regarding the practice of students’ administering local anesthetic injections to fellow students as part of their process of learning this skill. The majority of schools ask students to practice local anesthetic injections on each other without obtaining informed consent.
Using Competencies to Improve Dental Practice Management Education
Authors: Willis David O.
Published: June 2020

The ADEA Competencies for the New General Dentist contain a significant number of practice management‐related competencies. To date, these have been taught primarily in a lecture format in the third and fourth years of the dental curriculum. Presenting information in this way only satisfies the lower level learning skills, not the skills needed to become a competent general dentist. This article presents a framework for applying the competency‐based education model to dental practice management teaching, learning, and assessment.
Intelligent Tutoring System for Clinical Reasoning Skill Acquisition in Dental Students
Authors: Suebnukarn Siriwan
Published: June 2020

Learning clinical reasoning is an important core activity of the modern dental curriculum. This article describes an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for clinical reasoning skill acquisition. The system is designed to provide an experience that emulates that of live human‐tutored problem‐based learning (PBL) sessions as much as possible, while at the same time permitting the students to participate collaboratively from disparate locations. The system uses Bayesian networks to model individual student knowledge and activity, as well as that of the group. Tutoring algorithms use the models to generate tutoring hints. The system incorporates a multimodal interface that integrates text and graphics so as to provide a rich communication channel between the students and the system, as well as among students in the group. Comparison of learning outcomes shows that student clinical reasoning gains from the ITS are similar to those obtained from human‐tutored sessions.
Managing a Cardiac Arrest: Evaluation of Final‐Year Predoctoral Dental Students
Authors: Laurent Florian , Augustin Pascal , Nabet Cathy , Ackers Sophie , Zamaroczy Damian , Maman Louis
Published: June 2020

An increasing proportion of the population is medically at risk. Dental providers can encounter a cardiac arrest (CA) while treating their patients. Several studies have assessed qualified dental surgeons on the management of medical emergencies, but to our knowledge there is no reported study about dental students. The aim of this study was to evaluate final‐year dental students in their ability to recognize a cardiac arrest and to apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We evaluated, with a questionnaire, how seventy‐six final‐year dental students self‐assessed their capacity in the management of CA. Then we randomly selected twenty‐two of the final‐year students and compared their answers on the self‐assessment questionnaire to their objective ability to perform CPR. Though 53 percent of the students who answered the questionnaire felt they were able to manage a CA, the performance of the twenty‐two students selected to demonstrate CPR was poor. Only two performed an appropriate CPR, and none combined an adequate CA diagnosis with an appropriate CPR. In conclusion, the predoctoral dental students evaluated in this study were not able to diagnose and manage a CA. The findings indicate that the teaching of cardiac arrest management should be revised. Students should learn and review the theoretical and practical components of cardiac arrest recognition and management in a more intensive manner.
Behavior‐Associated Self‐Report Items in Patient Charts As Predictors of Dental Appointment Avoidance
Authors: Lin Kevin C.
Published: June 2020

Dentally anxious patients with long‐term avoidance behavior may experience treatment complications and induce stress in the dentist. Since dental anxiety scales are seldom used clinically, it is valuable to investigate the strength of behavior‐associated items in the current patient chart in predicting canceled or missed appointments. Charts from a sample of patients (N=357) who visited the UCLA Dental Center January 2006 to June 2006 were examined for self‐reports of depression, moodiness, nervousness, and anxiety. Multivariate regression indicated that reported feelings of depression, moodiness, and prior appointment avoidance due to fear were strong predictors for canceled or missed appointments. Reported anxiety or nervousness did not predict missed appointments. Although studies have shown that anxious patients who have completed behavioral‐cognitive therapy were more likely to maintain regular dental care, the lack of prediction from anxiety or nervousness implies that dental anxiety may not play a direct role in patient compliance with attending dental appointments. By examining the relation of additional temperaments to appointment avoidance, a self‐report questionnaire can be developed to identify patients with emotional distress and tailor interventions to decrease missed appointments.
Impact of Community‐Based Oral Health Experiences on Dental Students’ Attitudes Towards Caring for the Underserved
Authors: Holtzman Jennifer S. , Seirawan Hazem
Published: June 2020

Dental students’ attitudes towards access to dental care for the underserved may be impacted by participation in community oral health promotion programs that target individuals in underserved communities. At the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, freshman dental students provide classroom oral health promotion and preventive dental care programs to underserved elementary school children. One hundred forty‐four freshman dental students were surveyed three times during their freshman year—before, during, and after participation in these programs. The students’ attitudes about societal expectations, health professionals’ responsibility, access to care, and students’ personal efficacy to positively impact the need for expanded oral health care services for segments of the population were measured. Students reported positive attitudes in all categories throughout the study period. The students’ attitudes about societal expectations to care for the oral health of the underserved remained stable over the study period, but they became more uncertain of who should be responsible for fulfilling that obligation, who should receive that care, and their capability to provide this care while in dental school. These changes in attitude may reflect the students’ greater understanding of the complexity of the determinants of oral health as a consequence of their community education experiences.
Advanced Placement, Qualifying, and Degree Completion Programs for Internationally Trained Dentists in Canada and the United States: An Overview
Authors: Boorberg Noriko B. , Schönwetter Dieter J. , Swain Vanessa L.
Published: June 2020

Canadian and U.S. universities are faced with the challenge that they are not graduating enough dentists to meet the future needs of the Canadian and U.S. populations. Foreign‐trained dentists represent a valuable resource to society and the economy. Dental programs have been established to train foreign‐trained dentists for some or all of the following reasons: public need for health care services, income generation for universities, and demand by foreign‐trained dentists who desire to practice dentistry in Canada or the United States rather than in their own nation. Changes implemented by the National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) of Canada in 2000 and by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) in the United States in 1986 have resulted in foreign‐trained dentists no longer being able to gain dental licensure in these countries strictly through a certification examination. Foreign‐trained dentists are now required to apply for and complete a two‐ to three‐year advanced placement, qualifying, or degree program at a Canadian or U.S. dental school prior to receiving licensure to practice. The study reported in this article investigated the various types of advanced placement, qualifying, or degree programs available to foreign‐trained dentists wishing to practice in either Canada or the United States and the differences among these programs. This research provides a better understanding of the various commonalities and differences among Canadian and U.S. programs for internationally trained dentists.
Orthodontists’ and Orthodontic Residents’ Education in Treating Underserved Patients: Effects on Professional Attitudes and Behavior
Authors: Brown Brett R. , Inglehart Marita Rohr
Published: June 2020

The U.S. surgeon general's report on oral health in 2000 stressed the importance of providing dental care for underserved patient groups. Given that orthodontic treatment is less likely to be covered by dental plans than other procedures and is often considered an elective treatment, it is not surprising that access to orthodontic care is an especially severe problem for underserved patient groups. The purpose of this study was to explore the degree to which orthodontic residents and orthodontists perceived that their graduate orthodontic education had prepared them well to treat underserved patients and whether this education affected their professional attitudes and behavior concerning providing care for members of historically underserved patient groups. Survey data were collected from 135 residents in U.S. and Canadian graduate orthodontic programs and from 568 active members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). While the majority of residents and orthodontists felt well prepared to treat patients from different ethnic/racial backgrounds (quality of clinical education: residents: 86.4 percent; orthodontists: 82.3 percent), considerably fewer respondents felt well prepared to treat patients on Medicaid (64.7 percent and 34.4 percent), pro bono cases (45.4 percent and 33.4 percent), patients with special needs (52.8 percent and 35 percent), patients with craniofacial anomalies (65.3 percent and 52.6 percent), and patients with developmental delays (45.5 percent and 30.5 percent). Perceptions of the quality of education correlated significantly with the professional attitudes and the actual/projected behavior concerning providing care for patients from these underserved patient groups. Given the lack of access to orthodontic care for patients from underserved patient groups, initiatives are needed to change this situation. These findings showed a clear relationship between how future orthodontists are educated about providing care for patients from underserved populations and their professional attitudes and behavioral intentions to provide care for individuals who historically have encountered access to care barriers. Dental education has to accept the responsibility to prepare future dental care providers to be able to treat patients from underserved groups.
Oral Care for Frail Elders: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Long‐Term Care Staff
Authors: Dharamsi Shafik , Jivani Khairun , Dean Charmaine , Wyatt Chris
Published: June 2020

The University of British Columbia Geriatric Dentistry Program (GDP) offers dental services and provides a comprehensive in‐service education program for nursing and residential care‐aide (RCA) staff in the provision of daily mouth care for elders in various long‐term care (LTC) facilities in Vancouver. This study examined the general impact of the education initiative at one LTC site. A survey (N=90), semi‐structured open‐ended interviews (N=26), and product audits were conducted to 1) examine the impact of the GDP education initiative on the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of RCAs and nursing staff regarding the provision of daily mouth care; 2) identify the enablers and barriers that influenced the provision of daily mouth care practices, policies, and protocols using the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model of health promotion research; and 3) assess the self‐perceptions of RCAs and nursing staff members regarding their oral health. A knowledge gap was evident in some key areas pertaining to prevention of dental diseases. Twenty‐five percent of residents were missing toothbrushes and toothpaste for daily mouth care. Residents who exhibit resistance to mouth care tended not to receive regular care, while issues such as time, increased workload, limited staff, and the lack of an accountability structure are disenabling factors for provision of daily mouth care. Results suggest that the impact of educational interventions is affected by the quality of in‐service education, an absence of identified predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors, and a strong commitment among LTC staff to the provision of daily mouth care for frail elders.
Factors Influencing Implementation and Outcomes of a Dental Electronic Patient Record System
Authors: Walji Muhammad F. , Taylor David , Langabeer James R. , Valenza John A.
Published: June 2020

Implementation of clinical information systems is often difficult and costly. Little is known about how to implement electronic patient records in a complex dental school environment. The purpose of this study is to report how such a system was implemented at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch and to provide insights that may be useful for other institutions. To identify success factors and barriers, we reviewed project documents, interviewed key individuals on the implementation team, and surveyed end users before and after implementation. Eight critical issues were identified after extensive interviews with the project team. Surveys of students, faculty, and staff before and after implementation indicated that users had mixed feelings about the system in terms of efficiency and time required compared with paper charts. After using the system, many users felt that the electronic patient record improved patient care and that they would recommend such a system to dentists starting a new practice. By sharing lessons learned and knowledge about the science of implementation, we hope to reduce failures and costs for dental schools embarking on large‐scale information technology implementations.
The Integration of Social Work into a Postgraduate Dental Training Program: A Fifteen‐Year Perspective
Authors: Petrosky Maggie , Colaruotolo Lenora A. , Billings Ronald J. , Meyerowitz Cyril
Published: June 2020

In 1993, Eastman Dental Center partnered with the Social Work Division of the University of Rochester Medical Center to develop a social work model of care with the goal of addressing the biopsychosocial needs of the dental population. This article will describe the gradual integration of social work within dentistry and its subsequent impact on resident education, clinical care, research, and program development. Examples of social work's contributions in the dental setting include resident/faculty education on critical psychosocial issues such as child maltreatment and intimate partner violence; the development and implementation of grant‐funded projects that utilize trained paraprofessionals to address oral health disparities; interdisciplinary collaboration with dental residents and faculty members on research activities; patient advocacy; oral health promotion within the community; and the creation of a patient assistance fund to meet uncovered care‐related expenses. This fifteen‐year model demonstrates the viability and sustainability of a social work presence within the academic dental setting.
Development and Evaluation of a Web‐Based Training Program for Oral Health Care Providers on Secondary Prevention of Eating Disorders
Authors: DeBate Rita D. , Severson Herbert , Zwald Marissa L. , Shaw Tracy , Christiansen Steve , Koerber Anne , Tomar Scott , Brown Kelli McCormack , Tedesco Lisa A.
Published: June 2020

Although oral health care providers (OHP) are key in the secondary prevention of eating disorders (ED), the majority are not engaged in assessment, referral, and case management. This innovative pilot project developed and evaluated a web‐based training program for dental and dental hygiene students and providers on the secondary prevention of ED. The intervention combined didactic and skill‐based objectives to train OHP on ED and its oral health effects, OHP roles, skills in identifying the oral signs of ED, communication, treatment, and referral. Using a convenience sample of OHP (n=66), a pre‐/post‐test evaluated short‐term outcomes and user satisfaction. Results revealed statistically significant improvements in self‐efficacy (p<.001); knowledge of oral manifestations from restrictive behaviors (p<.001) and purging behaviors (p<.001); knowledge of oral treatment options (p<.001); and attitudes towards the secondary prevention of ED (p<.001). Most participants strongly agreed or agreed that the program provided more information (89 percent) and resources (89 percent) about the secondary prevention of ED than were currently available; 91 percent strongly agreed or agreed that they would access this program for information regarding the secondary prevention of ED. This pilot project provides unique training in the clinical evaluation, patient approach, referral, and oral treatment that takes a multidisciplinary approach to address ED.
Dental Student Experiences with Gambling: A Survey of Attitudes, Exposure, and Impact
Authors: Westerman Gary H. , Elsasser Gary N. , Kavan Michael G.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study is to assess the extent and characteristics of gambling among dental students. Three hundred sixteen dental students enrolled at a private midwestern dental school accessed the twenty‐six‐item modified South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) as an online survey. Students were advised of the anonymity and confidentiality of the survey results. Student characteristics are presented as descriptive data. One hundred eighty‐six students (58.9 percent) responded. Nearly two‐thirds (61.3 percent) of the respondents reported having gambled at least once during the past twelve months. Using the SOGS score, six students can be considered problem gamblers with a value of 3 but <5, and three students can be considered as pathological gamblers with a score of ≥5. Gambling is a common activity among dental students and should be considered a possible factor for students who develop academic or social difficulties. Students do not appear to have a realistic perception of what constitutes problem or pathological gambling and may benefit from programs that address this issue.
Short‐Answer Examinations Improve Student Performance in an Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Course
Authors: Pinckard R. Neal , McMahan C. Alex , Prihoda Thomas J. , Littlefield John H. , Jones Anne Cale
Published: June 2020

The effect of examination question format on student performance was assessed by investigating three academically comparable second‐year dental school classes in an oral and maxillofacial pathology course. One class was given examinations with all multiple‐choice questions, one class was given examinations with all short‐answer questions, and one class was given examinations with half multiple‐choice questions and half short‐answer questions. The class given examinations with half short‐answer questions along with half multiple‐choice questions had a significantly higher average score and grade category distribution (80–100 percent, 70–79 percent, <70 percent) than the class given examinations with all multiple‐choice questions. When students in these two classes were divided into three academic ability groups based on the student's score in a prerequisite general pathology course, the class given examinations with half short‐answer questions and half multiple‐choice questions in the oral and maxillofacial pathology course had significantly higher scores and grade category distributions in all three ability groups. The average score and grade category distribution in the class given examinations with all short‐answer questions in the oral and maxillofacial pathology course were not significantly different from the average score and grade category distribution in the class given examinations with half short‐answer and half multiple‐choice questions. Our interpretation of these results is that the utilization of examinations containing short‐answer questions created a more challenging learning environment that motivated students to adopt more effective study regimens.
Dental Anatomy Carving Computer‐Assisted Instruction Program: An Assessment of Student Performance and Perceptions
Authors: Nance Elizabeth T. , Lanning Sharon K. , Gunsolley John C.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of students exposed to two different instructional modalities for dental anatomy wax carving: CAI (computer‐assisted instruction) using DVD technology, or traditional laboratory instruction. Students’ self‐assessment scores were also compared to faculty scores, and students’ perceptions of their teaching modality were analyzed. Seventy‐three first‐year dental students (response rate 81 percent) participated in this randomized single blind trial, in which faculty graders were blinded to student group assignment. There were no statistical differences, as determined by the Wilcoxon non‐parametric test and a t‐test, between the faculty grades on the wax carving from the two teaching methods the students experienced. The student self‐assessments revealed higher mean grades (3.0 for the DVD‐only group and 3.1 for the traditional group) than the faculty actual mean grades (2.2 for both the DVD‐only group and the traditional group) by almost one grade level on a 4.0 grade scale. Similar percentages of students in the traditional group had either favorable or unfavorable perceptions of their learning experience, while more students in the DVD‐only group reported favorable perceptions. Students from both groups said they wanted more faculty feedback in the course. Based on these objective and subjective data, merging CAI and traditional laboratory teaching may best enhance student learning needs.
“Providers Practice Prevention”: Promoting Dental Hygienists’ Use of Evidence‐Based Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence
Authors: Studts Jamie L. , Burris Jessica L. , Kearns Dana K. , Worth Celeste T. , Sorrell Connie L.
Published: June 2020

High rates of tobacco use prompted the development of a provider education program in Kentucky to promote implementation of evidence‐based tobacco cessation treatment among registered dental hygienists (R.D.H.s). All R.D.H.s throughout the state were notified of the program and invited to participate. Participants were asked to complete a pre‐program survey and post‐program evaluation. A follow‐up survey was administered one year following program participation. Two hundred and ninety‐four R.D.H.s completed the pre‐ and post‐program surveys, and the follow‐up survey was completed by 53 percent (N=156) of the initial sample. Analyses exploring the immediate effect (from pre‐ to post‐program) found the program to have had a universally positive impact (p<.05) across knowledge, attitudes, and intended clinical practices regarding tobacco use and treatment. Regarding the program's durable effects (from pre‐program to follow‐up), statistically significant (p<.05) and positive effects were realized for most of the outcomes, including subjective knowledge, attitudes, and practices. It was concluded that the program serves as an effective introduction to the Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Clinical Practice Guideline. Additional intervention might enhance the durability of the program's efficacy and promote more complete adoption of evidence‐based tobacco cessation strategies by dental hygienists, leading to an even broader impact on cancer prevention and control of tobacco‐related malignancy.
E‐Teaching and Learning Preferences of Dental and Dental Hygiene Students
Authors: McCann Ann L. , Schneiderman Emet D. , Hinton Robert J.
Published: June 2020

This project was conducted to identify student preferences for e‐teaching and learning. An online Student Preferences for Learning with E‐Technology Survey was developed to assess computer experiences, the use and effectiveness of e‐resources, preferences for various environments, need for standardization, and preferred modes of communication. The survey was administered in May 2008 to all dental and dental hygiene students at Baylor College of Dentistry. There was an 85 percent response rate (n=366/432). About two‐thirds of the students found college e‐resources effective for learning. They preferred printed text over digital (64 percent) and wanted e‐materials to supplement but not replace lectures (74 percent). They reported e‐materials would “extensively” enhance learning, such as e‐lectures (59 percent), clinical videos (54 percent), and podcasts (45 percent). They reported the need for a central location for e‐resources (98 percent) and an e‐syllabus for every course (86 percent) in a standard format (77 percent). One difficulty reported was accessing e‐materials from external locations (33 percent). Students commented on the need for faculty training and standardization of grade posting. A qualitative theme was that e‐resources should not replace interactions with faculty. Some infrastructure problems have been corrected. Planning has begun for standardization and expansion of e‐resources. These improvements should enhance learning and increase the options for individualizing instruction, study strategies, and course remediation.
Introducing and Evaluating MorphoDent, a Web‐Based Learning Program in Dental Morphology
Authors: Mitov Gergo , Dillschneider Timo , Abed Mohammad Rabbo , Hohenberg Gregor , Pospiech Peter
Published: June 2020

MorphoDent, a computer‐assisted learning program designed to teach the anatomy of the adult dentition, was introduced into the curriculum of dentistry at the University of Saarland in Homburg, Germany. Thirty‐six second‐year students of the School of Dentistry were introduced to morphoDent alongside the traditional lectures of dental anatomy. Questionnaires that evaluated the students’ perceptions of virtual learning as well as aspects of the functionality of the program educational objectives were developed and distributed to the students. Online tests were performed and compared with a traditional examination. All questionnaires were returned. A wide variety of aspects dealing the pedagogic implications of e‐learning were evaluated by the students, with the overall result being that students are aware of the needed hardware and technical skills and expect the quality of their studies to improve by implementation of e‐learning. All sophomores except one felt that morphoDent had helped them in learning dental morphology and reported enjoying the virtual anatomical examination. One‐third reported technical difficulties in operating the program. The average exam score was 2.53 (SD: 0.66) for the traditional and 2.23 (SD: 0.59) for the online dental anatomy test. Students expressed their positive attitude towards e‐learning in general and indicated that the use of photorealistic 3D models of human teeth supported the process of individual learning of dental anatomy. The online test could be rated as a good option for students’ self‐performance rating.
Reflections on the Dental Pipeline Program's Efforts Regarding Community‐Based Dental Education
Authors: Hood Janet Grobe
Published: June 2020

Although many changes are being made, many are still needed in educating future dental professionals about prevention programs, ethics, professionalism, communication, cultural competence, and access to care. It is not yet clear if producing more dentists will put these professionals into underserved areas where they are needed, with the skills they need. The achievements of the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program schools in increasing the amount of time students spend in community‐based education and service‐learning programs result from a widespread, national effort to meet this challenge. This article is a personal reflection and review of these programs, considering what has been learned and still needs to be learned about student educational impact and quality, faculty issues, program management, infrastructure and logistics, and financial impact, with suggestions for future study that can help dental schools design the most effective programs.
Underrepresented Minority Dental Student Recruitment and Enrollment Programs: An Overview from the Dental Pipeline Program
Authors: Formicola Allan J. , D’Abreu Kim C. , Tedesco Lisa A.
Published: June 2020

By now, all dental schools should understand the need to increase the enrollment of underrepresented minority (URM) students. While there has been a major increase in the number of Hispanic/Latino, African American/Black, and Native American applicants to dental schools over the past decade, there has not been a major percent increase in the enrollment of URM students except in the schools participating in the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program, which have far exceeded the percent increase in enrollment of URM students in other U.S. dental schools during Phase I of the program (2002–07). Assuming that all dental schools wish to improve the diversity of their student bodies, chapters 9–12 of this report—for which this chapter serves as an introduction—provide strategies learned from the Pipeline schools to increase the applications and enrollment of URM students. Some of the changes that the Pipeline schools put into place were the result of two focus group studies of college and dental students of color. These studies provided guidance on some of the barriers and challenges students of color face when considering dentistry as a career. New accreditation standards make it clear that the field of dentistry expects dental schools to re‐energize their commitment to diversity.
Effective Admissions Practices to Achieve Greater Student Diversity in Dental Schools
Authors: Price Shelia S. , Grant‐Mills Donna
Published: June 2020

In this chapter we describe the institutional and policy‐level strategies that dental schools in the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program used to modify their admissions practices to increase the diversity of their student bodies. Schools developed and used clear statements recognizing the value of diversity. They incorporated recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings regarding educational diversity into their revised admissions practices; these rulings cited diversity as both a “compelling interest” and its use in only “narrowly tailored” circumstances. We make a case for admissions decisions based on a comprehensive evaluation that balances the quantitative and qualitative qualities of a candidate. It refutes the practice of overreliance on standardized tests by detailing the whole‐file review process to measure merit and professional promise. Also described is a range of noncognitive variables (e.g., leadership, ability to sustain academic achievement with competing priorities, volunteerism, communication, social background, and disadvantaged status) that schools can take into consideration in admissions decisions. Admissions committees can tie this comprehensive review of candidates into the case for promoting cross‐cultural understanding and enhanced competence to provide care to patients from diverse backgrounds. In addition, the chapter reviews the challenges schools face in developing admissions policies and procedures that reflect the university's mission for diversity. It addresses the importance of a diverse composition of the admissions committee. It also describes how tailored workshops and technical assistance for admissions committees can help schools improve their student diversity and how admissions committees can engage in a process of periodic review of their diversity objectives in relationship to the school's mission.
Allied Dental and Dental Educators’ Perceptions of and Reporting Practices on Academic Dishonesty
Authors: Muhney Kelly A. , Campbell Patricia R.
Published: June 2020

Highly publicized reports and current research on cheating in dental schools and dental hygiene programs have created a resurgence of proactive measures in the deterrence of academic dishonesty. A majority of administrators and faculty members are of the opinion that cheating does occur at their schools and may have been personally involved with incidents of cheating through observation or student reporting. With the information age and the diverse makeup of today's student body, there may be differences in what is considered academic dishonesty between students and educators. The purpose of this study was to elicit perceptions on those differences, ascertain the number of cheating incidents that educators personally witnessed or about which they received information, and determine how they resolved those incidents. Another aim of this study was to determine if having an honor code, adequate ethics training, honor pledges, dialogue in the classroom, and formal due process policy were related to the number of cheating incidents. Surveys were distributed at the educational program of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Section on Dental Hygiene Education at the 2009 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. Results show the majority of these educators had had experience with cheating occurrences and believe that there are disparities between students and educators and among cultural groups in defining academic dishonesty. No differences or patterns emerged between academic integrity characteristics and occurrences or reports of cheating.
Reflective Blogs in Clinical Education to Promote Critical Thinking in Dental Hygiene Students
Authors: Wetmore Ann O'Kelley , Boyd Linda D. , Bowen Denise M. , Pattillo Robin E.
Published: June 2020

One challenge facing dental hygiene, as well as dental, education is to identify clinical teaching strategies promoting critical thinking and clinical reasoning. These skills are crucial elements in the practice of dental hygiene. A two‐group design (intervention, n=28, and control, n=30) assessed first‐year dental hygiene students using pre‐and post‐Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) scores to evaluate the effect of reflective blogging on critical thinking skills. A reflective blog rubric, based on Mezirow's levels of reflection, determined if reflective blogging increased the level of reflection for dental hygiene students. The results suggest within this nonprobability sample that reflective blogging did not produce a significant change in students’ HSRT scores (p>0.05). However, analyses of reflective blog rubric scores demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p<0.05) in students’ levels of reflection. Furthermore, data analysis revealed a correlation (p<0.05) between HSRT subscale scores and the element of reflection scores for the intervention group. This study addressed needs of the dental and dental hygiene education community by examining the use of blogs, an emerging technology, as a tool for reflecting on clinical experiences and, in turn, for promoting critical thinking.
Augmented Kinematic Feedback from Haptic Virtual Reality for Dental Skill Acquisition
Authors: Suebnukarn Siriwan , Haddawy Peter , Rhienmora Phattanapon , Jittimanee Pannapa , Viratket Piyanuch
Published: June 2020

We have developed a haptic virtual reality system for dental skill training. In this study we examined several kinds of kinematic information about the movement provided by the system supplement knowledge of results (KR) in dental skill acquisition. The kinematic variables examined involved force utilization (F) and mirror view (M). This created three experimental conditions that received augmented kinematic feedback (F, M, FM) and one control condition that did not (KR‐only). Thirty‐two dental students were randomly assigned to four groups. Their task was to perform access opening on the upper first molar with the haptic virtual reality system. An acquisition session consisted of two days of ten trials of practice in which augmented kinematic feedback was provided for the appropriate experimental conditions after each trial. One week after, a retention test consisting of two trials without augmented feedback was completed. The results showed that the augmented kinematic feedback groups had larger mean performance scores than the KR‐only group in Day 1 of the acquisition and retention sessions (ANOVA, p<0.05). The apparent differences among feedback groups were not significant in Day 2 of the acquisition session (ANOVA, p>0.05). The trends in acquisition and retention sessions suggest that the augmented kinematic feedback can enhance the performance earlier in the skill acquisition and retention sessions.
Minority Dental Faculty Development: Responsibility and Challenge
Authors: Sinkford Jeanne C. , Valachovic Richard W. , Weaver Richard G. , West Joseph F.
Published: June 2020

Over at least the last twenty years, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) has given attention and priority to increasing the number of underrepresented minority (URM) dental school applicants, enrollees, and faculty members and to meeting the challenges of achieving diversity in the oral health workforce of the future as racial and ethnic minorities continue to grow and are expected to comprise more than 50 percent of the U.S. population by the middle of the twenty‐first century. Dental schools have the responsibility of preparing dentists to provide oral health care for the nation's population. This includes creating a workforce of adequate size and racial/ethnic composition. As part of ADEA's priorities to improve the recruitment, retention, and development of URMs in the dental profession, with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, ADEA launched the Minority Dental Faculty Development Program in 2004. The intent of the program is to foster academic partnerships, mentoring, and institutional commitment and leadership designed to increase the number of URM individuals interested in and prepared for careers in academic dentistry.
Clinical Experience of Residents with RPD Treatment in U.S. Graduate Prosthodontics Programs
Authors: Bidra Avinash S. , Agar John R.
Published: June 2020

This cross‐sectional study was conducted to quantify the clinical experience of prosthodontic residents with cast metal removable partial denture (RPD) treatment based on their year of training, geographic location of the program, and nature of the program. A web‐based survey consisting of five questions was e‐mailed to program directors from forty‐two programs across the United States. A 62 percent response rate was obtained (26/42). Thirteen of the programs (50 percent of respondents) stipulated a specific number of RPDs to be done prior to completion of the program. Clinical experience of residents varied vastly based on year of training, geographic location of the program, and nature of the program. Prosthodontic residents from southern states, university‐based programs, and public school programs had more clinical experience than residents from other programs. The average clinical experience for a prosthodontic resident during three years of training was eight traditional RPDs and two implant‐supported RPDs. This is the first study done exploring this topic and provides baseline information on residents’ clinical experience in RPD treatment. Future studies will determine educational trends and reassess this portion of the curriculum in graduate prosthodontics.