bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the Dental Histology Curriculum Using Computer Technology
Authors: MacPherson Brian R. , Brueckner Jennifer K.
Published: June 2020

The predominant difference between the histology offered to dental students and that taken by other health care professionals is the emphasis placed on the oral tissues. The oral histology component of the dental curriculum is commonly handled in one of three ways, all delivering far more detailed information than the often less than one hour that a typical medical histology course spends on the oral cavity and its component tissues. Overall, three general curricular styles can be defined: 1) dental histology is taught by medical or dental faculty as a separate course, the oral histology component being a separate course taught by either faculty group; 2) medical and dental students take histology together in a single class with the oral histology component taught separately by faculty from either college; and 3) both basic and oral histology is taught within a single semester, the format used at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. The oral histology topics are similar in all of the course formats, regardless of whether they occur as a stand‐alone course or are merged with basic histology. The main portion of this paper will describe a self‐study, non‐microscope‐based laboratory experience designed to complement this fused topic course. Self‐study labs using digital media are becoming more popular across both medical and dental histology curricula, specifically with the oral histology component where the histological skills for preparing these tissues are rapidly disappearing from many schools. This paper describes a typical syllabus for a fused course, outlining the topics for basic and oral histology, and demonstrates how the laboratory portion has been enhanced using digital technology.
Reexamining Educational Philosophy: The Issue of Professional Responsibility, “Cleveland First”
Authors: Wotman Stephen , Lalumandier James , Canion Seth , Zakariasen Kristin
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes a shift of emphasis in the dental curriculum from measures to protect and improve the oral health of individuals to measures to protect and improve the oral health of the community or society. This shift represents a fundamental change in educational philosophy of the dental school. To illustrate this shift in emphasis, this paper describes a demonstration project to test the feasibility of this approach involving all seventy first‐year students in the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry in a four‐week experience placing dental sealants in erupting molars of second and sixth graders in fifty schools of the Cleveland City School System. In future years, the program is expected to reach all second and sixth graders in the Cleveland School System. The experience is a required integral component of the curriculum, involving every student in the class, and is designed to make a demonstrable difference in oral health in the City of Cleveland. The experience is reinforced with course material on professional responsibility. The school is developing additional intensive experiences for second‐, third‐, and fourth‐year classes involving smoking prevention for adolescents, oral health maintenance for nursing home residents, and dental care delivery in the inner city. The initial year of the program has had effects on students' responses to other elements of the first‐year curriculum that go beyond the experience of placing sealants in children's teeth. The focused efforts of dental students every year are expected to have a measurable effect on the disparities in oral health found in the City of Cleveland as well as a measurable effect on dental students' and dentists' attitudes concerning professional responsibility.
Current Status of Predoctoral Geriatric Education in U.S. Dental Schools
Authors: Mohammad Abdel R. , Preshaw Philip M. , Ettinger Ronald L.
Published: June 2020

The elderly constitute the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Dental schools must educate dental students so that they are competent and confident in managing the treatment needs of elderly patients. Programs in geriatric dentistry have been developed in response to the changing oral health needs of growing numbers of older adults. The purpose of this online survey was to identify the current status of predoctoral geriatric dental education in U.S. dental schools. A questionnaire relating to the teaching of geriatric dentistry was posted on the World Wide Web, and fifty‐four U.S. dental schools were invited to complete the form. Data from completed questionnaires were submitted to the investigators via email. Following repeated phone calls and emails to urge school administrators to respond to the electronic questionnaire, a 100 percent response rate was achieved. All schools reported teaching at least some aspects of geriatric dentistry, and 98 percent had curricula that contain required didactic material. Sixty‐seven percent of schools reported having a clinical component to geriatric dental teaching. Of these schools, the clinical content was required in 77 percent and elective in the rest. Thirty percent of schools reported a specific geriatric dentistry clinic within the school, and 11 percent had a remote clinical site. Sixty‐three percent of schools have a geriatric program director or a chairman of a geriatric section. Over a third of schools indicated that they plan to extend the teaching of geriatric dentistry in the future. Geriatric dental education has continued to expand over the last twenty years and has established itself in the U.S. predoctoral dental curriculum. The format of teaching the subject varies considerably among the dental schools. Although didactic teaching of geriatric dentistry has increased markedly in the last two decades, clinical experience, both intramurally and extramurally, did not keep pace.
Dental Students' Reflections on Their Community‐Based Experiences: The Use of Critical Incidents
Authors: Mofidi Mahyar , Strauss Ronald , Pitner Leslie L. , Sandler Eugene S.
Published: June 2020

Dental schools are challenged to develop new learning methodologies and experiences to better prepare future dental practitioners. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the community‐based experiences of dental students as documented in their critical incident essays and explore what learning outcomes and benefits students reported. Following two required community‐based clinical rotations, each student wrote a reflection essay on a self‐defined critical incident that occurred during the rotations. Rotations took place in settings such as a public health clinic, special needs facility, hospital, or correctional institution. Essays for two classes of students were content‐analyzed for recurring themes and categories. Students were confronted in their rotations with a wide range of situations not typically encountered in dental academic settings. Their essays showed that, as a result of these rotations, students developed increased self‐awareness, empathy, communications skills, and self‐confidence. Critical incidents challenged assumptions and stereotypes, enhanced awareness of the complexities of dental care, and raised complex ethical dilemmas. The essays also illustrated a heightened sense of professional identity and enabled students to appreciate the role dentistry can play in impacting patients' lives. We concluded from the study that community‐based dental education that includes a process for reflection holds promise as an educational strategy to facilitate the personal and professional development of future dentists.
Capacity for Training in Clinical Research: Status and Opportunities
Authors: Gordon Sharon M. , Heft Marc W. , Dionne Raymond A. , Jeffcoat Marjorie K. , Alfano Michael C. , Valachovic Richard W. , Lipton James A.
Published: June 2020

The ability to base patient care on scientific evidence depends in part on the results of translational and applied research. The shortage of trained clinical researchers identified by several sources limits the availability of clinical research studies upon which to base evidence‐based therapeutics. This premise suggests that the dental profession needs to train more clinical researchers and faculty to conduct clinical research and to teach its applications to practice. Increasing opportunities for clinical research training in a variety of settings should eventually increase the numbers of clinical researchers, raise faculty involvement in clinical research, and promote science transfer. This paper reports on the current status of clinical research in dental schools, specifies the diverse groups involved in the clinical research enterprise, and identifies underutilized opportunities and partnerships for clinical research training. Data on federal and nonfederal funding of clinical research and training programs are presented. Existing and novel mechanisms for expanding clinical research training throughout and across traditional as well as unconventional environments are explored.
Education about Treating Patients with HIV Infections/AIDS: The Student Perspective
Authors: Seacat Jason P. , Inglehart Marita Rohr
Published: June 2020

This study investigated dental and dental hygiene students' a) perceptions of their education about treating patients with HIV infections/AIDS, b) knowledge of universal precautions, c) attitudes towards treating these patients and patients perceived to be at risk for HIV infections, and d) evaluations of potential curricular activities such as discussion groups with HIV‐infected patients. Data were collected with self‐administered questionnaires from 315 dental and 89 dental hygiene students. On average, dental students reported having learned about this topic in fewer courses than dental hygiene students. However, dental students answered significantly more knowledge questions about universal precautions correctly than did dental hygiene students. This knowledge increased over the program course. Male students had significantly stronger negative attitudes towards patients at risk for or with HIV infections/AIDS than female students. Overall, dental and dental hygiene students responded positively to the suggested methods for including more material about patients with HIV infections/AIDS such as case studies, discussion groups, and closely supervised clinical experiences. This study shows that dental and dental hygiene students are interested in learning more about treating patients with HIV infections/AIDS. It also adds information to previous research on factors involved in the dental healthcare providers' decisions to treat patients at risk for or with HIV infections/AIDS. The implications of these findings for curriculum development efforts are discussed.
Student Use and Perceptions of Different Learning Aids in a Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) Dentistry Course
Authors: Gerzina Tania M. , Worthington Rebecca , Byrne Scott , McMahon Catherine
Published: June 2020

First‐year dental students in a new problem‐based learning (PBL) course, the Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent) Program at the University of Sydney, Australia, completed the Study Process Questionnaire and two other questionnaires in this study. The study aimed to identify student perceptions of a written formative assessment and the helpfulness of various learning aids used to prepare for this assessment and preparing to be a dental clinician. Correlations between approach to learning and perceptions of assessment and learning aids showed theoretically expected associations. Surface learning was associated with students' concerns regarding whether assessment items reflected curriculum content, a valuing of lectures as a learning aid, and low scores for theme sessions. Deep learning was associated with a perception that the assessment tested application of basic and clinical sciences and a valuing of both independent study groups and learning topics as learning aids. An achievement orientation to learning was associated with a valuing of formative assessment as a learning aid and an intention to modify study habits as a result of participating in formative assessment. The findings provide insight into student learning in a PBL context that will help teachers and curriculum developers better understand the value of teaching aids provided in the program and the impact assessment has on study styles.
Current Trends in Immediate Osseous Dental Implant Case Selection Criteria
Authors: McNutt Matthew D. , Chou Chun‐Han
Published: June 2020

As endosseous dental implant therapy rapidly becomes the prosthetic standard of care for a vast array of clinical applications, we are faced with the challenge of developing dynamic treatment planning protocols. This paper will discuss the clinical benefits of immediate implants and outline a synthesis of case selection criteria garnered from amongst current immediate implant trends. Our immediate findings are that although implants have become widely accepted despite controversial beginnings and the available literature consistently cites high levels of success (ranging from 94 to 100 percent on average), there is no universally agreed upon case selection criteria. Our principal conclusion is that the high success rate of endosseous implant therapy has yet to achieve wide public acceptance and utilization. Overcoming barriers to public utilization will greatly depend on our ability as dentists to appropriately select cases and deliver treatment in a timely and cost‐effective manner. Further, developing case selection criteria for immediate dental implants will help to overcome these barriers by increasing treatment success rates and minimizing treatment cost and time.
The Reduction of Broken Appointment Rates Through an Automated Appointment Confirmation System
Authors: Almog Dov M. , Devries Jane A. , Borrelli John A. , Kopycka‐Kedzierawski Dorota T.
Published: June 2020

Broken appointments continue to be an important productivity, quality assurance, and access gauge for private dental practices and academic dental centers. In November 2001, the University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center, an urban academic dental center, installed an automated confirmation system to address a high incidence of broken appointments. Following the installation of the system, the Eastman Dental Center experienced a marked decrease in the broken appointment rate. Over a twelve‐month period, the center's overall broken rate declined from 23.42 percent to 19.17 percent. The general dentistry rate declined from 23.67 percent to 19.77 percent, and the pediatric dentistry rate declined from 29.42 percent to 25.25 percent.
Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Stress in Dental Undergraduates
Authors: Pau Allan K.H. , Croucher Ray
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived stress (PS) in dental undergraduates. All dental undergraduates attending a UK dental school were invited to complete a questionnaire on age, gender, year of study, EI, and PS. Two hundred and thirteen students (48 percent male) participated, a response rate of 70 percent. The mean score for EI was 117.54 (S.D. 14.90) and PS was 17.73 (S.D. 6.49). Factor analysis confirmed four factors previously identified in the literature as comprising emotional intelligence: optimism/mood regulation, utilization of emotions, appraisal of emotions, and social skills. T‐tests indicated that females had significantly higher EI scores than males. Mean PS scores were significantly higher for students aged over twenty‐one years compared with those aged twenty‐one years or less (p<0.001), female compared to male students (p<0.05), and those in higher years compared to those in lower years of study (p<0.001). Correlational analysis showed an inverse relationship between EI and PS. Multiple regression analysis identified year of study, optimism/mood regulation, and gender as independent, significant predictors of PS. In conclusion, low EI scorers report more PS. Future research should investigate the relationships of EI and PS with impact on lifestyle behaviors, academic and clinical performance, and health outcomes.
Building the Minority Faculty Development Pipeline
Authors: Gates Paul E. , Ganey James H. , Brown Marc D.
Published: June 2020

The shortage of faculty in dental education is well documented, but the data also show a shortage of minorities in postgraduate programs, which develop future faculty. In the last ten years, ADEA's effort to address minority issues in dental education has made some progress. In addition, examples of pipelines for minority faculty development that have shown some success include: a partnership between Harlem Hospital and Columbia University School of Dentistry and Oral Surgery in which the school dedicates one position in its postgraduate training programs to an individual participating in the Harlem Hospital General Practice Residency program; a partnership between the National Dental Association Foundation and Colgate‐Palmolive Company, which provides scholarships for advanced dental education study; and the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Department of Dentistry, which enrolls underrepresented minorities in its General Practice Residency Program, a new Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program, and a unique program providing hands‐on experience in HIV/AIDS health care policy and AIDS development management. Critical elements in the relative success of these programs are environment, selection criteria, mentoring, networking, and finance. The true measure of the outcomes is still to be seen.
Comparisons of National Board Part II and NERB's Written Examination for Outcomes and Redundancy
Authors: Ranney Richard R. , Gunsolley John C. , Miller Lois S.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to compare students' in‐school academic performance with their scores on the North East Regional Board (NERB) of Dental Examiners' Dental Simulated Clinical Examination (DSCE; written) and the written examination given by the National Board of Dental Examiners, Part II (NBDE Part II). A second purpose was to evaluate whether requiring the DSCE in addition to the NBDE II is of benefit in assessing the qualifications of candidates for licensure. Results on the first attempt at passing the two examinations were compared for 836 graduates (1994‐2002) of one dental school. Mean scores on the examinations and mean grade point average (GPA) of those who passed the two examinations did not differ. Mean GPAs of those who failed the two examinations also were not significantly different. Scores on the two exams and GPA significantly correlated with each other. Correlation coefficients were higher between GPA and scores on the NBDE II than between GPA and scores on the DSCE. The failure rates on first attempts were 6 percent on the DSCE and 7 percent on the NBDE II. The results of this study suggest that the DSCE does not materially assist in the licensure decision for candidates who passed the NBDE Part II, as the results on the two exams are very similar.
Outcomes Assessment Related to Professional Growth and Achievements of Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Graduates
Authors: Rowe Dorothy J. , Weintraub Jane A. , Shain Sara , Yamamoto Judy , Walsh Margaret M.
Published: June 2020

The goals of the entry‐level baccalaureate dental hygiene (DH) program at the University of California, San Francisco, include the preparation of scholars who will pursue additional study and research and the development of DH educators and leaders in the field of DH. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the goals of the program were being achieved by assessing the professional growth and achievements of the graduates. Questionnaires were mailed to graduates of classes from 1960 to 2000, and the response rate was 66 percent (N = 468). Results indicated the following: 21 percent of the respondents completed a graduate or professional program, with most degrees being master's related to education (53 percent) and dental degrees (28 percent); 20 percent have held a faculty position in a DH educational program, with 26 percent holding leadership positions; 60 percent have been regular participants in DH professional organizations, with 36 percent of them holding leadership positions; and 61 percent have been active in a community organization, with 60 percent of them holding leadership positions. This outcomes assessment indicates that many UCSF DH graduates have become scholars, educators, and leaders in DH, and thus, the current program is successful at achieving its educational goals. Future studies should evaluate graduates of other DH programs on similar outcomes measures.
Problem‐Based Learning and Research at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine: A Ten‐Year Follow‐Up
Authors: Susarla Srinivas M. , Bergman Adam V. , Howell T. Howard , Karimbux Nadeem Y.
Published: June 2020

Dental students at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) are required to pursue and complete research projects in order to obtain the doctor of dental medicine (D.M.D.) degree. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of curriculum changes on a set of measurable outcomes related to research pursuits. This study was designed as a retrospective analysis of outcomes data from the period 1992‐2002. The predictor variable was program format (non‐PBL vs. PBL); the outcome variables were the percentage of students listed as authors on an IADR/AADR abstract during their tenure at HSDM and the percentage of students listed as first and/or presenting authors. Univariate statistics were computed for each class, and independent samples t‐tests were used to compare the study groups with regard to our outcomes. For the majority of our outcomes, there was no statistically significant difference between the PBL and non‐PBL groups, possibly due to sample size limitations. While the implementation of PBL at HSDM has not universally increased student productivity in research, it has not had an adverse effect either. It is possible that students in the PBL curriculum are nurturing other interests, such as community service, while retaining productivity in research.
Strategies for Training Standardized Patient Instructors for a Competency Exam
Authors: Amano Hitoshi , Sano Tsukasa , Gotoh Kinuko , Kakuta Saburo , Suganuma Takeshi , Kimura Yuichi , Tsukasaki Hiroaki , Miyashita Hajime , Okano Tomohiro , Goto Nobuichi , Saeki Haruko
Published: June 2020

The Common Achievement Test (CAT) in Japan, which will be implemented in 2005, involves a medical interview that is the core task to be completed by students during an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Standardized/Simulated Patient instructors (SPs), posing as patients in medical interviews, are trained in standard fashion in terms of expression of symptoms as well as the emotional affect of actual patients. Institution of appropriate training programs for SP instructors in the CAT is also necessary. We trained seven individuals to function as standardized patients (in‐school SPs) during a three‐day SP training program described in this article. Following completion of the OSCE, we conducted a comparison study among evaluations completed by the evaluators and two types of SP instructors. We observed high correlation, according to Spearman significance testing, between scores of evaluators and those of both newly trained in‐school SPs and veteran SPs who had more than five years of experience. Correlation coefficients between the veteran SPs (r=0.77) and the in‐school SPs (r=0.73) were nearly identical. These results suggest that our training program for SP instructors is an effective protocol, particularly with respect to reliability and efficiency.
Assessing the Reliability of a Digital Preparation Assistant System Used in Dental Education
Authors: Kournetas Nikos , Jaeger Berthold , Axmann Detlef , Groten Martin , Lachmann Stefan , Weber Heiner , Geis‐Gerstorfer Juergen
Published: June 2020

Use of a digital preparation assistant system may improve considerably the quality of preclinical dental education, provided the system works reliably. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to quantitatively assess the reliability of a new preclinical digital preparation assistant system (PREPassist, KaVo, Germany). The system was used to repeatedly scan four different unprepared and four different prepared teeth both with and without repositioning. Corresponding measurements were made to quantify accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. This was done by estimating the measurement error. Based on this estimation, respective limits of agreement were calculated. We used these ranges, along with assessments of the measurement's accuracy, to judge whether the results satisfy our expectations for clinically acceptable measurements. For preclinical laboratory instruction, the results indicate an acceptable accuracy (mean accuracy of 89 μm) of the measurements. This assessment applies as well to repeatability, given by the range of the respective limits of agreement (range <200 μm). However, in the case of reproducibility, the limits revealed discrepancies of practical importance (range >200 μm). Reproducibility of tooth repositioning in the available mounting device is unacceptable for preclinical laboratory instruction because of the observed range >200 μm. Thus, there is a need for the manufacture of new and more reliable mounting devices because reproducibility procedures are mostly encountered in preclinical instruction in restorative techniques. In contrast to reproducibility, accuracy and repeatability are acceptable for practical purposes. Balancing advantages and disadvantages, we conclude that, in general, the PREPassist system delivers reliable results.
Creating a Web‐Enhanced Interactive Preclinic Technique Manual: Case Report and Student Response
Authors: Boberick Kenneth G.
Published: June 2020

This article describes the development, use, and student response to an online manual developed with off‐the‐shelf software and made available using a web‐based course management system (Blackboard) that was used to transform a freshman restorative preclinical technique course from a lecture‐only course into an interactive web‐enhanced course. The goals of the project were to develop and implement a web‐enhanced interactive learning experience in a preclinical restorative technique course and shift preclinical education from a teacher‐centered experience to a student‐driven experience. The project was evaluated using an anonymous post‐course survey (95 percent response rate) of 123 freshman students that assessed enabling (technical support and access to the technology), process (the actual experience and usability), and outcome criteria (acquisition and successful use of the knowledge gained and skills learned) of the online manual. Students responded favorably to sections called “slide galleries” where ideal and non‐ideal examples of projects could be viewed. Causes, solutions, and preventive measures were provided for the errors shown. Sections called “slide series” provided cookbook directions allowing for self‐paced and student‐directed learning. Virtually all of the students, 99 percent, found the quality of the streaming videos adequate to excellent. Regarding Internet connections and video viewing, 65 percent of students successfully viewed the videos from a remote site; cable connections were the most reliable, dial‐up connections were inadequate, and DSL connections were variable. Seventy‐three percent of the students felt the videos were an effective substitute for in‐class demonstrations. Students preferred video with sound over video with subtitles and preferred short video clips embedded in the text over compilation videos. The results showed it is possible to develop and implement web‐enhanced and interactive dental education in a preclinical restorative technique course that successfully delivered information beyond the textual format.
HIV Attitudes and Practices Among Professors in a Brazilian Dental School
Authors: Pagliari Ana V. , Garbin Cléa A.S. , Garbin Artênio J.I.
Published: June 2020

Although there is considerable published research on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), individual biases persist because of lack of information regarding HIV virus transmission. As a result, both infected patients and health care professionals suffer. The objective of this study was to determine if there is prejudice among university professors at the School of Dentistry at Araçatuba's São Paulo State University (FOA‐UNESP) concerning HIV‐positive patients or HIV‐positive health care professionals. Out of the seventy‐seven professors who responded to the questionnaire, 62.3 percent (forty‐eight) stated that they advise their students not to refuse to treat a patient with HIV. Although 96.2 percent (fifty‐two) of the fifty‐four professors who treat patients have reported that they treat patients who are HIV‐positive, only 65.3 percent of them were aware of infection control precautions, and only 32.7 percent reported that they would treat an HIV‐positive patient like any other patient. There is also prejudice regarding HIV‐positive professionals because only 48.1 percent (thirty‐seven) of the professors responded that they would be willing to be treated by an infected professional. It can be concluded that there is prejudice among some of the FOA‐UNESP university professors regarding individuals who are HIV‐positive.
Development and Evaluation of an Interactive Tobacco Cessation CD‐ROM Educational Program for Dental Students
Authors: Gordon Judith S. , Severson Herbert H. , Seeley John R. , Christiansen Steve
Published: June 2020

Dentists and dental hygienists can be effective in providing advice and brief counseling to tobacco‐using patients. However, lack of training in effective interventions is a barrier to incorporating tobacco cessation interventions into routine practice. After we developed and evaluated an interactive CD‐ROM tobacco cessation training program, we evaluated the effect of using the program on the knowledge level and attitudes of forty‐seven third‐year dental students and thirty dental hygiene students and also obtained their opinions of program quality and utility. Significant change was observed from pre‐ to postintervention (t (46) = ‐11.62, p <.001; Cohen's d = 1.36). Program use was strongly related to change in the measure of tobacco cessation knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (semi‐partial r = .57, p <.001). In addition, participants rated the program highly on measures of satisfaction. The results of our evaluation provide strong support for the efficacy of the program with dental and dental hygiene students. An interactive educational program such as the one reported herein could be a useful tool for enabling dental professionals to obtain the skills necessary to help their patients quit using tobacco.
Financial Management and Dental School Strength, Part I: Strategy
Authors: Chambers David W. , Bergstrom Roy
Published: June 2020

The ultimate goal of financial management in a dental school is to accumulate assets that are available for strategic growth, which is a parallel objective to the profit motive in business. Budget development is often grounded in an income statement framework where the goal is to match revenues and expenses. Only when a balance sheet perspective (assets = liabilities + equity) is adopted can strategic growth be fully addressed. Four views of budgeting are presented in this article: 1) covering expenses, 2) shopping, 3) strategic support, and 4) budgeting as strategy. These perceptions of the budgeting process form a continuum, moving from a weak strategic position (covering expenses) to a strong one (budgeting as strategy) that encourages the accumulation of assets that build equity in the organization.
Clinical Simulation and Foundation Skills: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach to Teaching
Authors: Allen Kenneth L. , More Frederick G.
Published: June 2020

Faced with the challenge of restructuring a preclinical curriculum to provide a stronger background in general dentistry, a clinical simulation program that emphasizes critical thinking in clinical decision‐making was developed and implemented at New York University College of Dentistry. The program offers an integrated program in clinical sciences focused on the faculty‐defined outcomes for a general dentist. The curriculum was developed using outcomes that must be met before full patient care privileges are extended. The curriculum is centered around a series of patients with differing profiles of risk, disease, and treatment needs. Students are required to think globally, collect data that leads to an accurate assessment of the patient's risk, plan prevention and health promotion, and define a treatment plan. The student then demonstrates proficiency in executing treatment, evaluates the results, and speculates about the long‐term impact of the treatment provided. Student and faculty evaluations are discussed as well as the strengths and shortcomings of the curriculum.
A Profile of Dental School Deans, 2002
Authors: Chmar Jacqueline E. , Weaver Richard W. , Ranney Richard R. , Haden N. Karl , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

Dental school deans were surveyed to update and expand the profile of a dean developed in a 1999 survey and to assess whether the profile has changed since the initial survey. The demographic characteristics and qualifications of dental school deans were similar in 1999 and 2002. The dean turnover rate and average length of deanship have not significantly changed since 1990. There was a shift in the current and emerging issues described by deans in the 1999 and 2002 surveys. In 2002, infrastructure and resource management, future workforce needs, and access to care were much more likely to be mentioned. Nearly all deans have a dental degree and additional advanced degrees or certificates, and they are likely to be specialists. Dental school deans are almost always full professors with tenure and have had significant administrative experience as department chairs and assistant/associate deans and have served on boards outside of their institution. Deans typically are scholars with multiple published journal articles, textbooks, or chapters and have been the principal investigator for grants and contracts. This information provides insight into the background necessary to become a dental school dean and the qualities sought by dental schools.
OPENWIDE: An Innovative Oral Health Program for Non‐Dental Health and Human Services Providers
Authors: Wolfe Stanton H. , Huebner Colleen E.
Published: June 2020

Emerging awareness of the nature and severity of oral diseases and disorders and their serious impact on overall health and well‐being, combined with a nationwide crisis in access to oral health care for populations with the most and worst disease, makes it imperative that non‐dental health and childcare professionals engage more fully in oral health promotion and disease prevention. OPENWIDE is a comprehensive training program designed to help achieve this goal. The Connecticut Department of Public Health has trained more than 2,000 individuals during the first year of the OPENWIDE program. This article reports on successes and impediments to training and implementation encountered in the early stages of OPENWIDE and makes recommendations to improve the curriculum and its delivery to families and children.
Kids Get Care: Integrating Preventive Dental and Medical Care Using a Public Health Case Management Model
Authors: Wysen Kirsten H. , Hennessy Patricia M. , Lieberman Martin I. , Garland Tracy E. , Johnson Susan M.
Published: June 2020

Kids Get Care is a public health‐based program in the Seattle area designed to ensure that low‐income children, regardless of insurance status, receive early integrated preventive medical, dental, and developmental health services through attachment to medical and dental homes (the usual sources of medical or dental care). The oral health component of the program focuses on cross‐training medical and dental providers, providing partner medical clinics with a case manager, and educating staff in nearby community‐based organizations about how to identify incipient dental disease and possible early childhood developmental delays. The program identifies a local, well‐respected dentist to champion the delivery of oral health screening within a medical clinic and to provide oral health training to medical clinic staff. The program works with community agencies to educate families on the importance of healthy baby teeth, routine dental care beginning at age one, and general prevention. In its first year, the program trained 355 community staff and 184 primary care providers on how to conduct an oral health assessment. These staff and providers screened more than 5,500 children for oral health problems. One medical clinic more than doubled the number of fluoride varnishes it provided, increasing from 80 to 167 during a nine‐month pilot phase. Other outcome studies are in progress.
Gender Impact on the Socioprofessional Identification of Women Dentists in Bulgaria
Authors: Katrova Lydia G.
Published: June 2020

Women comprise 73 percent of all dentists in Bulgaria. Almost all of them started their careers as salaried, and now they are self‐employed. The purpose of this study was to show how female dentists in Bulgaria met the challenges of the social and health reforms during the period of transition from totalitarian to democratic rule. A field sociological survey was carried out between October 1996 and June 1997, involving a sample of 842 dentists. The questionnaire was designed to give information on dental demography trends, pattern of participation and practice of female dentists, and their career development. The data were treated statistically using an SPSS package. Results show that for the period 1991–96 women dentists owned more than 50 percent of the newly opened private practices in Bulgaria. They were more interested in improving their qualifications and more successful in obtaining specialty status than male dentists. Dentists in Bulgaria by the late 1990s, with no gender difference, tend to identify themselves as liberal practitioners within the pluralistic model of dental services delivery. The volume of services delivered and profile of women in professional practice and their social and professional mobility are highly competitive, despite the growing problems of maternity leave coverage and funding to reenter the profession.
Academy: Strengthening the Educational Mission in Academic Health Centers
Authors: Howell Thomas H. , Karimbux Nadeem Y.
Published: June 2020

A dental school in the modern academic health center often finds that its traditional mission of educating dentists has become more complex as a result of the increased emphasis placed on research and patient care. Although health care education clearly benefits from a rich environment including research and patient care, faculty often find themselves conflicted about their roles in the complex mix of activities in the health center. In order to support faculty in their educational activities, several schools have formed organizational structures with the specific purpose of providing financial and developmental assistance. This article describes a model for an organizational structure within the Harvard School of Dental Medicine designed to promote educational excellence and then describes two academies dedicated to promoting teaching quality at Harvard Medical School and at the University of California at San Francisco.
Perspectives on Affirmative Action in Academic Dental Institutions: The U.S. Supreme Court Rulings in the University of Michigan Cases
Authors: Peterson Melanie R. , Kowolik Joan E. , Coleman Gary , Dietrich Susan , Mascarenhas Ana Karina , McCunniff Michael , Taylor George
Published: June 2020

In June 2003 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of using race as a factor in higher education admissions decisions. This article considers the impact of the Supreme Court decisions on admissions procedures at selected academic dental institutions (ADI) and their parent institutions. We interviewed fifty‐eight leaders considered to be individual stakeholders at seven ADI and their related parent institutions, state dental associations, and state legislatures using a common set of questions about the Supreme Court decisions. Educators from the ADI and their parent institutions were consistent in their responses that the rulings upheld affirmative action as necessary to achieve diversity. State organized dentistry officials did not appear to be as aware as others of the rulings, whereas legislators were mixed in their responses. Except for the University of Michigan undergraduate admissions procedures, it remains to be seen what the impact will be for other higher education institutions and for academic dental institutions. Although the rulings have provided guidelines for achieving diversity using race/ ethnicity as one of several factors, the rulings will possibly be challenged, thus requiring vigilance on the part of parent institutions and their ADI to ensure compliance with the spirit of the rulings and to avoid attack from opponents of affirmative action.
Characteristics of Dental School Feeder Institutions
Authors: Thibodeau Edward A. , Mentasti Lauren E.
Published: June 2020

A major challenge faced by all dental schools is the need to attract highly qualified student applicants. The purpose of this study was to use 2002–03 AADSAS data to identify and characterize feeder colleges and universities that are the major source of applicants to U.S. dental schools. Feeder schools were defined as any institutions with five or more applicants, and minority‐feeder schools as those with two or more minority applicants. Feeder schools were ranked by their total numbers of applicants (Category 1) and by their ratio of applicants to total undergraduate enrollment (Category 2). Feeder institutions were compared using total enrollment, degree status, geographic distribution, religious affiliation, numbers of minority applicants, and college admissions selectivity criteria. The top fifty Category 1 schools had an average enrollment of over 19,000 students and an average of sixty‐seven applicants. The top fifty Category 2 schools had an average enrollment of approximately 8,500 students and an average of forty‐nine applicants. Less than 1 percent of applicants from the top feeder institutions attended the nation's most competitive schools. California and Utah accounted for 28 percent of the total applicants from feeder institutions, followed by Florida (6.2 percent) and New York (5.7 percent). Seventeen of the top twenty‐five Category 2 schools (68 percent) were affiliated with or had student bodies associated with a particular religion, with the Seventh‐Day Adventist and Mormon institutions accounting for 544 applicants. The majority of all applicants from feeder institutions attended schools in the Southwest. The majority of black and Hispanic feeder institutions were in Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico. Results suggest that factors such as school size, geographic location, religious affiliation, and admissions selectivity criteria of colleges and universities may have a direct impact on the dental applicant pool.
Early Intervention Surveillance Strategies (EISS) in Dental Student Clinical Performance: A Mathematical Approach
Authors: Tennant Marc , Kruger Estie
Published: June 2020

Graduating dental practitioners requires the mastery of a number of skills and a significant body of basic information. Dental education is a complex combination of didactic and physical skill learning processes. It is necessary to develop appropriate tools to measure student clinical performance to allow the provision of interventional strategies at the right time targeted at the right individuals. In this study, an approach to early intervention surveillance strategies was developed that is cost‐effective, transparent, and robust based on mathematical predictions of student clinical achievements. Using a cohort of students’ clinical activity profile, a polynomial pair was developed that represents the predictive function of low and high achieving students. This polynomial pair can then be applied to students to predict their final achievement based on their current status. The polynomial methodology is adaptable to local variation such as access to clinical facilities. The early intervention surveillance strategy developed in this study provides a simple, cost‐effective, predictive risk assessment system that relies on data sets already collected in most dental schools and can be completed without the need for significant human intervention. The mathematical approach allows the focusing of educational support towards students that require the assistance, thus augmenting the better use of resources.
Attitudes of Dental Hygiene Students Toward Individuals with AIDS
Authors: Cohen Leonard A. , Romberg Elaine , Dixon Debra A. , Grace Edward G.
Published: June 2020

This study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of dental hygiene students’ attitudes toward AIDS and homosexuals. Each respondent received a 500‐word patient case vignette and two scales for recording impressions of the person described in the vignette. There were four vignettes, identical except that the portrayed individual's illness was identified as either AIDS or leukemia, and sexual preference as either homosexual or heterosexual. No differences in overall ratings on either scale were noted based on the patient's disease status or sexual preference or the interaction between sexual preferences with disease type. Similarly, neither scale displayed significant differences on any of the individual items based on the patient's sexual preference. There were, however, significant differences for several individual items on both scales based on the patient's disease type; students responded more negatively to individuals with AIDS. It appears, therefore, that the hygiene students displayed no bias toward homosexuals and only very minimal bias toward individuals with AIDS.
Measurement of Changes in Empathy During Dental School
Authors: Sherman Jeffrey J. , Cramer Adam
Published: June 2020

Empathy in the health care setting is the ability to understand a patient's experiences and feelings and the capability to communicate this understanding. Although empathy has been shown to play an important role in the dentist‐patient relationship and is a core competence for dentists, no measure of empathy has been validated in the dental setting. Further, little is known about changes in empathy during dental school. We examined the psychometric properties of a measure of empathy applied to the dental school setting and compared levels of empathy in dental students across their four years of training. One hundred and thirty students completed a survey including the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE). The JSPE was found to be both a reliable and valid empathy measure for dental students with similar psychometric properties to those found in medical students, residents, and physicians. Further, first‐year dental students had significantly higher empathy scores than students in any subsequent year. Consistent with the literature in medical settings, the timing of the decline in empathy levels corresponded to increases in patient exposure. We suggest that training students in the interpersonal skills designed to enhance the dentist‐patient relationship should continue throughout dental school training.