bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Societal and professional forces affecting graduate dental education
Authors: Meskin LH
Published: June 2020

This paper examines and predicts the effects of societal and professional forces on the future of graduate dental education. Among those factors analyzed are professional developments, paraprofessional changes, public initiatives, and government policy and legislation. The paper concludes with a proposal that suggests the creation of a balanced and flexible dental care delivery system. This system incorporates the concept of the “supergeneralist” and “superspecialist” and uses the auxiliary as the flexible portion of the work force. Advantages of the system as well as the difficulties that might be encountered if such a system were adopted are given.
NIDR funding related to the presence of oral biology departments and source of basic science instruction
Authors: Suddick RP , Yancey JM
Published: June 2020

The amount of research funds awarded to American dental schools by the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) in 1976 and 1977 was analyzed according to the schools' oral biology and basic science deparmental status. Four categories of schools were identified based on the presence or absence of oral biology programs (the ORB and NOB schools, respectively) and on medical school (‐M) or dental school (‐D) source of basic science instruction. This breakdown yielded 20 ORB‐M schools, 7 ORB‐D schools, 12 NOB‐M schools, and 15 NOB‐D schools. The ORB schools generated more than twice as much mean National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) research funding per school as did the NOB schools. The rank order of funding in the four subgroups was ORB‐M, NOB‐D, ORB‐D, and NOB‐M. The rank order of NIDR research funding among these four subgroups was quite similar to the previously reported rank order of student National Board performance in the same subgroups.
Instructional alternatives in pediatric dentistry
Authors: Nash DA , Johnsen DC , Fenton SJ
Published: June 2020

In recent years several alternative instructional strategies have been recommended that were departures from traditional approaches. This paper describes several of these alternatives that have been adapted and applied to the curriculum in pediatric dentistry at West Virginia University. They include a systems approach to designing instruction, employment of single conceptual units of instruction, development of instructional objectives, use of audiovisual technology for conveying information, the opportunity for self‐pacing, evaluation of students on a mastery model using a criterion‐referenced system, and the opportunity for students to learn beyond mastery in programs of self‐directed inquiry and contract grading. The methods used for implementing these strategies and the dynamics of their operation are discussed.
Deferred compensation as a method for payment of part‐time dental faculty members
Authors: Bentz GH , Geigle‐Bentz FL , Staats TF
Published: June 2020

Education costs are causing part‐time dental educators to be compensated at inappropriately low levels. By using a deferred compensation plan, the dental school can provide to the part‐time educator, a greater return at a time when that money will be of more benefit. Through contractual agreement with the dental school, as drawn up by appropriate financial and legal counsel, a plan can be constructed that can significantly increase the real value of part‐time earnings, usually payable at some time in the future, at no additional cost to either the dental school or the part‐time dental educator.
Curriculum considerations for correlating basic and clinical sciences
Authors: Mackenzie RS
Published: June 2020

An analysis of the problem of curriculum design for correlating basic and clinical sciences is presented. The analysis identifies six ways a dentist can profit from the basic sciences: (1) increased sensitivity to the environment, (2) improved judgement, (3) better explanations to patients, (4) enhanced ability to learn, (5) improved communication with health professionals, and (6) greater role diversity. Literature is reviewed related to four mental processes underlying functional knowledge: attending, associating with past learning, relation to future situations, and practicing mental applications. Implications are made for the design of dental curricula and instructional techniques based on factors that influence the recall and use of knowledge.
Departments of social dentistry–an update for the 1980s
Authors: Waldman HB , Siegel SE
Published: June 2020

Two decades have passed since Blackerby's call to develop departments of social dentistry within dental schools. Recent events, having changed the climate for the delivery of health services, would seem to bear out the wisdom of such departments. A review of the development and present status of departments of social dentistry is provided with a discussion of evolving programs and need for a change in the relationship between departments of social dentistry and the general school teaching programs.
The role of oral biology departments in dental education
Authors: Gotjamanos T
Published: June 2020

This paper defines the scope of oral biology, examines patterns of organization and staffing of oral biology departments, discusses the rationale for including courses in oral biology in the undergraduate curriculum, and the organization and content of such courses. Future trends in oral biology are outlined and the conclusion is reached that until clinical departments can assume primary responsibility for ensuring that basic sciences are adequately correlated with clinical dentistry, the need for an oral biology department within a dental school will continue to exist. Furthermore, departments of oral biology must collaborate closely with the clinical departments to develop unified teaching programs that encourage the use of basic science material in solving clinical problems
A study of treatment planning: periodontal services for the elderly
Authors: Milgrom P , Kiyak HA , Conrad D , Weinstein P , Ratener P
Published: June 2020

A study was undertaken to explore how dentists use patient data to plan treatment. Three hundred forty‐six general dentists used oral and general health findings to determine periodontal treatment for seven prototypic elderly patients. The results indicated that oral hygiene and major medications best discriminated between treatment plans. The number of periodontal services ordered was directly related to the number of restorative units and inversely related to the number of extractions and prosthetic devices. Differences between dentists were not accounted for by the training, experience, or attitudes of the dentists.
Coordination and development of a graduate dental education system
Authors: Morris AL
Published: June 2020

Graduate dental education will undergo marked expansion as increasing numbers of graduating dentists seek advanced training in general dentistry. In order to respond to the public's expectations for primary dental care, the profession should take steps that prevent overspecialization. The fundamental question is what proportion of the dental manpower work force should be primary dental care providers, not how many specialists are needed. Many institutions, organizations, and agencies have legitimate roles related to graduate dental education. Modification of these roles is neither necessary nor indicated if the profession can develop a mechanism for influencing the numbers and mix of graduate education programs available in the future. Suggestions are made for the organization and function of such an influencing mechanism.
Acquisition of psychomotor skills in dentistry: an experimental teaching method
Authors: Vann WF , May KN , Shugars DA
Published: June 2020

Acquisition of psychomotor skills is one of the most important educational tasks in dental education; yet, there has been little systematic research in this area. This investigation compared a traditional method of teaching psychomotor skills with an experimental method. The investigation was conducted in a preclinical restorative dentistry laboratory course. Eighty‐eight freshman students were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 44) or control group (n = 44); instructors (n = 4) were randomly assigned to each group. The control group was taught using the traditional method used at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry at Chapel Hill; the experimental group was taught using a guided systematic approach that relied on detailed checklists and exhaustive faculty feedback. Dependent variables measured were quality of performance on laboratory practical examinations, time required to complete practical examinations, and time required to complete the course. Results suggest that this experimental approach has promise for psychomotor skill teaching and learning in dentistry.
A derived basic ability criterion for predicting dental students' performance
Authors: Potter RH , McDonald RE , Sagraves GD
Published: June 2020

This study represents an attempt to develop a valid criterion for predicting students' performance while in dental school. Dental students' overall grade point averages were partitioned into component measures of relevant basic ability clusters in terms of factor scores. The derived indices were used as criterion variables in simple and multiple correlation and regression analyses, with Dental Admission Test (DAT) and predental college scores as predictors. Results showed that basic science abilities were associated with the preprofessional academic predictors, and manual skills with the DAT Perceptual Motor Ability Test (PMAT) scores. None of the presently available preprofessional predictors, taken singly or together, were correlated sufficiently with the factor‐associated dental science performance or the nonfactor‐associated dental clinical performance for effective prediction. Findings that the development of dental and clinical proficiency at the predoctoral level depends neither on available predictors nor on preprofessional background in the basic sciences have implications for traditional admission policies.
Stereoscopic vision and psychomotor learning in dental students
Authors: Ireland EJ , Ripps AH , Morgan KS
Published: June 2020

A testing mechanism is needed for reliably predicting students' problems in acquiring dental psychomotor skills. Students and dental educators could then be made aware of potential problems well in advance of required manual course work. Because testing for stereoscopic vision has long been a part of perceptual‐motor ability screening for the U.S. Air Force, a similar stereopsis test was used to examine the role of stereopsis in dental psychomotor learning and its potential as a predictor of student performance. The Lameris TNO Test for stereoscopic vision was given as an adjunct to the Perceptual Ability (PAT/3D) portion of the Dental Admission Test. Both test results were then compared to freshman students' performance in preclinical operative dentistry. Multiple regression analyses indicated that a high degree of stereopsis was not a prerequisite for success in acquiring dental psychomotor skills.
Student self‐evaluation in preclinical restorative dentistry
Authors: Forehand LS , Vann WF , Shugars DA
Published: June 2020

In this study an instrument for assessing student self‐evaluation skills was developed and refined. Using this instrument, the relationship between student self‐evaluation skills and psychomotor skill performance was assessed for freshman dental students in a preclinical restorative dentistry laboratory. While previous research suggests that student self‐evaluation skills are positively correlated with technical skills, the results of this study indicate that students' technical skills, as evidenced by the faculty‐assigned practical grades, did not differentiate students' self‐evaluation skills (p less than .05). In addition, student grades did not differentiate the students' ability to recognize errors. Using this investigative method, no relationship emerged between students' self‐evaluation skills and technical skills. Finally, this self‐evaluation instrument appears to be an excellent way to reveal to faculty those aspects of psychomotor skill development that need to be emphasized.
Dental students' confidence in prosthodontics and attitudes toward the elderly
Authors: Ettinger RL , Beck JD , Kerber P , Scandrett FR
Published: June 2020

Data were examined concerning dental students' confidence in removable prosthodontic treatment and their attitudes toward elderly persons before and after a ten‐week clinical prosthodontic rotation. The Rosencranz and McNevin Aging Semantic Differential (SD) Scale was used to measure attitudes regarding the elderly; another SD was designed to measure confidence in removable prosthodontics. Both student's attitudes toward elderly persons and their confidence in carrying out removable prosthodontic treatment improved significantly after the rotation; the greatest improvement occurred when students treated patients of all ages. There was a significant relationship between confidence in performing removable prosthodontic treatment and clinical grades, but not didactic grades.
Formal ethics instruction in dental education
Authors: Odom JG
Published: June 2020

The status of the formal instruction in ethics in dental education was addressed by means of a survey of dental schools and a content analysis of dental ethics literature. Although three‐fourths of the respondents indicated at least a minimal level of commitment to teaching ethics, there was no agreement about what is being taught under the guise of ethics. This article focuses on the following significant questions about instruction in ethics: Should ethics be taught in the dental curriculum? Should ethics instruction be required? Who should teach dental ethics? What should be content and method of instruction in dental ethics?
Evaluation of practical clinical examinations
Authors: Berrong JM , Buchanan RN , Hendricson WD
Published: June 2020

Few studies have examined the effectiveness of practical examinations in assessing the clinical competence of dental students. This paper describes a grading system that derives a significant portion of the senior student's grade from this type of examination. The impact of practical clinical examinations on two consecutive graduating classes (N = 258) was analyzed retrospectively. Students performed significantly worse on practical clinical examinations than on daily clinical procedures. Over 25 percent of the students who received A's on their daily clinical procedures received D's on practical examinations. Practical examinations provided a greater distribution in grade averages and minimized several well‐documented clinical evaluation problems. Student response to this form of evaluation was mixed. The results of this two‐year study suggest that practical examinations provide a different perspective on student abilities than do daily clinical grades.
Treatment distributions in dental practice
Authors: Bader JD , Kaplan AL
Published: June 2020

Dental educators have been urged to evaluate curricula using information from dental practice. This paper presents data from a variety of sources that describe the distribution of treatment effort in dental practice. The data indicate that most dental treatment consists of a narrow range of procedures, that the focus of dentists' treatment efforts is primarily reparative, and that practitioners may not be achieving the broad curriculum objective of providing needed comprehensive patient care. Considerations for curriculum evaluators are suggested, and implications for the future are discussed.
Infection control in North American dental schools
Authors: Sampson E , Dhuru VB
Published: June 2020

Treatment of patients with transmissible infections is a particular concern in an institutional setting. This paper discusses the results of a questionnaire relating to infection control that was sent to all North American dental schools. The purpose of the survey was to aid in the development of a comprehensive protocol at Marquette University for treating patients with transmissible infections and, in particular, hepatitis B carriers. Currently, the dental community is reluctant to treat patients with a history of hepatitis and hepatitis B carriers. The protection offered by the recently available hepatitis B vaccine should contribute greatly to the reduction of transmission of hepatitis B. It is emphasized that the use of this vaccine in dental schools in no way obviates the need for meticulous infection control protocols.
General practice residency training and subsequent clinical production
Authors: Collins RJ
Published: June 2020

An increasing number of newly graduated dentists are entering general practice residency (GPR) training programs. These programs have been suggested as a means of coping with a rapidly expanding knowledge base without resorting to a mandatory fifth year of predoctoral education or increasing specialization within the profession. This study examines the relationship of general practice training to subsequent clinical production among dentists employed by the Indian Health Service. The quantity and type of services provided by a group of dentists with previous GPR training were compared to services provided by a group without similar training. After adjustment for years of service and number of dental auxiliaries, no significant differences between the groups were found. However, no inferences can be made about the appropriateness or quality of the services delivered based solely upon productivity data.
Maintenance of an adequate dental hygiene education system
Authors: Ley E , Aker D , Mounts C
Published: June 2020

Decreases in faculty size and declining enrollments in dental hygiene programs are, in part, reflections of the economic difficulties faced by educational institutions with which the programs are affiliated. Administrative decisions about the future of dental hygiene programs are often based on inadequate information about employment trends and about the importance of the dental hygienist in dental practices. Although the relationship between demand for dental care and the availability of personnel to meet that demand is now unclear, studies indicate that demand for dental hygiene services will remain high in the 1980s. The impact of dental hygienists on dental health care delivery in any given region must be studied carefully when decisions are made about dental hygiene programs, because it is very expensive to replace discontinued programs or those disabled by large budget cuts.
Federal financing of dental services
Authors: Albertini TF , Hillsman JT , Crawford BL
Published: June 2020

Federal support of health services delivery has been closely tied to social welfare and economic assistance legislation. Its underlying premise has been that health services should be provided by government only when individuals and families are unable to cope with health problems on their own. Dental care has never drawn a major share of health and welfare resources. It has been authorized in general terms by various statutes, but seldom have funds been earmarked specifically for dental services. Accordingly, the history of federal financing of dental services shows a gradual but progressive extension of services to populations and communities unable to obtain services on their own. Over time, a system of federal grants‐in‐aid has been built through which assistance is provided to state agencies or directly to communities or individuals. Table 3 provides a summary of the major programs. Before 1965, states received little federal support for dental services, except for funds provided through maternal and child health or crippled children's programs. Although Social Security authorized other public assistance funds that could be used for dental services, these were used principally to provide health services for the elderly. The relatively slow growth of federal dental programs accelerated during the Johnson and Nixon administrations. The explosion of health legislation during these years significantly broadened the federal role in providing health services to individuals and communities. Medicaid, the OEO programs, the health planning acts, migrant health, Appalachian Regional Development, Model Cities, and other statutes had significant impact on the accessibility and availability of dental services in poor, disadvantaged, rural, and otherwise underserved communities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Indications for sealant use in a community‐based preventive dentistry program
Authors: Bohannan HM , Disney JA , Graves RC , Bader JD , Klein SP , Bell RM
Published: June 2020

Dental caries is a disease that recently has undergone, and may still be undergoing, dramatic changes in distribution of incidence and prevalence. The most recent epidemiologic data available have been reviewed in this paper to illustrate that caries is becoming a disease primarily of pits and fissures, with less differentiation than previously acknowledged between fluoridated and fluoride‐deficient areas. The present distribution of caries suggests that prevention may be accomplished more effectively through targeted sealant programs than through currently popular mass preventive programs. Existing information can be used to identify logical target groups for sealant programs, and age specific tooth eruption and caries attack information can be used to design delivery methods. Although the adoption of targeted sealant programs represents a departure from the traditional mass approach to prevention in dental programs, the present‐day caries distribution requires that the initiation of such programs be given serious consideration. At the very least program administrators are encouraged to invoke the planning‐implementation‐evaluation process. Current programs should be evaluated carefully in view of today's disease patterns and the clinical significance of the results achieved. The content, design, and timing of future community‐based programs should reflect individualized community diagnosis and the application of new epidemiologic data as well as a careful evaluation of the results achieved by current preventive procedures.
Sealants: training and educational needs for dental students and dental auxiliary students
Authors: Ripa LW
Published: June 2020

A program of instruction in pit and fissure sealants has been described that includes didactic, preclinical, and clinical components (Table 4). The entire program requires the equivalent of three curriculum days. However, reinforcement of the principles of the technic should continue during the students' entire clinical training period. There are 203 accredited dental hygiene programs and 285 accredited dental assistant programs in the United States. Enrollment in these programs during the 1982–83 academic year was 10,051 hygiene students and 7,977 assisting students. Since 29 states currently allow dental hygienists to apply sealants and 11 states allow dental assistants, there is a compelling reason for sealants to be included in the curriculum of dental auxiliary programs. Unfortunately, other than Dr. Terkla's brief survey, there is no reliable information on the number of auxiliary programs that teach sealants, nor are there curriculum guidelines on sealant instruction for these programs. Nevertheless, the same training outlined in this article for dental students applies equally for dental hygiene and assisting students. A controversial question is whether clinical training in sealant application should be part of the curriculum of dental auxiliary programs in states that only allow dentists to apply them. This is not a question that can be resolved in this article, but must be considered at the individual schools involved. In these situations, a careful balance must be achieved between the academic freedom to teach current practices in dentistry and the dental practice acts of the state. The first commercially available pit and fissure sealant was marketed in 1970.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The union of dental behavioral and clinical science: educational and research prospectives
Authors: Milgrom P , Weinstein P , Smith T
Published: June 2020

It has been argued that behavioral scientists too wedded to their disciplines are merely interlopers in dentistry. According to this argument, these individuals see dentistry as a laboratory for investigation but care little for the problems faced by clinicians. No doubt this has been true in some cases. However, since the growth of the discipline of behavioral medicine in the 1970s, a substantial number of behavioral scientists have been attracted to the basic problems of clinical science. These individuals have neither been seeking the role of part‐time questionnaire designer, programmer, or statistician, nor are they simply seeking a laboratory for their studies. Academicians involved in behavioral medicine are genuinely interested in clinical phenomena in the healing sciences. The collaboration of behavioral scientists and clinical dental investigators has much to offer. The isolated clinician collecting data without methodological rigor is unlikely to make a major contribution. Behavioral scientists can add, beyond technical expertise, to the methodology or logic of the investigator. Moreover, the behavioral scientist and clinician may produce an enhanced understanding of behavioral factors important in clinical practice. This model for research also has implications for teaching and service. Courses integrating behavioral and clinical science can be offered based on the results of the collaborative research. Clinics employing both professional groups can use this knowledge to treat dental fear, TMJ disorders, and other problems effectively. Careful recruitment and training of behavioral scientists with research skills is needed.
Commitment to oral biology: prescription for a new age in dental education
Authors: Suddick RP
Published: June 2020

Oral biology is a legitimate biomedical discipline of fundamental importance to dental education, but its incorporation into undergraduate dental education is proceeding too slowly, especially considering the changing conditions of dental practice. Widespread adoption of oral biology into dental curricula will enhance the biological orientation of dental students, and graduate education in oral biology can play a significant role in training dental researchers and academicians. Advances in the field of oral biology and the potential broadening of its role have been overlooked or downplayed by some dental educators, making it something of an issue in the U.S. dental community. Resolving this issue will depend on several relatively independent events: (1) some relief from, or an adaptation to, the present situational pressures on dental education; (2) a well‐informed pro‐oral biology position from dental education's national leaders; (3) improved efforts by oral biologists to communicate the importance of their field; and (4) an understanding of this issue by the dental community with an organized effort to bring oral biology into the mainstream of dental education as it changes to meet new needs.
The challenge of a total patient care system in dental education: the University of North Carolina experience
Authors: Shugars DA
Published: June 2020

Since its introduction, the UNC total patient care system has undergone an interesting evolution. In response to current reviews the system is preparing for innovations designed to enhance the delivery of care and maximize the student educational experience within the context of available resources. We hope these principles will serve as guidelines for future modifications.
An economic analysis of the return on investment for dental education
Authors: Dunlevy HA , Niessen LC
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the costs and benefits the dental school applicant might consider before selecting dentistry as a career. The costs and benefits of pursuing dentistry are compared to those of selecting engineering. The rate of return to dentistry when compared to engineering is calculated for three time periods: 1974, 1978, and 1982. The rate is a proxy for the financial returns an applicant expects to recognize if he or she decides to become a dentist. The study finds that the rate of return to dentistry has declined from 23.6 percent in 1974 to 18.7 percent in 1978 and to 14.3 percent in 1982. The decline in the rate of return is greater on average for students attending private dental schools than for those attending publicly supported dental schools.
Measuring dental students' ethical sensitivity
Authors: Bebeau MJ , Rest  , Yamoor CM
Published: June 2020

This paper describes the development of stimulus materials and scoring procedures to measure an individual's ability to recognize the ethical issues often hidden within the dentist's professional problems. The importance of this ability is discussed as it relates to other abilities thought to be necessary conditions for ethical or moral behavior. Dental students completed the ethical sensitivity test and Rest's test of moral reasoning. The sensitivity test requires transcribing verbal responses to audio dramas, a technique that: (1) elicits sufficient data for making inferences about ethical sensitivity, (2) produces good interjudge agreement and interrater reliability, and (3) measures variability in student performance. Data indicate high internal consistency compared with previous efforts to measure components of sensitivity (e.g., empathy), acceptable test‐retest reliability for a subsample. and the distinctiveness of sensitivity and reasoning scores. The results have broad application for the teaching of ethics and suggest new directions for the study of professional socialization.
Computer education for dental students
Authors: Jeffcoat MK , Entin E , Douglass CW
Published: June 2020

A required computer course is described that has the purpose of preparing dental students to write computer programs, use software packages, and evaluate software for purchase. A questionnaire distributed to students eight months after the course revealed that the majority found the course helpful. Students were equally divided as to whether learning to write programs or to use a software package was more helpful. The course served as a stimulus for making students aware of the usefulness of a computer.
The impact of insurance on charges for dental care
Authors: Capilouto EI
Published: June 2020

This study assesses the effect of insurance on charges for dental care. It is hypothesized that dental practices with higher percentages of insured patients will have higher average charges for dental visits, all other things being equal. An econometric model and ordinary least squares analysis are used to test the hypothesis, based on data from the American Dental Association's 1985 Survey of Dental Practice. For the sake of homogeneity, the study is confined to solo general practitioners. Within this group, the model is applied to two practice types categorized by whether or not the practice employed a hygienist. In solo general practices with and without hygienists, a positive association between the prevalence of insureds within a practice and charges for dental care visits is shown. Hypothetical cases are used to demonstrate that an additional 18 percent of insureds within a practice results in a 6 percent increase in the average charge for a dental visit. The analysis uncovers associations between other variables and dental charges. Of particular note is the curvilinear relation between a dentist's years of experience and his or her charges for dental care.
Recent graduates' evaluation of their dental school education
Authors: Gerbert B , Badner V , Maguire B , Martinoff J , Wycoff S , Crawford W
Published: June 2020

To assess recent dental graduates' perceptions about the adequacy of their education, a random sample of individuals who graduated between 1980 and 1982 was surveyed. The 362 respondents (56 percent response rate) indicated their perceived level of preparedness and the importance to practice of 75 topics in the dental school curriculum. The means for level of preparedness and importance to practice were plotted for each of the 75 topics. Those topics that new dentists believed to be underemphasized or overemphasized in the curriculum were identified. These findings have implications for planning curricular changes for dental education.
Current status of Geriatric Dentistry Educational Activities in U.S. dental schools
Authors: Mann J , Bomberg TJ , Holtzman JM , Berkey DB
Published: June 2020

The current status of Geriatric Dentistry Educational Activities (GDEA) in U.S. dental schools is reported in this survey. Data were collected regarding faculty involvement in geriatric programs, didactic and clinical academic curricula, and other aspects of the ongoing activities in schools. Data were reported by 50 (88 percent) of the nation's 57 dental schools in continuing operation. Forty‐two schools reported discrete GDEA at the time of the study. Seven of these schools had a formal division or department of geriatric dentistry. The survey indicated that educational qualification of GDEA coordinators had risen significantly in recent years. The mean number of didactic hours (29) of instruction in geriatric education available to students has also risen. Curriculum time and financial considerations were the primary obstacles to expansion of clinical geriatric activities. With the current economic constraints in dental education, present GDEA levels are unlikely to expand in the foreseeable future, unless governmental or private agencies recognize the importance of developing GDEA and increase their support.
A four‐year longitudinal study of dental student learning styles
Authors: Hendricson WD , Berlocher WC , Herbert RJ
Published: June 2020

Based on research conducted simultaneously but independently in Europe, Australia, and North America, several new learning style inventories have been developed with well‐recognized theoretical foundations and sound psychometric properties. One of the instruments, the Gregorc Learning Style Delineator, was used to study the perceived learning styles of 48 dental students as they proceeded through the four years of the curriculum. Students scored significantly higher on one of four possible learning style dimensions during each year of the curriculum. This dimension, the concrete sequential, is associated with the following learning style characteristics: preference for factual over abstract information, desire for a highly organized learning environment with considerable hands‐on opportunity, but free from distractions or ambiguity about learning tasks. Students' preference for the concrete sequential dimension increased significantly as they progressed toward graduation, suggesting that the learning environment of the dental school actually served to reinforce the students' initial predisposition toward the concrete sequential orientation.
Treatment planning in dental schools
Authors: Gordon SR , Kress GC
Published: June 2020

Treatment planning is a complex process that is difficult to teach and evaluate. Various frameworks have been used to organize the decision‐making process. While many have merit, the transition from ideal to realistic plan is rarely described in detail adequate for teaching purposes. None of the research recommends an objective method to measure students' treatment planning skills. A treatment planning model is described that would follow presentation of the “ideal” treatment plan in the curriculum. The model focuses specifically on the sequence of decisions necessary to formulate appropriate treatment plans for adult dental patients who present with compromising factors. Also, a method is suggested for objective evaluation of dental students' mastery of dental treatment planning at each of several intermediate steps, as well as at the final result.
Correlates of dental student stress
Authors: George JM , Whitworth DE , Sturdevant  , Lundeen TF
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify correlates of dental student stress. Associations between characteristics of dental students and their stress levels are examined, along with the association of stress with drug use and health problems. A total of 300 out of 315 dental students completed a questionnaire that measured the frequency and stressfulness of 31 stressors; drug use; health problems; and student characteristics including Type A behavior, career commitment, demographics, and lifestyle variables. Characteristics that were associated with a higher stress level were a higher level of Type A behavior and lower level of career commitment. Greater stress was also associated with a greater frequency of health problems. The results suggest an interactional stress model in which the personalities and attitudes of students are important mediators of the stress response.
The development of geriatric curricula in U.S. dental schools, 1979–1984
Authors: Beck JD , Ettinger RL
Published: June 2020

When data from a 1984 survey of U.S. dental schools were compared with data from a similar survey of the same schools completed in 1979, an increase in the teaching of geriatric dentistry to dental students was observed. While more topics are being taught in more schools, the depth and coverage are variable. Multivariate analyses revealed that more topics were likely to be taught if a course in geriatrics existed, if the course had existed since 1979, and if the course director was a dentist. Factors associated with the establishment of a course between 1979 and 1984 were that the school was located in a state with a large geriatric population and that financial assistance for patients through state or local government was available.
A comparison of four simulation and instructional methods for endodontic review
Authors: Sandoval VA , Dale RA , Hendricson WD , Alexander JB
Published: June 2020

The effects of four different endodontic self‐instructional review formats (slide‐tape, latent‐image simulation, computer text simulation, and computer‐assisted video interactive simulation) on senior clinical endodontic performance are compared. The senior class of 105 students was divided into eight groups of 13–14 academically equivalent students prior to initiating endodontic treatment in the 1985–86 academic year. With the exception of the control group, each participated in a program designed to review principles of endodontic diagnosis and treatment. All clinical endodontic cases were subsequently critiqued by a calibrated panel of two general dentist and one endodontist. Overall, students in the study group made fewer diagnostic errors compared with those in the control group, while the error reduction in clinical treatment was not significantly reduced between the two groups. No significant difference in error reduction was noted between the simulation formats. Student evaluations, as well as comparative developmental expenditures, are discussed.
Chemoprophylaxis of dental patients with prosthetic joints: a simulation model
Authors: Jacobson JJ , Schweitzer S , DePorter DJ , Lee JJ
Published: June 2020

A computer simulation model was created to assess the risks and effects of no prophylaxis, oral penicillin, and oral cephalexin regimens for dental patients at risk for late prosthetic joint infection (LPJI). Given the assumptions made, this analysis suggests that there is a very small risk of LPJI (29–68 cases per 10(6) dental visits), which is outweighed by a greater risk of death from a fatal antibiotic reaction. Thus, routine predental antibiotic prophylaxis for all dental patients with prosthetic joints may lead to higher mortality. However, clinical experience suggests that antibiotic prophylaxis may be appropriate in “high risk” patients.
The associations of age and dentition status with caries treatment in adult males
Authors: Reinhardt JW , Douglass CW , Alman JE , Chauncey HH
Published: June 2020

This study explores patterns of treatment for caries in adults. Data were collected as part of the Veterans Administration Dental Longitudinal Study. The 698 subjects received comprehensive dental examinations at three‐year intervals for approximately ten years. The subjects were classified into three age groups and three dentition status categories. Total need for treatment was defined as the number of surfaces that initially had caries plus those developing caries over the three subsequent examinations. Analysis of variance was used to determine if there were significant associations between age or dentition status groups and the percent of total need that was treated by extraction, treated by restoration, or remained untreated. Significant associations were noted: (1) between age and the percent of carious surfaces extracted, (2) between dentition status and the percent of carious surfaces restored, and (3) between dentition status and the percent of surfaces extracted. These findings were interpreted to indicate that future cohorts of older patients with greater numbers of teeth are likely to seek operative treatment for diagnosed caries.
The dentist's role in access to dental care by Medicaid recipients
Authors: Capilouto E
Published: June 2020

This study uses a decision analytic approach to assess the dentist's role in access to care by Medicaid recipients. The question of whether a private dentist, when given the choice, will schedule a Medicaid or non‐Medicaid patient is examined. The model considers factors frequently reported to influence dentist's decisions over whether to accept Medicaid recipients into their practices. Factors include reimbursement rates, probability of broken appointments, and likelihood of reimbursement. The model permits calculation of the expected benefits in dollars for comparable treatment of Medicaid and non‐Medicaid patients. Under a variety of conditions, it is shown that the strategy to schedule a non‐Medicaid patient dominates alternative strategies in which Medicaid recipients are scheduled. Policy implications of these results are discussed.
Current implant usage
Authors: Worthington P
Published: June 2020

The types of dental implants in current use are described with comments on the various designs, the materials of which the implants are made, the patient situations for which they are used, and the age range of patients treated. The training background of the various clinicians involved is mentioned and comparisons are made between the United States, Japan and Central Europe. Predictions for the future use of implants are made and areas for future research are indicated, based upon deficiencies in our present knowledge.
Surgical considerations in implant dentistry
Authors: Shulman LB
Published: June 2020

Standardized prospective clinical trials are uncommon in implant dentistry. Aside from the Branemark and staple trials; both restricted to edentulous jaws, and two blade trials in their early and as yet inconclusive stages, most implant studies are retrospective. As such, they lack uniformity in patient selection, methodology, evaluation, and definitions of success and do not yield the information needed for critical clinical decisions. There are data to compare treatments for edentulous jaws, but virtually none for the partially edentulous patient. Decisions, out of necessity, involve retrospection and interpolation. In the absence of a definitive data base, added attention must be paid to patient safety and informed consent. Patient selection, implant selection, site selection, and surgical and prosthetic management–all of which influence implant efficacy and safety–are highlighted. It is the opinion of this author, based upon the benefit/risk information reviewed, that osseointegrated root forms are the implants of choice when adequate bone is available, and that blade implants and subperiosteal implants are indicated when bone space is restricted. Prospective clinical trials must be given the highest priority in planning for implant research.
Periodontal considerations of implants and implant associated microbiota
Authors: Newman MG , Flemmig TF
Published: June 2020

The scientific and clinical acceptance of the success of osseointegrated dental implants has been firmly established, but the relationships between clinical observation and periimplant pathogenesis is not well understood. Data and concepts regarding the diagnostic value of traditional periodontal evaluation parameters, such as pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing, attachment loss, gingival and plaque indices, and the amount of attached gingiva are discussed. The microbiologic characterization of plaque associated with various implant systems reveals many similarities and some differences compared to natural teeth. An hypothesis for the “periodontal” etiology of implant failure is proposed. The maintenance of edentulous and partially edentulous patients with implants is discussed.
Workload and student course ratings in dental school
Authors: Cohen PA , Benson BA
Published: June 2020

Many faculty members express concern that the workload or difficulty of a course influences student ratings of the course. Research conducted in this area, however, shows that greater workloads are associated with higher course ratings and the workload/difficulty dimension of teaching does not seem to constitute a bias in student ratings. This study examined the extent to which workload was related to dental student course ratings. Over a three‐year period, student course ratings were collected in 191 didactic courses. Based on student ratings of comparative workload, these courses were categorized as having high, medium, or low workloads. Courses with low workloads received significantly higher ratings from students for 11 of the 13 rating items. In contrast to previous research at the undergraduate level, student ratings in the dental school were significantly affected by the workload of a course. In the dental school setting, therefore, workload may serve as a biasing factor of student ratings. These findings have implications for providing rating feedback to course directors, administrators, and curriculum committees.
Dental hygienists' anti‐tobacco role: educational perspectives
Authors: Fried JL , Rubinstein L
Published: June 2020

Dental hygienists need to assume a proactive health education role concerning tobacco use. To help measure, define, and broaden this role, a study was conducted to assess dental hygienists' current clinical practice behaviors, attitudes, and perceived curriculum adequacy concerning anti‐tobacco efforts. The relationships among these variables and respondents' academic degree and year of graduation were analyzed. The study population consisted of a proportionate random sample of 500 dental hygienists in five states and the District of Columbia. A self‐administered questionnaire yielded a response rate of 79.4 percent. Based on chi‐square analyses of individual items, it was found that, when controlling for degree held, year of graduation was not significantly related to clinical practice behaviors or attitudes, but was significantly related to the majority of curriculum adequacy items. Academic degree, when controlled for year of graduation, was not significantly related to clinical practice behaviors, but was related to one attitude and two curriculum adequacy items. Analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test revealed the following significant relationships for aggregate data: year of graduation and degree held appeared to have no relationship to aggregate clinical practice behaviors or attitudes, M.S. degree respondents assigned higher curriculum adequacy ratings than did other subjects, and respondents who graduated prior to 1972 assigned their curricula more negative adequacy ratings than did all other graduates. The most recent graduates rated their curricula the most positively. The study's overall findings suggest that a fairly well‐developed role for dental hygienists in anti‐tobacco efforts exists. Given the current emphasis on health promotion, prevention, and holism in the provision of oral health care, it is commendable, but not surprising, that dental hygiene programs appear to have made positive modifications over time in tobacco‐related content.