bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Effectiveness of Dental Anatomy Carving Pedagogy: A Systematic Review
Authors: de Azevedo Renato de A. , da Rosa Wellington Luiz de O. , da Silva Adriana F. , Correa Marcos B. , Torriani Marcos A. , Lund Rafael G.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to review the effectiveness of methods used for teaching dental anatomy carving to dental students in operative dentistry as evaluated in published studies. This systematic review is described in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Two independent reviewers performed a systematic literature search of research published from January 1945 until May 2014. Seven databases were screened: MedLine (PubMed), Lilacs, IBECS, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, and The Cochrane Library. After removing duplicates, only studies using dental carving to assess the practical knowledge of anatomy were selected. The tabulated data were organized by title of article, names of authors, number of students assessed, assessment method, material used, groups tested, main results, and conclusions. The methodology quality was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Initially, 2,258 studies were identified in all databases. Five articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. According to these studies, the geometric method, teaching step‐by‐step along with the teacher, and adjuvant methods such as the use of tutors and teaching through digital media with DVDs proved to be effective in improving learning. There is no standard technique that is widely accepted for the teaching of dental carving, nor is there an appropriately validated method of evaluation to verify whether the teaching methods used are effective for the acquisition of skills and expertise in dental anatomy by students.
Patient Demonstration Videos in Predoctoral Endodontic Education: Aspects Perceived as Beneficial by Students
Authors: Edrees Hadeel Y. , Ohlin Johan , Ahlquist Michael , Tessma Mesfin K. , Zary Nabil
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to assess the perceived benefits of video‐mediated demonstrations in learning endodontics. Participants in the study were 75 third‐year students enrolled in the undergraduate dentistry program at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. After the endodontic preclinical course, the students were introduced to the treatment protocol in the clinic by watching two live patient‐demonstrated videos. The first video demonstrated how to communicate with the patient and perform diagnosis and root canal instrumentation. The second video illustrated how to perform bacterial sampling and root canal filling. After the students watched each video, a questionnaire was used to evaluate their opinions about various steps of the endodontic treatment protocol and the benefit of such educational material for their practice. Of the total 75 students, 72 completed the first questionnaire (96% response rate), and 65 completed the second questionnaire (87% response rate). The results showed that the students perceived high value in the video demonstrations related to treatment procedure. A statistically significant difference was observed between the perceived benefits of the first and second sessions in communication and treatment procedure (p<0.001). Further studies are needed to assess improvement in the design and delivery format for video demonstrations to enhance their effectiveness as a teaching modality for endodontics.
Dental School Administrators’ Attitudes Towards Providing Support Services for LGBT‐Identified Students
Authors: Behar‐Horenstein Linda S. , Morris Dustin R.
Published: June 2020

A lack of curriculum time devoted to teaching dental students about the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) health care patient needs and biases against LGBT students and faculty have been reported. Understanding dental school administrators’ attitudes about LGBT students’ needs might provide further insight into these long‐standing issues. The aims of this study were to develop a survey to assess dental administrators’ attitudes regarding the support services they believe LGBT‐identified students need, to identify dental schools’ current diversity inclusion policies, and to determine what types of support dental schools currently provide to LGBT students. A survey developed with the aid of a focus group, cognitive interviewing, and pilot testing was sent to 136 assistant and associate deans and deans of the 65 U.S. and Canadian dental schools. A total of 54 responses from 43 (66%) schools were received from 13 deans, 29 associate deans, and 11 assistant deans (one participant did not report a position), for a 40% response rate. The findings suggest there is a considerable lack of knowledge or acknowledgment of LGBT dental students’ needs. Future studies are needed to show the importance of creating awareness about meeting the needs of all dental student groups, perhaps through awareness campaigns initiated by LGBT students.
Dental Students’ Use of AMSTAR to Critically Appraise Systematic Reviews
Authors: Teich Sorin T. , Heima Masahiro , Lang Lisa
Published: June 2020

The idea of basing clinical procedures upon evidence gathered by observation is less than 200 years old, with the first set of evidence‐based position papers dating back only to the early 1970s. The relationship between evidence‐based education and health outcomes is difficult to test and may be indirect, but teaching critical appraisal skills may be beneficial in developing knowledge. Systematic reviews have a central role in the process of clinical decision making in practice and therefore should be of high quality, following a rigorous protocol that can be evaluated with validated tools. The aim of this study was to assess how dental students utilized the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) appraisal tool to evaluate systematic reviews in the context of a treatment planning course. During the in‐class final exam, students were required to appraise the quality of a systematic review and to justify their answers. Of the 74 third‐year students who took the exam, 100% answered all questions on the AMSTAR form. The mean number of correct answers was nine (SD=1.047, Min=6, Max=10), with no student providing all 11 correct answers. The fact that nearly 90% of the students provided eight or more correct answers suggests that AMSTAR can be used by students to evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews. It also was evident that although the AMSTAR tool requires less than 15 minutes to complete an evaluation, using it requires extensive training and repetition to achieve consistent and reliable results.
Implementation of Problem‐Based Learning by Faculty Members at 12 U.S. Medical and Dental Schools
Authors: Abdelkarim Ahmad , Schween Dorothy , Ford Timothy
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to assess the perspectives of medical and dental faculty members regarding implementation of problem‐based learning (PBL). A survey instrument was designed with demographic questions and two open‐ended questions to investigate faculty members’ perceptions of the most suitable subjects or courses in which to use PBL and examples of how they incorporated PBL into their instruction. The survey was sent to 12 U.S. medical and dental schools known to use PBL, and 73 medical faculty members and 88 dental faculty members completed the survey (n=161), for an overall response rate of 28% of those who were sent the survey at each school (not each's total faculty). In the results, 41% of the medical faculty respondents and 22% of the dental faculty respondents stated that PBL is applicable for all subjects. Members of both groups perceived that PBL is primarily applicable in clinical education, including clinical courses or the clinical applications of courses. The respondents’ perceptions about PBL implementation varied significantly, and both groups reported a wide range of approaches in which they implement PBL in their instruction, some of which were not consistent with the purpose of PBL.
Effect of a Person‐Centered Course on the Empathic Ability of Dental Students
Authors: Rosenzweig Julien , Blaizot Alessandra , Cougot Nancie , Pegon-Machat Estelle , Hamel Olivier , Apelian Nareg , Bedos Christophe , Munoz-Sastre Maria-Teresa , Vergnes Jean-Noel
Published: June 2020

Person‐centered or patient‐centered care (PCC) focuses on the individual's needs and concerns. Although PCC is widely acknowledged as a core value of modern medicine, there has been a lack of research on how dental curricula could engage future dentists in PCC approaches. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a PCC course on empathy in dental students. A controlled study was conducted with fourth‐year dental students in four dental faculties in France in 2014–15. The test group (n=63) received 20 hours of PCC training including arts‐based approaches, narrative dentistry activities, and workshops on communication based on the Calgary‐Cambridge guide. There was no change in the curriculum of the control group (n=217). Pretest and posttest measures with the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) and Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) were compared for the two groups. The comparisons showed no significant differences on the TEQ or JSPE (p=0.25 and p=0.08, respectively). However, there was a higher proportion of students with more than an eight‐point decrease in TEQ values in the control group (p=0.02). The stabilization of empathic ability in the test group may have counteracted the tendency for natural erosion of empathy among students during their clinical activities. These results suggest that PCC training constitutes a promising approach to developing dental students’ empathic ability, but there is a need to assess the effects of such training over longer periods.
South African Dental Students’ Perceptions of Most Important Nonclinical Skills According to Medical Leadership Competency Framework
Authors: Van der Berg-Cloete Sophy E. , Snyman Lorraine , Postma Thomas C. , White John G.
Published: June 2020

Recent developmental frameworks suggest that dental curricula should focus on developing nonclinical skills in dental students. The aim of this study was to qualitatively map students’ perceptions of the most important nonclinical skills against the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF). A representative sample of second‐ to fifth‐year students (n=594; overall response rate 69%) from all four dental schools in South Africa participated in a cross‐sectional survey in 2014–15 enquiring about nonclinical skills and dental practice management. One of the questions required students to list the four most important nonclinical skills required for a dentist. Students (n=541) most frequently noted competencies related to working with others (97.9%), personal qualities (72.3%), and managing services (42.9%) as the most important nonclinical skills. Very few students mentioned competencies related to the improvement of services (14.1%) and the provision of strategic direction (10.9%). The students’ attention appeared to be on nonclinical skills generally required for clinical care with some realization of the importance of managing services, indicating a need for a stronger focus on leadership and management training in dental schools in South Africa. The results also helped to unravel some of the conceptual ambiguity of the MLCF and highlight opportunities for leadership research using the MLCF as a conceptual framework.
Creation and Initial Outcomes of a Selective Four‐Year Research Program for Predoctoral Dental Students
Authors: Doherty Eileen H. , Karimbux Nadeem Y. , Kugel Gerard
Published: June 2020

Educators agree that dental students’ involvement in research plays an important role in their development and contributes to the future of dental education. However, dental schools are challenged to provide the time and support necessary to nurture their students in undertaking research activities. The aim of this study was to examine student participation in a predoctoral student research program at one U.S. dental school and to track participants’ outcomes both before and after introduction of an additional, highly selective research scholarship program. Research participation was recorded for all predoctoral dental students in the graduating classes of 2005–15. The number of years of participation was also tracked for each student who participated in research. The results showed that, since the inception of the research honors scholarship in 2005, there has been a more than threefold increase in the number of dental students participating in research each year. The number of students who do multiple years of research has tripled, and the number of students’ poster presentations at national academic meetings has risen tenfold in those ten years. The introduction of a competitive award that recognizes exceptional research by students has added to the research profile of the school and has shown success in encouraging students to become involved in research throughout their four years in dental school.
Effectiveness of a Specially Designed Dental Model for Training, Evaluation, and Standardization of Pocket Probing
Authors: Sunaga Masayo , Minabe Masato , Inagaki Koji , Kinoshita Atsuhiro
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a dental model in training, evaluation, and standardization of examiners in pocket probing and to determine the appropriate thresholds of accuracy and measuring time when using this model for evaluation of probing skills without measuring patients’ pockets repeatedly. In 2011–12, a total of 66 dental professionals and 20 dental students in Japan measured the probing depths of 24 artificial teeth using the six‐point method on a dental model. All examiners measured the probing depths of six tooth groups and then checked the correct depths in each group. Each examiner measured four groups in a group‐by‐group manner. For each group, the measuring time and examiner's accuracy were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for various thresholds of measuring time were drawn for thresholds of accuracies to determine the passing mark as a skilled examiner. The accuracy significantly increased from the first to the fourth measurements, and the measuring time was significantly reduced for both the professionals and students. The total measuring time was significantly longer for the students than the professionals. The students’ accuracy was significantly lower than that of the professionals in the first measurement group. The increasing rate of accuracy was significantly higher for the students than the professionals. These results and ROC curves suggested that the dental model is effective for periodontal pocket probing training and for the evaluation and standardization of examiners’ probing skill at a preclinical level. An examiner having accuracy ≥80% within four minutes for six tooth measurements in this model could be considered a skilled examiner.
Assessing the Impact of Voice‐Over Screen‐Captured Presentations Delivered Online on Dental Students’ Learning
Authors: Schönwetter Dieter J. , Gareau-Wilson Nicole , Cunha Rodrigo Sanches , Mello Isabel
Published: June 2020

The traditional lecturing method is still one of the most common forms of delivering content to students in dental education, but innovative learning technologies have the potential to improve the effectiveness and quality of teaching dental students. What challenges instructors is the extent to which these learning tools have a direct impact on student learning outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a voice‐over screen‐captured learning tool by identifying a positive, nil, or negative impact on student learning as well as student engagement (affective, behavioral, and cognitive) when compared to the traditional face‐to‐face lecture. Extraneous variables thought to impact student learning were controlled by the use of baseline measures as well as random assignment of second‐year dental students to one of two teaching conditions: voice‐over screen‐captured presentation delivered online and the traditional classroom lecture. A total of 28 students enrolled in the preclinical course in endodontics at a Canadian dental school participated in the study, 14 in each of the two teaching conditions. The results showed that, in most cases, the students who experienced the online lecture had somewhat higher posttest scores and perceived satisfaction levels than those in the face‐to‐face lecture group, but the differences did not achieve statistical significance except for their long‐term recognition test scores. This study found that the students had comparable learning outcomes whether they experienced the face‐to‐face or the online lecture, but that the online lecture had a more positive impact on their long‐term learning. The controls for extraneous variables used in this study suggest ways to improve research into the comparative impact of traditional and innovative teaching methods on student learning outcomes.
Influence of Experience and Training on Dental Students’ Examination Performance Regarding Panoramic Images
Authors: Turgeon Daniel P. , Lam Ernest W.N.
Published: June 2020

Physician training has greatly benefitted from insights gained in understanding the manner in which experts search medical images for abnormalities. The aims of this study were to compare the search patterns of 30 fourth‐year dental students and 15 certified oral and maxillofacial radiologists (OMRs) over panoramic images and to determine the most robust variables for future studies involving image visualization. Eye tracking was used to capture the eye movement patterns of both subject groups when examining 20 panoramic images classified as normal or abnormal. Abnormal images were further subclassified as having an obvious, intermediate, or subtle abnormality. The images were presented in random order to each participant, and data were collected on duration of the participants’ observations and total distance tracked, time to first eye fixation, and total duration and numbers of fixations on and off the area of interest (AOI). The results showed that the OMRs covered greater distances than the dental students (p<0.001) for normal images. For images of pathosis, the OMRs required less total time (p<0.001), made fewer eye fixations (p<0.01) with fewer saccades (p<0.001) than the students, and required less time before making the first fixation on the AOI (p<0.01). Furthermore, the OMRs covered less distance (p<0.001) than the dental students for obvious pathoses. For investigations of images of pathosis, time to first fixation is a robust parameter in predicting ability. For images with different levels of subtlety of pathoses, the number of fixations, total time spent, and numbers of revisits are important parameters to analyze when comparing observer groups with different levels of experience.
Reaching Consensus on Essential Biomedical Science Learning Objectives in a Dental Curriculum
Authors: Best Leandra , Walton Joanne N. , Walker Judith , von Bergmann HsingChi
Published: June 2020

This article describes how the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry reached consensus on essential basic biomedical science objectives for DMD students and applied the information to the renewal of its DMD curriculum. The Delphi Method was used to build consensus among dental faculty members and students regarding the relevance of over 1,500 existing biomedical science objectives. Volunteer panels of at least three faculty members (a basic scientist, a general dentist, and a dental specialist) and a fourth‐year dental student were formed for each of 13 biomedical courses in the first two years of the program. Panel members worked independently and anonymously, rating each course objective as “need to know,” “nice to know,” “irrelevant,” or “don't know.” Panel members were advised after each round which objectives had not yet achieved a 75% consensus and were asked to reconsider their ratings. After a maximum of three rounds to reach consensus, a second group of faculty experts reviewed and refined the results to establish the biomedical science objectives for the renewed curriculum. There was consensus on 46% of the learning objectives after round one, 80% after round two, and 95% after round three. The second expert group addressed any remaining objectives as part of its review process. Only 47% of previous biomedical science course objectives were judged to be essential or “need to know” for the general dentist. The consensus reached by participants in the Delphi Method panels and a second group of faculty experts led to a streamlined, better integrated DMD curriculum to prepare graduates for future practice.
Relationship Among Dental Students’ Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance
Authors: Azab Ehab , Saksena Yun , Alghanem Tofool , Midle Jennifer Bassett , Molgaard Kathleen , Albright Susan , Karimbux Nadeem
Published: June 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students’ attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second‐year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students’ grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (p<0.001) and the overall preclinical dental courses (p=0.03). Although the results did not show strong relationships among class attendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.
Educational Outcomes of Small‐Group Discussion Versus Traditional Lecture Format in Dental Students’ Learning and Skills Acquisition
Authors: Arias Ana , Scott Raymond , Peters Ove A. , McClain Elizabeth , Gluskin Alan H.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this prospective quantitative study was to compare the effect of different instructional formats on dental students’ skills and knowledge acquisition for access cavity preparation. All first‐year dental students were invited to participate in this study conducted during the four consecutive two‐week endodontic rotation courses at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in spring semester 2015. Four alphabetically distributed intact groups of students were randomly allocated to two groups (n=70 each) that participated in either small‐group discussion or a traditional lecture on access preparation. The first outcome measure was skill acquisition, measured by the quality of access cavities prepared in extracted teeth at the conclusion of the session. Two blinded raters scored direct observations on a continuous scale. Knowledge, the second outcome measure, was scored with a multiple‐choice and open‐ended question test at the end of each two‐week session. Data were obtained for 134 of the 140 students, for a 96% response rate. The results showed that students in the small‐group discussion groups scored significantly higher than those in the lecture groups when skill performance was tested (p=8.9 × 10−7). However, no significant differences were found in the acquisition of knowledge between the two groups on the written test. Active student participation was significantly related to improved manual skill acquisition, but the format of the session does not seem to have had a direct influence on acquired knowledge.
Using a Dental Student Exercise on Shear Bond Testing to Both Provide Skills Practice and Demonstrate a Research Process
Authors: Schulze Karen A. , Wallace Victoria , Hoover Terry , Salmon Eric
Published: June 2020

This article describes an exercise with junior dental students at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry designed in part to serve the requirement for dental accreditation Standard 6‐3 (“Dental education programs must provide opportunities, encourage, and support student participation in research and other scholarly activities mentored by faculty”). The exercise has been conducted for seven years and has been found to provide a distinctive and important experience to the education of these dental students. The exercise has three aims. First, it is an exercise in which students practice their skills with dental bonding; second, it serves as a tool to give immediate feedback on these skills that is otherwise not possible in a real patient situation; and third, it demonstrates to the students how data from the exercise with the students as subjects can be used in a research study. The project thus serves as an innovative way to use a skill‐building exercise to educate students about research at the same time.
Agreement in Scoring Preclinical Dental Procedures: Impact on Grades and Instructor‐Related Determinants
Authors: AlHumaid Jehan , Tantawi Maha El , Al-Ansari Asim A. , Al-Harbi Fahad A.
Published: June 2020

The aims of this study were to assess agreement among instructors in scoring preclinical dental procedures, the effect of this agreement on grades, and factors associated with agreement and grades differences. Twenty‐six instructors from five clinical specialties participated in a scoring exercise at the College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in January 2015. Instructors blindly and independently scored 19–20 anonymous students’ procedures, filling forms with rating scales as used in preclinical lab sessions. Their scores were compared to those of gold standard instructors in the same specialty. Percent agreement and having one letter grade difference from gold standard instructors were assessed, and associated factors were investigated after controlling for the effect of specialty/student. Agreement between instructors and their specialty gold standards occurred in 54.3% of decisions, with only 12.8% similar scores and 52.8% of scores representing underestimation in relation to gold standards. Instructor‐related variables accounted for 40–50% of the variation in percent score as well as percent agreement and percent difference between instructors and gold standards. Educational background and teaching experience were significantly associated with less agreement among instructors and odds of one letter grade difference. Modest agreement existed among instructors in scoring various preclinical procedures, and there was a considerable percentage of one letter grade difference from gold standard instructors. Some factors associated with these outcomes are non‐modifiable, but corrective measures are needed to increase agreement in scoring among instructors.
An Interactive Website to Facilitate In‐State Retention of New Dentists and Recruitment to Underserved Areas
Authors: Kuthy Raymond A. , McKernan Susan C. , Hoyle Debra A.
Published: June 2020

Some U.S. states have more difficulty than others in recruiting or retaining dentists. Part of the problem is that often dental students are not aware of opportunities across geographic regions of either their home state or the state where they were educated. With student input, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics designed and launched an interactive website that provides basic demographic, economic, and other meaningful information to help dental students locate potential practice locations and identify current employment opportunities in Iowa. Although this website is not a recruitment or retention panacea, it provides an easy method for dental students to explore all or parts of the state as they go about making one of the most important decisions of their careers. The website also provides a showcase for current practitioners and communities to demonstrate what they have to offer as practice opportunities.
Honoring Dental Patients’ Privacy Rule Right of Access in the Context of Electronic Health Records
Authors: Ramoni Rachel B. , Asher Sheetal R. , White Joel M. , Vaderhobli Ram , Ogunbodede Eyitope O. , Walji Muhammad F. , Riedy Christine , Kalenderian Elsbeth
Published: June 2020

A person's right to access his or her protected health information is a core feature of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. If the information is stored electronically, covered entities must be able to provide patients with some type of machine‐readable, electronic copy of their data. The aim of this study was to understand how academic dental institutions execute the Privacy Rule's right of access in the context of electronic health records (EHRs). A validated electronic survey was distributed to the clinical deans of 62 U.S. dental schools during a two‐month period in 2014. The response rate to the survey was 53.2% (N=33). However, three surveys were partially completed, and of the 30 completed surveys, the 24 respondents who reported using axiUm as the EHR at their dental school clinic were the ones on which the results were based (38.7% of total schools at the time). Of the responses analyzed, 86% agreed that clinical modules should be considered part of a patient's dental record, and all agreed that student teaching‐related modules should not. Great variability existed among these clinical deans as to whether administrative and financial modules should be considered part of a patient record. When patients request their records, close to 50% of responding schools provide the information exclusively on paper. This study found variation among dental schools in their implementation of the Privacy Rule right of access, and although all the respondents had adopted EHRs, a large number return records in paper format.
U.S. Dental School Deans’ Views on the Value of Patient‐Reported Outcome Measures in Dentistry
Authors: Rosen Evan B. , Donoff R. Bruce , Riedy Christine A.
Published: June 2020

There has historically been limited development and utilization of patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) in clinical dentistry. However, in recent years PROMs have been recognized by other health care fields as valuable in the comprehensive assessment of patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to survey deans of U.S. dental schools to better understand their vision for the role of PROMs in the field of dentistry. A 13‐question online survey was emailed to the deans of the 64 accredited U.S. dental schools at the time to gather their opinions about the value of patient‐reported outcomes in dentistry. The survey consisted of questions in 12 domains such as treatment planning, perceived success/complications of surgery, identification/management of dental pain, psychological and oral function, and insurance payment/reimbursement. Of the 64 deans, 33 responses were received (51.5% response rate), but three surveys were excluded due to incomplete answers, resulting in a final response rate of 46.8%. All respondents reported there was value in utilization of PROMs for understanding a patient's satisfaction of a procedure, a patient's perceived success of dental surgery, identifying dental pain, and managing dental pain. However, there was disagreement among the respondents about utilization of PROMs for the purpose of determining insurance payment and/or reimbursement. Additional steps should be taken to develop clinically appropriate PROMs for dentistry and to determine the appropriate situations in which to use dental PROMs. This study suggests that PROMs should be incorporated into dental school curricula as they will likely play a role in future comprehensive treatment assessment.
Teaching Skill Acquisition and Development in Dental Education
Authors: Lyon Lucinda J. , Hoover Terry E. , Giusti Lola , Booth Mark T. , Mahdavi Elham
Published: June 2020

Development of dental faculty members is paramount to providing outstanding education and role modeling for students. With the large number of second career educators in dental schools, an efficient method of acquiring teaching skills is important for new faculty members. Knowing the skill progression and learning experiences identified by dental educators of varying rank may lead to more efficient, effective faculty development. The aims of this study were to identify the perceptions of a group of faculty members about the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and learning experiences that contribute to developing teaching expertise and to compare and contrast the perceptions of new and more senior faculty members on these subjects. The Dreyfus skill acquisition continuum of novice to expert performance was used as a construct reference. The study used a mixed‐methods approach in which qualitative and quantitative data were collected concurrently in an electronic survey of faculty members at one U.S. dental school. Of the 492 total faculty members, 80 survey responses were received, for a 16% response rate. Open coding and analysis of responses revealed some common themes. Building rich content knowledge and learning varied methodologies for teaching and assessment, supported by an awareness of peer role models, were perceived to be features of early growth. Content prioritization, clarity, and customization appropriate for the learner characterized mid growth. As theorized in the Dreyfus model, more experienced faculty members described a fluid, less structured teaching process, increased reflection, and appreciation of the strength of the educational community. The results of this study may help increase dental educators’ understanding of teaching skill acquisition and inform faculty development and support.
Development and Assessment of Discrimination Exercises for Faculty Calibration in Preclinical Operative Dentistry
Authors: Ahmed Sumitha N. , Sturdevant John , Wilder Rebecca , Kowlowitz Vicki , Boushell Lee
Published: June 2020

The aims of this study were to identify the level of interexaminer agreement among preclinical operative dentistry faculty members when grading Class II preparations performed by first‐year dental students; to develop discrimination exercises for specific preparation components where interexaminer agreement was poor; and to evaluate if the discrimination exercises were able to improve inter‐ and intraexaminer agreement. In the preliminary phase of this study, 13 components of 32 Class II cavity preparations were assessed by eight course faculty members at one U.S. dental school. Analysis of average interexaminer agreement on these components revealed that six were below 60%. These were proximal contact clearance, retention groove placement, retention groove depth, preparation walls, preparation margins, and preparation toilet/debris. A 30‐minute calibration session was subsequently developed to provide discrimination exercises utilizing 3‐D models and digital images of various levels of student performance for five of the six components. Immediately following calibration, the course faculty assessed the same 32 preparations (Phase I) followed by a delayed assessment without calibration (Phase II) approximately six months later. The results showed that overall interexaminer reliability improved after calibration. Although there was a decline in interexaminer reliability after an interval of six months (Phase II), the degree of variation among examiners was lower than in the preliminary assessment. These findings support the use of discrimination exercises for preclinical operative dentistry course faculty to increase interexaminer agreement and thereby improve the consistency of faculty‐student communication.
Postgraduate Orthodontics Students’ and Mentors’ Perceptions of Portfolios and Discussion as Tools for Development of Reflection
Authors: Tonni Ingrid , Mora Luca , Oliver Richard G.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a portfolio learning strategy designed to develop students’ reflection abilities in a postgraduate orthodontic program in the UK. Nine first‐year postgraduate orthodontic students and seven mentors participated in the one‐year program, which included a reflective portfolio, mentorship, and discussion. After the program, the students’ and mentors’ perceptions were collected using focus groups and individual interviews, respectively. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four categories emerged. The first, reflection, was considered a skill to learn, and time was needed for students to fully understand its meaning and achieve its outcomes. The second theme, characteristics of reflection, was descriptive at the beginning and more critical at the end of the experience. The third theme, outcomes of reflection, involved students’ improved problem‐solving and action‐planning abilities and increased self‐awareness, motivation, confidence, and communication skills. In the fourth theme, stimulation of reflection, students did not agree with mentors regarding the importance of reflective writing, but they recognized the value of the portfolio's reflective log in facilitating the reflective process. There was greater agreement between students and mentors regarding discussions with mentors and among peers as tools to achieve higher levels of reflection. Overall, these students and mentors considered the strategy an effective tool for improving students’ reflection.
A Training Program Using an Audience Response System to Calibrate Dental Faculty Members Assessing Student Clinical Competence
Authors: Metz Michael J. , Metz Cynthia J. , Durski Marcelo T. , Aiken Sean A. , Mayfield Theresa G. , Lin Wei-Shao
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of calibration training of departmental faculty and competency graders using an audience response system on operative dentistry concepts across 12 months. The training sessions were designed to further solidify the process and equilibration of clinical opinions among faculty members and provide a more calibrated grading assessment during patient care for student performance feedback. Four (quarterly) calibration sessions occurred over 12 months in 2015. The first session was considered the baseline (control value) for this study. Pre‐ and post‐calibration interrater agreement was assessed. Additionally, a pre and post assessment with ten Likert‐scale questions was used to measure students’ perceptions of instructional consistency. The results showed that a statistically significant increase in conceptual knowledge scores occurred for both departmental faculty members and competency graders across each of the four sessions (one‐factor ANOVA; p<0.05). Interrater reliability agreement also significantly improved for both department faculty members and competency graders’ clinical assessments over 12 months of implementation (Cohen's Kappa; p<0.05). There was a statistically significant increase in positive student perceptions on all ten questions (dependent t‐test; p<0.05). Implementation of an audience response system for departmental and competency graders was found to be effective in facilitating a discussion forum, calibrating clinical assessments, and improving student perceptions. The positive results from this study support the value of dental schools’ introducing faculty development programs to ensure consistent instruction for assessing dental student competence.
Dental Students’ Reflections on Quality of Periodontal Care in Dental School Clinics
Authors: Chandrasekaran Sangeetha , Powell Charles , De la Rosa Laurice , Mittal Anuj , Johnson Lonnie
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to analyze dental students’ descriptions of and reflections on the periodontal care they provided for their patients in dental school clinics. All students enrolled in the final year of the DDS program in 2011–14 at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine were required to complete a self‐assessment of the periodontal care they provided for patients. Assessments from 263 students were compiled and qualitatively analyzed. The key reasons given for not providing good care were identified and then stratified as student/school‐dependent or patient‐dependent factors. Among these students, 63.1% reported that the periodontal care they provided for their patients was inadequate. Some of the student/school‐dependent factors were multiple providers involved in patient care (22.8%), student oversight (21.3%), licensure and academic requirements (20.9%), limited clinic operator sessions (19.4%), clinical rotations to other sites (18.3%), and students’ interest in/emphasis on other areas of dentistry (17.9%). Some of the patient‐dependent factors were patient scheduling compliance (61.6%), patient finances (46.4%), medical status (20.5%), urgent dental needs (18.3%), emphasis only on restorative care (17.5%), periodontal care awareness (16.4%), and patients’ oral hygiene compliance (11.5%). This analysis of students’ attitudes, challenges they faced, and patient‐related factors that influenced the delivery of periodontal care helped to facilitate changes in the curriculum and school policies to optimize clinical instruction and patient care in periodontics.
Caries Removal by First‐Year Dental Students: A Multisource Competency Assessment Strategy for Reflective Practice
Authors: de Peralta Tracy L. , Ramaswamy Vidya , Karl Elisabeta , Van Tubergen Elizabeth , McLean Mary Ellen , Fitzgerald Mark
Published: June 2020

Multisource assessment (MSA) uses multiple assessors to provide feedback. Little is known about the validity of using MSA feedback for improving students’ ability to self‐assess in a preclinical environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure the validity of using a defined reflective process involving an MSA tool for building skill in dental students’ self‐evaluation of caries excavation on extracted teeth. As part of this process, 104 first‐year students at one U.S. dental school used a self‐generated study plan (SGSP) for structured reflection on MSA feedback during the 2013–14 academic year. Interrater agreement, determined through calculation of percentage‐agreements in scoring, was measured among three assessor groups (self‐, peer, and expert assessors) in formative assessment and between two assessor groups (self‐ and expert assessors) in summative assessment two weeks apart, allowing for reflective practice and completion of an SGSP between assessments. Validity for improving self‐assessment was determined by measuring significance in positive shifts of agreement between self‐ and expert assessors. The results showed that interrater agreement between the self‐ and expert assessors increased significantly: from a 28% agreement in formative assessment to a 60% agreement in summative assessment. Significance in percentage shifts between assessments was demonstrated with a McNemar score of 0.26 (p<0.001). These results suggest that the described MSA tool and reflective process in an SGSP may be valid methods for improving skill in student self‐evaluation of competence in caries excavation on extracted teeth.
International Volunteer Programs for Dental Students: Results of 2009 and 2016 Surveys of U.S. Dental Schools
Authors: Woodmansey Karl F. , Rowland Briana , Horne Steve , Serio Francis G.
Published: June 2020

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and nature of international volunteer programs for predoctoral students at U.S. dental schools and to document the change over five years. Web‐based surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2016. An invitation to participate in the study, along with a hyperlink to the survey, was emailed to the deans of all U.S. dental schools in the two years. In 2009, 47 of 58 dental school deans responded to the survey, for a response rate of 81%. In 2016, 48 of 64 dental school deans responded, for a response rate of 75%. From 2009 to 2016, the number of schools reporting dental student international experiences increased from 25 to 31. In 2016, 65% of responding schools offered dental student international experiences, an 11.5% increase over the results of the 2009 survey. Concomitantly, the number of deans reporting their students’ participation in international opportunities not officially sanctioned by the school decreased from 41 to 34. These findings showed an increase in the number of dental schools providing international experiences for their students and established baseline data to assess trends in the future.
Dental Hygiene, Dental, and Medical Students’ OMFS/Hospital Dentistry‐Related Knowledge/Skills, Attitudes, and Behavior: An Exploration
Authors: Munz Stephanie M. , Kim Roderick Y. , Holley Tyler J. , Donkersloot John N. , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: June 2020

Engaging other health care providers in oral health‐related activities and interprofessional care (IPC) could increase access to oral health care for underserved populations in the U.S. The aims of this study were to assess dental hygiene, dental, and medical students’ intra‐ and interprofessional and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS)/hospital dentistry‐related knowledge/skills, attitudes, and behavior; determine whether first and second year vs. third and fourth year cohorts’ responses differed; and explore how intra‐ and interprofessional knowledge was related to interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional attitudes and behavior. Data were collected between April 2014 and May 2015 from 69 dental hygiene, 316 dental, and 187 medical students. Response rates across classes for the dental hygiene students ranged from 85% to 100%; 24% to 100% for the dental students; and 13% to 35% for the medical students. The results showed that the medical students had lower oral health‐related and interprofessional knowledge and less positive attitudes about oral health‐related behavior, IPE, and interprofessional teamwork than the dental hygiene and dental students. While third‐ and fourth‐year medical students’ interprofessional knowledge/skills and behavior were higher than those of first‐ and second‐year students, the two groups’ IPE‐related and interprofessional attitudes did not differ. The students’ knowledge correlated with their IPE and interprofessional communication‐related skills and behavior, but not with their interprofessional attitudes. These dental hygiene, dental, and medical students’ OMFS/hospital dentistry‐related knowledge/skills and behavior increased over the course of their academic programs, while their IPE‐related and intra‐ and interprofessional attitudes, especially for medical students, did not improve over time. OMFS and hospital dentistry units in medical centers offer distinctive opportunities for IPE and IPC. Utilizing these units may be one way to ensure that graduating providers are motivated to engage in IPC in their practice, thus contributing to reducing oral health disparities and increasing access to oral care for underserved populations.
Who benefits from privileged peers? Evidence from siblings in schools
Authors: Bertoni Marco , Brunello Giorgio , Cappellari Lorenzo
Published: June 2020

By comparing siblings attending the same school at different points in time, we investigate whether the effect of peer quality on long‐term labor market outcomes varies with parental background. We find that exposure to better peers—who have higher mean parental education—increases lifetime earnings of disadvantaged students, coming from families with low parental education, but penalizes privileged students from better educated families. These results suggest that desegregation policies that allocate disadvantaged students to schools with better peers produce long‐term benefits. We discuss mechanisms and show that human capital accumulation, ordinal rank and network effects contribute to explain our findings.