bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Grade Point Average and Enrollment in a Dental Hygiene National Board Review Course on Student Performance on the National Board Examination
Authors: DeWald Janice P. , Gutmann Marylou E. , Solomon Eric S.
Published: June 2020

Passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is a requirement for licensure in all but one state. There are a number of preparation courses for the examination sponsored by corporations and dental hygiene programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if taking a board review course significantly affected student performance on the board examination. Students from the last six dental hygiene classes at Baylor College of Dentistry (n=168) were divided into two groups depending on whether they took a particular review course. Mean entering college grade point averages (GPA), exiting dental hygiene program GPAs, and National Board scores were compared for the two groups using a t‐test for independent samples (p<0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups for entering GPA and National Board scores. Exiting GPAs, however, were slightly higher for those not taking the course compared to those taking the course. In addition, a strong correlation (0.71, Pearson Correlation) was found between exiting GPA and National Board score. Exiting GPA was found to be a strong predictor of National Board performance. These results do not appear to support this program's participation in an external preparation course as a means of increasing students' performance on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination.
Relationship Between Small Group Problem‐Solving Activity and Lectures in Health Science Curricula
Authors: Patel Vimla L. , Arocha Jose F. , Branch Timothy , Karlin Daniel R.
Published: June 2020

Components of problem‐based education, such as small group teaching, are being implemented in diverse health curricula. Implementation, however, is often motivated by the intuitive appeal of many problem‐based learning components, when what is needed is the detailed examination of how these components support students’ integration of knowledge as well as continuity of their learning experiences. This study presents an investigation of the relationship between lecture and small group teaching (SGT) in a medical curriculum. Four problem‐oriented SGT sessions representing diverse topics in the first‐year curriculum and their corresponding lectures were videotaped and analyzed using techniques of concept mapping, where the broad concepts from the lectures were identified and matched to the case‐specific concepts in the small group sessions. The results show that lectures function as an anchor for the students’ discussion of issues relevant to clinical problem‐solving and interventions in small group sessions. These discussions extended to contextual aspects of clinical practice that were not dealt with in the lectures, such as ethical/cultural issues around the treatment of patients. Furthermore, small group environments were found to promote discussions that allowed the integration of information from different sources and encompassed concepts across a number of disciplines. These results suggest that carefully designed small group sessions serve the purposes of 1) illustrating broader concepts in lectures to case‐specific, clinically relevant problem‐solving and 2) promoting knowledge integration from diverse sources of information. The implications of these results for learning and reasoning in health science curricula are discussed.
Reforming Dental Health Professions Education: A White Paper
Authors: DePaola Dominick P. , Slavkin Harold C.
Published: June 2020

The oral health education system is in need of major reform! This is especially apparent in university‐based education for the health professions. So‐called preclinical as well as clinical education simply has not kept pace with or been responsive enough to shifting patient demographics and patient/population desires and expectations, changing health system expectations, evolving interdisciplinary expertise and practice requirements, new scientific discoveries and scientific information, focus on quality improvement, and/or integration of emerging technologies. Moreover, university‐based “dental education” is the most costly professional degree education within the entire university portfolio, and dental student accumulated debt is increasing each year well beyond national inflation estimates. Today, we have an enormous opportunity to explore major reforms in health professional education. Through the Santa Fe “process” of open and candid engagements and discussions (see www.santafegroup.org), we advance an argument as well as a national strategy that can enable major reforms in the oral health education system. We further suggest that major revisions can result in an outcome‐based education system that prepares oral health professionals to meet both the needs of patients/families/communities and the requirements of a changing health system.
Strategies for Combating Dental Anxiety
Authors: Bare Lyndsay C. , Dundes Lauren
Published: June 2020

Dental anxiety and subsequent avoidance of dental care and deterioration of oral health pose a significant problem for the dental profession. In an attempt to elucidate preferences of anxious dental patients, we gathered survey data from 121 persons at a small, private liberal arts college in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States. Half of the respondents experienced dental anxiety, and most of these (66 percent) attributed anxiety to fear of anticipated pain. The majority of anxious patients preferred a dentist to be friendly (93 percent), talkative (82 percent), and to have an office with adorned walls (89 percent) and a slightly cool temperature (63 percent). Patients who identified themselves as anxious also indicated that music in the background (89 percent) and magazines and books in the dental office (75 percent) were helpful. Anxious patients were more likely than non‐anxious patients to prefer a male dentist (77 percent versus 52 percent). This finding was especially marked among anxious male respondents, 93 percent of whom preferred a male dentist compared to 73 percent of anxious female respondents. These survey data may assist dental professionals in understanding and combating patients’ dental anxiety, in order to increase the frequency of dental visits and to prompt a corresponding restoration or maintenance of oral health.
Cultural Consistency in Australian Dental Students from Two Different Ethnic Backgrounds
Authors: Mariño Rodrigo J. , Stuart Geoffrey W. , Winning Tracey , Morgan Michael V. , Thomson W. Murray , Marshall Roderick I. , Gotjamanos Theo
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to examine the value orientations of dental students from different ethnic backgrounds studying in Australian dental schools. A ninety‐eight‐item questionnaire was used to collect the data, including fifteen subscales developed consistent with the Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck value orientation model. To compare the value orientation structure and to determine if any ethnic differences existed, a multivariate analysis of variance called profile analysis was performed on the fifteen value subscales. Of the 401 participants, 30.2 percent were Anglo‐Australian and 44.9 percent were Asian. The remainder (24.9 percent) were “Other—background residents” or “Other—international students.” This article presents data from Asian (n=184) and Anglo‐Australian (n=124) background respondents. Mean age was 21.7 years (s.e. 0.35 years) among Anglo‐Australian and 20.8 years (s.e. 0.17 years) among Asians. Asians born overseas represented 70.7 percent (n=130) of this group. Of Australia‐born Asians (n=54), 90.6 percent were first‐generation Australians. When comparing their value profile, we found a significant association between ethnicity and value orientation profile scores (p<0.05). Despite the significant overall result, the strength of the association (η2=0.007) indicated that this effect was trivial relative to the unexplained variance in value orientation. The findings suggest that, behind an apparent ethnic diversity, a single distinctive value profile might exist to which the majority of dental students subscribe.
Do Repeated Clinical Competency Ratings Stereotype Students?
Authors: Chambers David W.
Published: June 2020

A stereotype is a generalization that protects itself from critique by limiting or distorting new information. The potential for stereotyping exists where faculty members repeatedly rate students’ clinical competency. Stereotyping is difficult to study because of methodological problems. If, for example, a student's score remains low over repeated ratings, it may be because the faculty member has pegged the student as a poor performer or because the student is in fact a consistently low performer. An existing dataset of clinical competency ratings for almost 300 students was divided so that ratings given by faculty members who had evaluated students previously could be compared to ratings of the same students by faculty members who had not previously evaluated these students. This study supports the following conclusions: 1) repeating faculty members use both current information and carryover information from previous rating periods; 2) the amount of information carried over increases from quarter to quarter; and 3) faculty evaluators who use more carryover information are more accurate in predicting students’ graduation competency level than are faculty members on their initial ratings of students. In conclusion, there is no evidence in this study that repeated clinical competency ratings promote stereotyping of students by faculty members.
Reasoning Process Characteristics in the Diagnostic Skills of Beginner, Competent, and Expert Dentists
Authors: Crespo Kathleen E. , Torres José E. , Recio María E.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate qualitative differences in the diagnostic reasoning process at different developmental stages of expertise. A qualitative design was used to study cognitive processes that characterize the diagnosis of oral disease at the stages of beginner (five junior students who had passed the NBDE I), competent (five GPR first‐year residents), and expert dentists (five general dentists with ten or more years of experience). Individually, each participant was asked to determine the diagnosis of an oral condition based on a written clinical case, using the think aloud technique and retrospective reports. A subsequent interview was conducted to obtain the participants’ diagnostic process model and pathophysiology of the case. The analysis of the verbal protocols indicated that experts referred to the patient's sociomedical context more frequently, demonstrated better organization of ideas, could determine key clinical findings, and had an ability to plan for the search of pertinent information. Fewer diagnostic hypotheses were formulated by participants who used forward reasoning, independent of the stage of development. Beginners requested additional diagnostic aids (radiographs, laboratory tests) more frequently than the competent/expert dentists. Experts recalled typical experiences with patients, while competent/beginner dentists recalled information from didactic courses. Experts evidenced cognitive diagnostic schemas that integrate pathophysiology of disease, while competent and beginner participants had not achieved this integration. We conclude that expert performance is a combination of a knowledge base, reasoning skills, and an accumulation of experiences with patients that is qualitatively different from that of competent and beginner dentists. It is important for dental education to emphasize the teaching of cognitive processes and to incorporate a wide variety of clinical experiences in addition to the teaching of disciplinary content.
Dental Education and Evidence‐Based Educational Best Practices: Bridging the Great Divide
Authors: Masella Richard S. , Thompson Thomas J.
Published: June 2020

Research about educational best practices is negatively perceived by many dental faculty. Separation between teaching and learning strategies commonly employed in dental education and evidence‐based educational techniques is real and caused by a variety of factors: the often incomprehensible jargon of educational specialists; traditional academic dominance of research, publication, and grantsmanship in faculty promotions; institutional undervaluing of teaching and the educational process; and departmentalization of dental school governance with resultant narrowness of academic vision. Clinician‐dentists hired as dental school faculty may model teaching activities on decades‐old personal experiences, ignoring recent educational evidence and the academic culture. Dentistry's twin internal weaknesses—factionalism and parochialism—contribute to academic resistance to change and unwillingness to share power. Dental accreditation is a powerful impetus toward inclusion of best teaching and learning evidence in dental education. This article will describe how the gap between traditional educational strategies and research‐based practices can be reduced by several approaches including dental schools’ promotion of learning cultures that encourage and reward faculty who earn advanced degrees in education, regular evaluation of teaching by peers and educational consultants with inclusion of the results of these evaluations in promotion and tenure committee deliberations, creating tangible reward systems to recognize and encourage teaching excellence, and basing faculty development programs on adult learning principles. Leadership development should be part of faculty enrichment, as effective administration is essential to dental school mission fulfillment. Finally, faculty who investigate the effectiveness of educational techniques need to make their research more available by publishing it, more understandable by reducing educational jargon, and more relevant to the day‐to‐day teaching issues that dental school faculty encounter in classrooms, labs, and clinics.
Students' Perceived Importance of Diversity Exposure and Training in Dental Education
Authors: Novak Karen F. , Whitehead Albert W. , Close John M. , Kaplan Alan L.
Published: June 2020

Intercultural competence is an important component of the doctor‐patient relationship in the multicultural climate evolving in the United States. We hypothesized that 1) exposure to racial and ethnic diversity in the student body, faculty, staff, and patient population in dental school and 2) a dental school curriculum that includes presentations on issues concerning racial and ethnic diversity will contribute to students' feeling more competent and confident to enter the multicultural work environment that is rapidly developing in the United States. A Likert‐type scale questionnaire was administered to 627 fourth‐year dental students enrolled in seven dental schools representing geographically diverse regions of the United States. Of these, 376 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 60 percent. Results indicated that both the perception of diversity in the school environment and the presentation of diversity‐specific content in the curriculum had moderately positive and significant correlations with the students' perception of their competency or ability to serve and work with diverse populations. The respective Pearson correlation coefficients for diversity in the school environment and diversity curriculum were .497 (p<.001) and .459 (p<.001). These results support the hypotheses that diversity exposure and training in the dental school environment are important for dental students entering a multicultural workplace.
What Predicts Performance in Canadian Dental Schools?
Authors: Smithers S. , Catano V.M. , Cunningham D.P.
Published: June 2020

The task of selecting the best dental applicants out of an extremely competitive applicant pool is a problem faced annually by dental faculties. This study examined the validity of both cognitive and noncognitive factors used for selection to Canadian dental schools. Interest in personality measurement and the prediction offered by personality measures has escalated and may be applied to the selection of dental candidates. Therefore, the study also assessed whether the addition of a personality measure would increase the validity of predicting performance beyond that achieved by an interview and the Dental Aptitude Test. Results suggest that an interview may be useful in identifying specific behavioral characteristics deemed important for success in dental training. Consistent with previous research, results show that the Dental Aptitude Test is a good predictor of preclinical academic success, with prediction declining when clinical components of the program are introduced into the criterion. Results from the personality measure indicated that Openness to Experience was significantly related to aspects of clinical education, although, contrary to expectations, this relationship was negative. A facet of Openness, Ideas, together with Positive Emotions, a facet of Extroversion, improved prediction of performance in clinical studies beyond that provided by the Dental Aptitude Test and the Interview. Implications of the findings are discussed, and recommendations regarding the admission process to Canadian dental programs are offered.
Reliability and Validity of a Manual Dexterity Test to Predict Preclinical Grades
Authors: Gansky Stuart A. , Pritchard Hilary , Kahl Ernest , Mendoza Daniel , Bird William , Miller Arthur J. , Graham David
Published: June 2020

The University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry wanted to determine if a predental school manual dexterity test predicts: 1) subsequent grades in preclinical restorative courses, and 2) faculty perceptions of satisfactory performance in these skills that would indicate the student is ready to advance to the clinic. The study population was comprised of all 244 applicants admitted to UCSF School of Dentistry's D.D.S. program from Classes of 2000 to 2002 and who matriculated into the program. The manual dexterity test (MDT) consisted of a two‐hour block‐carving test. Three preclinical faculty, three clinical faculty, and two basic science faculty graded the blocks. Even after instruction and calibration, faculty varied greatly in their grading (intra‐rater reliability kappa statistics ranging from 0.34 to 1.00). Two of three preclinical raters gave No Passes for the MDT in 9.8 percent of the incoming, first‐year dental students. Of these twenty‐three students, only four (17 percent) were in the lower 10 percent of their classes according to their five preclinical restorative laboratory courses after two years, and four (33 percent) were among the twelve students the three preclinical laboratory directors identified as laboratory cautions. The MDT did not significantly (p=0.342) predict students in the bottom 10 percent after five restorative preclinical laboratory courses, above and beyond current admissions criteria. Among current admissions criteria, PAT score was the only item at least moderately correlated with preclinical average percentile class rank (Spearman correlation = 0.34). In conclusion, the MDT did not appear to add information to the current admissions criteria.
Implementing Evidence‐Based Practice in Undergraduate Teaching Clinics: A Systematic Review and Recommendations
Authors: Werb Sara B. , Matear David W.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this project was to identify an effective methodology of approaching and implementing evidence‐based principles in undergraduate teaching clinics to promote evidence‐based dentistry in future clinical practice. A systematic review was undertaken to examine evidence‐based clinical teaching and faculty continuing education. Research published from 1996 to 2002 was retrieved by searching several databases and the Internet, along with conducting hand searches and reviewing bibliographies maintained by faculty experts. Qualitative checklists for different types of studies were created to evaluate the literature. Relevant studies were selected if they met all four predetermined essential criteria and a minimum of two out of three desirable criteria. Systematic reviews were chosen if they met all five essential criteria. Data from selected articles were extracted, and study quality was assessed. We found that three systematic reviews and nine original research articles were deemed methodologically acceptable. Problem‐based learning and evidence‐based health care interventions increased student knowledge of medical topics and their ability to search, evaluate, and appraise medical literature. Dental students in a problem‐based learning curriculum, emphasizing evidence‐based practices, scored higher on the NDB I (National Dentistry Boards, Part I) than students in traditional curricula. While effective modules in implementing theoretical evidence‐based principles exist, very few high‐quality studies are available that examine these principles in dental undergraduate teaching clinics. No methodologically appropriate studies on the education of faculty in the implementation of evidence‐based principles are available. Some studies promote promising theories and methodologies of teaching evidence‐based care; based on these theories, a comprehensive model is proposed in this article. Considering the strength of evidence in the reviewed literature, we concluded that an evidence‐based approach to clinical care is effective.
Confronting Shibboleths of Dental Education
Authors: Masella Richard S.
Published: June 2020

Shibboleths are common expressions presented as indisputable truths. When used in educational discussions, they reflect “motherhood and apple pie” viewpoints and tend to bring debate to a halt. Use of shibboleths may precede a desired imposition of “locksteps” in educational programming and are easily perceived as paternalistic by recipients. Nine shibboleths are presented as common beliefs of dental faculty and administrators. Evidence contradicting the veracity of the “obvious truths” is offered. The traditional “splendid isolation” of dentistry contributes to parochialism and belief in false shibboleths. Sound principles of higher and health professions education, student learning, and dental practice apply to dental education as to all health disciplines. Student passivity in dental education is not the best preparation for proficiency in dental practice. The master teacher possesses a repertoire of methodologies specific to meeting defined educational objectives. Active learning experiences bear close resemblances to professional duties and responsibilities and internally motivate future doctors of dental medicine. The difficulty in achieving curricular change leads to curricular entrenchment. Dentistry and dental education should not trade their ethical high ground for the relatively low ethical standards of the business world. Principles of professional ethics should govern relationships between dentists, whether within the dental school workplace or in practice. Suggestions are made on how to confront shibboleths in dental school settings.
Ethical Dilemmas Reported by Fourth‐Year Dental Students
Authors: Sharp Helen M. , Kuthy Raymond A. , Heller Keith E.
Published: June 2020

Ethics education in dentistry is a requirement for accreditation. Despite universal adoption of ethics courses, there is ongoing discussion about the appropriate content of these courses and about methods to engage students. Faculty who teach ethics must select a limited set of topics from the broad fields of professional ethics, bioethics, and the humanities. The purpose of this article is to describe the ethical issues reported by fourth‐year dental students during community‐based extramural clinical experiences. Senior dental students (n=123) wrote essays describing an ethical issue they encountered during one of two extramural rotations. Ethical issues were categorized and coded by consensus between two faculty authors. Students most often reported perceived dilemmas related to patients’ limited resources (25 percent), conflict between professionals (19 percent), clinic policy or procedures (15 percent), and decision making by patients’ surrogates (13 percent). One student (<1 percent) reported encountering no ethical issues. Students’ perceptions of ethical issues in clinical practice offer faculty a foundation for designing a dental ethics curriculum that is practical and immediately relevant to the experience of a dental student. Students’ reports may also yield a method for systematic assessment of students’ abilities to apply classroom ethics instruction to clinical practice.
“We Are Not in the Least Bit Used to These Ways of Studying”: Developing Academic Competence in All Students
Authors: McMillan Wendy J.
Published: June 2020

This article is located in the field of academic development in oral health science education. Specifically, it examines the academic difficulties experienced by oral hygiene students in their transition from high school to university. A qualitative approach was employed to elicit student and lecturer perceptions. Drawing on empirical evidence from a case study of a cohort of first‐year oral hygiene students at a dental faculty in South Africa, the article contributes to an understanding of how first‐year university students might be better prepared for the challenges of reading and writing in higher education. The voices of lecturers and students are used to highlight the nature of the difficulties that students experience in the transition from high school to university. The suggestions that students made regarding how the transition might be eased are also examined. The final section draws on these suggestions and presents a working model for an academic development module for first‐year oral health students.
Appraisal of the Dental School Learning Environment: The Students’ View
Authors: Henzi David , Davis Elaine , Jasinevicius Roma , Hendricson William , Cintron Laura , Isaacs Marcia
Published: June 2020

The majority of studies examining dental school curriculum have addressed organization, structure, and content issues from the perspectives of administrators, faculty, practitioners/alumni, and professional organizations. However, few studies have focused on students’ opinions of dental school. The purpose of this study was to determine students’ perceptions of the learning environment, intellectual climate, and teacher‐student relationships in dental school. This report describes how the “dental version” of the Medical Student Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was used to identify students’ perceptions of their dental education. Freshman and junior dental students’ perceptions were measured with the Dental Student Learning Environment Survey (DSLES), which evaluates learning environment, intellectual climate, and relationships among students and teachers in seven areas: flexibility, student‐to‐student interaction, emotional climate, supportiveness, meaningful experience, organization, and breadth of interest. The DSLES was mailed to twenty‐three dental schools in North America with eighteen of the schools distributing the inventory. A total of 619 dental students responded. Results were differentiated between freshman and junior dental students. Both freshman and junior students provided the highest (most positive) ratings for the DSLES subscales of “breadth of interest” (interest in dentistry and outside interests are encouraged) and “meaningful learning experience” (significance of courses to dentistry). Freshman students provided the lowest (least positive) ratings for “emotional climate” (students’ responses to the way their courses were conducted and stress levels), and junior students provided the least positive ratings for “faculty supportiveness” (extent of faculty support and encouragement provided to students). The DSLES identified students’ perceptions of their educational experience and localized areas for improvement. By addressing these areas of concern, faculty can increase student satisfaction with their dental education.
Knowledge Integration and Reasoning as a Function of Instruction in a Hybrid Medical Curriculum
Authors: Patel Vimla L. , Arocha Jose F. , Chaudhari Sumedha , Karlin Daniel R. , Briedis Dalius J.
Published: June 2020

This study investigates the effect of curricular change on knowledge integration and reasoning processes during problem‐solving by medical students. The curricular change involved the introduction of problem‐based, small group tutorials into a conventional health science curriculum (CC). Students at three levels of training were asked to provide diagnostic explanations of two clinical cases, both before (spontaneous) and after (primed) being exposed to basic science information relevant to the clinical problems. Data were analyzed using techniques of propositional and semantic analysis. Based on theories of instruction and cognition, we expected that the instructional changes would facilitate knowledge integration and influence the reasoning patterns of the students. The results show that students generated fewer inferences and used more information from the basic science text (text‐based) to explain the clinical problems. However, they generated a greater number of elaborations during explanations using a mixture of data‐driven and hypothesis‐driven strategies. The spontaneous and primed problem‐solving conditions produced more hypothesis‐driven and data‐driven strategies, respectively, as would be expected in a hybrid curriculum. We conclude that a) problem‐based, small group tutorials facilitate integration of clinical and biomedical knowledge through the use of elaborations and hypothesis‐driven strategies, and b) aspects of problem‐based learning can be successfully integrated into traditional curricula.
Outcome Assessment of the Dental Early Acceptance Program
Authors: Hermesch Charles B. , McEntire John F. , Thomas Denee D. , Berrong J.M.
Published: June 2020

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) Dental School recruits a student body from a wide number of undergraduate institutions, primarily in Texas. One method supporting this effort is the Dental Early Acceptance Program (DEAP). This program is unique in that it grants conditional acceptance to dental school during a student's first year of undergraduate education and admission upon completion of three years of college coursework as directed by the student's undergraduate academic advisor. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the academic performance of DEAP students to students accepted through the standard competitive admissions process. The academic records of all students matriculating into our dental school between 1993 and 1996 were examined. National Board Dental Examination Parts I and II scores, the cumulative dental school and college GPAs, DAT scores, and demographic data were recorded. The data were analyzed descriptively and statistically. Graduation rates were 92 percent for DEAP students and 94 percent for standard admissions students. Comparison of college cumulative GPA between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference. A significant difference was found between the groups in their dental school cumulative GPA. In a comparison of National Board Examination scores, DEAP students had a significantly lower NBDE Part I mean score (82.9) than standard admissions students (85.8). DEAP students also showed significantly lower NBDE Part II scores (80.4) than standard admissions students (82.4).
Utilization of Evidence‐Based Informational Resources for Clinical Decisions Related to Posterior Composite Restorations
Authors: Haj‐Ali Reem N. , Walker Mary P. , Petrie Cynthia S. , Williams Karen , Strain Tabitha
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to characterize evidence‐based informational resources utilization patterns of a sample of general dentists with respect to clinical decisions regarding posterior composite restorations. A stratified random sample of general practitioners belonging to the Academy of General Dentistry (n=2880) was mailed a questionnaire that elicited information about practice characteristics and informational resources used for clinical decision making related to posterior composite restorations. Six hundred ninety‐nine dentists responded (24 percent response rate). Use of evidence‐based (EB) resources (journals and online data bases) was low for all respondents (14 percent) for all levels of experience; however, more experienced clinicians were more likely to use EB resources than recent graduates. AGD Master‐level members were significantly more likely to use EB resources than their counterparts (p<.05). Within the limitation of this study, current patterns suggest a low reliance on evidence‐based informational resources in the practice of clinical dentistry.
An Evidence‐Based Model of Effective Self‐Assessment for Directing Professional Learning
Authors: Asadoorian Joanna , Batty Helen P.
Published: June 2020

An innovative model for conducting meaningful self‐assessments is presented to help oral health care professionals efficiently determine what to learn with the goal of remaining competent. A review and analysis of the literature drawing from several databases was conducted to develop the model. Through this process, we identified four key categories: prerequisite competencies, process, applications, and tools that are suggested to occur within a supportive environment to carry out valid self‐assessments and to positively influence learning choices and practice improvements.
Insights from Students Following an Educational Rotation Through Dental Geriatrics
Authors: MacEntee Michael I. , Pruksapong Matana , Wyatt Chris C.L.
Published: June 2020

Little is known about how dental students respond to dental geriatrics. This article describes a qualitative analysis of reflective journals submitted over two years by ninety‐two senior students who participated in a brief clinical rotation in long‐term care facilities. We used an inductive interpretive approach to analyze the journals. Eight themes emerged from the analysis: 1) complexity of the institutional environment; 2) heterogeneity of the resident population; 3) multidisciplinary environment; 4) record keeping; 5) interactions with residents; 6) the difficulty of oral health care for frail residents; 7) bridging the gap between theory and practice; and 8) the emotional impact of the clinical experiences. Apparently, the students appreciated the opportunity to witness the complexity of care in a multidisciplinary context and to observe a practical program of oral health care. They described the rotations as unique and emotionally challenging but very worthwhile. Overall, they wrote positively about their experiences with the elderly residents, acknowledged the contribution of the rotation as important to their clinical maturation, and reported that the experience enhanced their appreciation of a dentist's professional responsibilities.
Why Our Ethics Curricula Do Work
Authors: Jenson Larry E.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this article is to respond to Dr. Charles Bertolami's article “Why Our Ethics Curricula Don't Work” in the April 2004 issue of the Journal of Dental Education. This article analyzes the arguments put forth by Bertolami and challenges his assumptions and conclusions. Several examples are given of the ways in which our current ethics curricula do, in fact, work.
The Origins and Design of the Dental Pipeline Program
Authors: Bailit Howard L. , Formicola Allan J. , Herbert Kim D. , Stavisky Judith S. , Zamora George
Published: June 2020

Funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California Endowment and with student financial aid from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the primary goal of the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program is to reduce disparities in access to dental care. In a national competition, fifteen dental schools were selected to participate. By the final year (2007) of the five‐year project, the schools are expected to achieve three objectives: 1) increase the time (sixty days/year) that senior students and residents spend in patient‐centered community clinics and practices treating underserved populations; 2) provide didactic and clinical courses for students and residents that prepare them for their community experiences; and 3) recruit more underrepresented minority and low‐income students. The national program office that directs the project is located at Columbia University, and a national advisory committee oversees the program for the sponsoring organizations. The challenge is to demonstrate that the Pipeline objectives are achievable and that the program is sustainable without external support.
Predicting Academic Performance and Clinical Competency for International Dental Students: Seeking the Most Efficient and Effective Measures
Authors: Stacey D. Graham , Whittaker John M.
Published: June 2020

Measures used in the selection of international dental students to a U.S. D.D.S. program were examined to identify the grouping that most effectively and efficiently predicted academic performance and clinical competency. Archival records from the International Dental Program (IDP) at Loma Linda University provided data on 171 students who had trained in countries outside the United States. The students sought admission to the D.D.S. degree program, successful completion of which qualified them to sit for U.S. licensure. As with most dental schools, competition is high for admission to the D.D.S. program. The study's goal was to identify what measures contributed to a fair and accurate selection process for dental school applicants from other nations. Multiple regression analyses identified National Board Part II and dexterity measures as significant predictors of academic performance and clinical competency. National Board Part I, TOEFL, and faculty interviews added no significant additional help in predicting eventual academic performance and clinical competency.
Computerized Assessment of Dental Student Writing Skills
Authors: Holtzman Joseph M. , Elliot Norbert , Biber Cheryl L. , Sanders R. Michael
Published: June 2020

This study tested the feasibility of using computer‐based tools for the assessment of written materials produced by dental students. Written assignments produced by three consecutive incoming dental school classes (240 students) were assessed, and the performance among and between classes was analyzed. Computerized assessment of documents produced by students in the context of their regular coursework proved to be an efficient and effective mechanism for assessing performance. Student performance, assessed as a byproduct of this research, was disappointing. The performance of all classes fell below the eleventh grade level, with some students producing written material at a level of sophistication generally expected from middle school children. Existing technology shows promise as a vehicle for enhancing the assessment of dental students’ written communication skills. The ease of use and minimal training necessary to apply this technology can help mitigate the time‐intensive nature of writing assessment. If this assessment information is then used to enhance instruction—a process inherently available through software such as WebCT—the distance between assessment and instruction may be more readily bridged through an increase in the use of technology.
Predictive Validity of Dental Hygiene Competency Assessment Measures on One‐Shot Clinical Licensure Examinations
Authors: Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , Bray Kimberly Krust , Branson Bonnie Sue , Holt Lorie , Keselyak Nancy , Mitchell Tanya Villalpando , Williams Karen B.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive validity of traditional and nontraditional dental hygiene competency assessment measures on one‐shot clinical licensure examinations in a baccalaureate dental hygiene program. Traditional assessment data including overall grade point average (GPA), Clinical GPA, National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) scores, and Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) scores along with nontraditional assessment data in the form of Portfolio scores were collected from seventy‐four students. Factor analysis and subsequent linear regression modeling were used to explore the ability of four variables (Overall GPA, NBDHE, Portfolios, and Clinical GPA) to predict one‐shot clinical licensure examination (CRDTS) scores. A two‐factor solution was obtained with one factor defined as dental hygiene cognition and the second factor defined as dental hygiene clinical performance. Factor scores were subsequently used in a linear predictive model to assess the shared and unique contribution of factors to the one‐shot clinical licensure examination score. The shared contribution of both factors only accounted for 13.9 percent of variance in the outcome measure of one‐shot clinical licensure examination scores. The lack of concordance between previously validated measures of dental hygiene student competency or predictors of student success (Overall GPA, NBDHE, and Portfolios) and a one‐shot clinical licensure examination (CRDTS) raises serious concern about the validity of our current dental hygiene licensing procedure which uses the CRDTS clinical examination to make decisions about granting licenses to practice.
Present and Future Approaches for the Control of Caries
Authors: Anusavice Kenneth J.
Published: June 2020

This article summarizes current and potential future approaches for the management of caries. Current surveys suggest that traditional “drill, fill, and bill” dentistry is still widely practiced in the United States in spite of considerable evidence that supports a minimally invasive treatment approach. Because there is a wide variability in treatment decisions on when and how to prevent new lesions, on how to arrest the progression of existing lesions, and on when and how to place initial and replacement restorations, the findings from some studies differ significantly from the results of other studies. While fluoride treatments are known to prevent a percentage of new lesions, they do not have the ability to prevent all caries lesions. Modern management of caries entails treating patients according to risk and monitoring early lesions in tooth surfaces that are not cavitated. Although we know that the dmfs score for children is a powerful predictor of caries increment in permanent teeth of these children a few years later, this score is rarely used in private practice as a measure of risk or as a measure of treatment success. Although these modern methods for caries management offer great promise for controlling the disease, they may take decades to apply in a standardized way so that the variability in treatment is reduced. However, during the next two decades, an alternative approach to caries prevention such as replacement therapy and a caries vaccine may become available as a more consistent method of controlling this disease.
Validating Dental and Medical Students’ Evaluations of Faculty Teaching in an Integrated, Multi‐Instructor Course
Authors: Stratton Terry D. , Witzke Donald B. , Freund Mary Jane , Wilson Martha T. , Jacob Robert J.
Published: June 2020

As more students from various health professions are combined into integrated courses, evaluating the teaching quality of individual faculty in these typically large, multi‐instructor contexts becomes increasingly difficult. Indeed, students who lack sufficient recall of a given faculty member or are not committed to the evaluation process may respond by marking identical responses to all evaluation items (e.g., 3‐3‐3‐3‐3), regardless of the specific content of the items on the faculty evaluation questionnaire. These “straight‐lining” behaviors—more formally referred to as monotonic response patterns (MRPs)—often reflect students’ inattention to the task at hand or lack of motivation to be discriminating, which may result in invalid data. This study examines the prevalence of MRP ratings in relation to indicators reflective of students’ lack of attention to evaluating the quality of faculty teaching. Dental and medical students in a required, second‐year (medicine) basic science course conducted by the medical school and taught primarily by medical school faculty completed seven‐item faculty evaluation forms, along with an anonymous questionnaire measuring their need to evaluate, attitudes toward faculty evaluation, and recall of instructors. MRP ratings failed to correlate significantly with students’ need to evaluate or their attitudes toward faculty evaluation. However, among medical students, MRP “straight‐line” responses were more prevalent for raters who recalled faculty members “very well” (p=.04). For dental students, MRPs were associated with less accurate recall (p=.01). As such, the validity of faculty evaluations within integrated, multi‐instructor courses may vary when students rate distinct aspects of a teacher's performance identically. In this case—in which medical students’ greater recall of instructors coincides with MRPs—ratings may suffice as global, holistic assessments of an instructor's teaching. For dental students, similar ratings may be less viable. Individual item analysis is cautioned under any circumstances.
Perceived Sources of Stress Among Greek Dental Students
Authors: Polychronopoulou Argy , Divaris Kimon
Published: June 2020

The goals of this study were to identify sources of stress in dental education and to explore the role of year of study and gender on perceived stressors. Five hundred and seventy‐one undergraduates, officially registered at the University of Athens School of Dentistry, participated in the survey by completing a thirty‐item modified version of the Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire. Assigned workload, performance pressure, and self‐efficacy beliefs constituted the most stress‐provoking factors. Gender differences were found in most of the perceived stressors, whereas stress intensity greatly differed by year of study. Multivariate analysis suggested that, irrespective of gender, fourth‐year and graduating students were less concerned about class work overload, clinical training difficulties, and course failing, but were significantly more insecure about their professional future. Entry‐level students appeared to be the most concerned about the lack of time for relaxation. However, they were the least stressed about completing graduation requirements compared with the rest of their peers. Possible strategies for reducing stress in Greek dental education are considered in the light of these findings.
Attitudes of Advanced Dental Education Students Toward Individuals with AIDS
Authors: Cohen Leonard A. , Romberg Elaine , Grace Edward G. , Barnes Douglas M.
Published: June 2020

The number of patients with HIV/AIDS who receive dental care is increasing. This study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the attitudes of dentists enrolled in postgraduate training toward AIDS and homosexuals. Each respondent received a 500‐word patient case vignette and two scales for recording impressions of the person described in the vignette. There were four vignettes, identical except that the portrayed individual's illness was identified as either AIDS or leukemia and sexual preference as either homosexual or heterosexual. Two‐way analyses of variance and t tests (p<.05) revealed a bias toward individuals with AIDS and toward homosexuals. Respondents reacted more negatively to both groups on the Social Interaction Scale as seen in total scale scores as well as to individual scale items. In addition, although overall Prejudicial Evaluation Scale scores displayed no evidence of bias, several individual scale items did. It is important to ensure that dentists’ attitudes toward patients with AIDS and homosexuals are not a barrier to these patients receiving the best possible care. Therefore, dental education programs at all levels should give consideration to interventions to address provider attitudes and potential biases.