bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Postdoctoral Dental Candidates: Assessing the Need and Recommendations for a National Qualifying Examination
Authors: Brodie Abby J. , Crow Heidi C. , Eber Robert M. , Handysides Robert , Holexa Roy , Kiat‐amnuay Sudarat , Spallek Heiko
Published: June 2020

Increasingly, U.S. dental schools report pass/fail grades and do not rank students. In addition, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations will report National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) scores as pass/fail after January 1, 2012. This article discusses how these changes will force postdoctoral dental program directors to modify how they assess candidates and how noncognitive evaluations might enhance those assessments. The authors propose developing a national qualifying examination for postdoctoral dental programs that will measure knowledge, decision making, and noncognitive traits including empathy, self‐confidence, integrity, and emotional intelligence. Without NBDE scores, class rank, and GPA as a basis for decision making, a single national qualifying examination would assist postdoctoral programs in selecting high‐quality candidates based on knowledge, critical thinking skills, and noncognitive traits.
Dental Student Perceptions of Predoctoral Implant Education and Plans for Providing Implant Treatment
Authors: Yuan Judy Chia‐Chun , Kaste Linda M. , Lee Damian J. , Harlow Rand F. , Knoernschild Kent L. , Campbell Stephen D. , Sukotjo Cortino
Published: June 2020

This study aims to identify dental students’ perceptions of pre‐patient care laboratory exercises (PCLEs) and clinical experiences that influence their future plans for providing implant care. One of two questionnaires was administered to dental student classes at one dental school (D2: Survey 1; D3 and D4: Survey 2). Future plans as graduates to provide implant diagnosis and treatment planning (DxTP), restoration of single‐tooth implants (STIs), and implant‐retained overdentures (IODs) were cross‐sectionally assessed along with potential influences such as PCLE, clinical experiences, gender, and class. The majority of students planned to provide implant services after graduation (DxTP 68.9 percent; STI 61.2 percent; IOD 62.1 percent). Bivariately, males reflected more preparedness from PCLEs than females (p=.002) and the D2 students more than D3 and D4 students (p<.001). Multivariate models revealed the perceived preparedness from PCLEs generally had the strongest association with future plans for performing implant therapy. However, this varied by gender and class. These findings indicate that PCLEs are important for their influence on students’ future plans to provide implant therapy. However, further studies are needed to validate actual PCLEs and clinical implant practices (both longitudinally and for other schools) and to determine educational interventions to optimize the provision of implant care.
Effectiveness of Web‐Based Teaching Modules: Test‐Enhanced Learning in Dental Education
Authors: Jackson Tate H. , Hannum Wallace H. , Koroluk Lorne , Proffit William R.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self‐tests as a component of web‐based self‐instruction in predoctoral orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. To this end, the usage patterns of online teaching modules and self‐tests by students enrolled in three courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry were monitored and correlated to final exam grade and course average. We recorded the frequency of access to thirty relevant teaching modules and twenty‐nine relevant self‐tests for 157 second‐ and third‐year D.D.S. students during the course of our data collection. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between frequency of accessing self‐tests and course performance in one course that was totally based on self‐instruction with seminars and multiple‐choice examination (Level IV): Spearman correlation between frequency of self‐test access and final exam grade, rho=0.23, p=0.044; correlation between frequency of self‐test access and course average: rho=0.39, p=0.0004. In the other two courses we monitored, which included content beyond self‐instruction with self‐tests, the correlations were positive but not statistically significant. The students’ use of online learning resources varied significantly from one course (Level I) to the next (Level II): Wilcoxon matched pairs signed‐rank tests, S=−515.5, p=.0057 and S=1086, p<0.0001. The data from this study suggest that increased use of web‐based self‐tests may be correlated with more effective learning in predoctoral dental education by virtue of the testing effect and that dental students’ usage of resources for learning changes significantly over the course of their education.
Dental Students and Intimate Partner Violence: Measuring Knowledge and Experience to Institute Curricular Change
Authors: Connor Pamela D. , Nouer Simonne S. , Mackey SeèTrail N. , Banet Megan S. , Tipton Nathan G.
Published: June 2020

Our study documents the shortage of intimate partner violence (IPV) content exposure within one dental school curriculum, with an eye toward utilizing this information to revise an existing comprehensive family violence curriculum that will be fully integrated into required university coursework to improve competence and help overcome knowledge gaps. IPV is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as physical and sexual violence, threats of physical and sexual violence, or psychological/emotional abuse including coercive tactics that adults or adolescents use against current or former intimate partners. We report on the results of a four‐part (background, IPV knowledge, opinions, and personal experience), sixty‐seven‐item validated survey instrument used to measure knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and self‐reported behaviors among dental students preparing to become health care professionals working in the field. Survey responses from the nearly 80 percent of fourth‐year dental students who completed the survey were examined within the context of students’ actual IPV knowledge, as well as opinions and attitudes that could directly or indirectly influence patients. Our findings indicate that a sizeable number of students received no IPV training prior to or during dental school, leading to perceptions that they lack knowledge about IPV and are not well prepared to address IPV with patients. A notable percentage of students (20 percent) also reported personal experience with IPV.
Student Self‐Assessment in Dental Hygiene Education: A Cornerstone of Critical Thinking and Problem‐Solving
Authors: Mould Michelle R. , Bray Kimberly Krust , Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C.
Published: June 2020

Self‐assessment is an integral component of learning and developing decision making and critical thinking skills in the practice of dental hygiene. Dental hygienists must think critically and develop problem‐solving strategies during their formal education to ensure lifelong quality and ongoing development of their personal knowledge and skill as related to providing comprehensive, evidence‐based patient care. The primary focus of this qualitative investigation was to obtain undergraduate dental hygiene students’ perceptions of and experiences with self‐assessment. The sample consisted of an intact undergraduate dental hygiene class of seventeen students in their final semester of a two‐year, entry‐level dental hygiene program at a community college in the southeast United States. Data for this research were obtained from three sources: 1) a program‐designed self‐assessment survey assignment, 2) in‐depth interviews with four second‐year dental hygiene students, and 3) program‐designed clinical competence evaluation forms. Inductive data analysis revealed that the majority of students perceived that they had no prior experience with self‐assessment in any prerequisite coursework and thus felt unprepared for its use in the dental hygiene program. As they matriculated in the program, students began to see the advantages of self‐assessment in clinical practice. Programmatic orientation to self‐assessment may therefore be beneficial due to the varying backgrounds of students entering dental hygiene programs.
Use of Questioning During Lectures in a Dental Hygiene Didactic Course
Authors: Hessheimer Heather M. , Rogo Ellen J. , Howlett Bernadette
Published: June 2020

The purposes of this quasi‐experimental, one‐group crossover study were to determine the effect of questioning during dental hygiene lectures on low‐level and high‐level learning and to evaluate student perceptions of questioning. Twenty‐three dental hygiene students participated in two control lectures using traditional lecturing methods. The students served as their own controls by next participating in two experimental lectures with questions asked throughout the lecture at both low and high cognitive levels. Student performance was measured with an examination containing low‐ and high‐level questions. The interaction between the group and the level of questions was analyzed using ANOVA, and no statistically significant difference was found. Based on a Likert scale (1 to 6), average ratings for student perceptions were as follows: enjoyment of use, 4.5; understanding the lecture material, 4.74; and questioning effectiveness, 4.35. Student perceptions of questioning were positive; however, this strategy was found to be no more effective than the traditional lecture in promoting retention of information.
Foreign‐Trained Dentists’ Perceived Knowledge and Skills After Graduation from a Structured Two‐Year Program
Authors: Kogon Stanley , Banting David W. , Sandhu Harinder
Published: June 2020

In this survey study, graduates of the University of Western Ontario program for foreign‐trained dentists from 1999 to 2009 were asked for their perceptions of their knowledge and skill in fourteen clinical topic areas before they were admitted to the program and after graduation. Their ratings were made on a ten‐point visual analog scale divided into three aptitude domains: competent, proficient, and master/expert. Definitions of each domain were provided. The majority of the respondents felt that their knowledge level improved at least one aptitude level in only four of the fourteen (29 percent) topic areas but that their skill level had increased at least one aptitude level in nine (64 percent) topic areas. Of note, clinical topics with content reflective of North American dental practice such as oral medicine and treatment planning, ethics, regulated dentistry, record keeping, and informed consent were the topic areas in which most respondents reported an improvement in both their knowledge and skill. It is suggested that programs evaluating or providing gap training for internationally trained dentists consider mandatory inclusion of these topics.
Treating Patients with HIV and Hepatitis B and C Infections: Croatian Dental Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Risk Perceptions
Authors: Brailo Vlaho , Pelivan Ivica , Škaričić Josip , Vuletić Marko , Dulčić Nikša , Cerjan‐Letica Gordana
Published: June 2020

Dentists and dental students can be exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) during routine work. The aims of this study were to assess a group of dental students’ knowledge about HIV, HBV, and HCV infections; assess their attitudes and risk perceptions about the treatment of patients with HIV, HBV, and HCV; and identify factors associated with their knowledge and willingness to treat these patients. An anonymous survey was administered to 534 predoctoral students at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia. The response rate was 71.9 percent. Students’ knowledge increased with each year of study. Senior students (in their third, fourth, and fifth years) had more professional attitudes and were significantly more positive about dentists’ professional obligation to treat patients who are HIV‐positive than were junior students (in their first and second years; p=0.0002). Senior students also expressed significantly more willingness to treat intravenous drug users and patients with hepatitis (p=0.016 and p=0.033, respectively). Female students were significantly more convinced than male students that routine dental treatment carried a significant risk of HIV and hepatitis infection (p=0.025). These students’ knowledge negatively correlated with the lack of willingness to treat intravenous drug users and patients with hepatitis, and they expressed their willingness to receive further theoretical and practical education on this topic.
The Evolution of Dental Education as a Profession, 1936–2011, and the Role of the Journal of Dental Education
Authors: DePaola Dominick P.
Published: June 2020

This article describes selected changes in dental education from 1936 to 2011 and describes how the Journal of Dental Education (JDE) has assisted in both reporting and, at times, championing change. The review provides a series of selective contextual milestones as a backdrop and running commentary for the changing profession of dental education. An assessment of the current state of knowledge in this field is articulated, as are some of the drivers of change. The article poses a series of questions in seven categories that define the extraordinary opportunities ahead. A vision of the future of the JDE and dental education is described including the use of the journal as a futurist forum to educate, cajole, and advocate for continuous movement toward realizing an enlightened destiny.
New Models of Dental Education and Curricular Change: Their Potential Impact on Dental Education
Authors: Pyle Marsha A.
Published: June 2020

The collective body of work over the last seventy‐five years in the Journal of Dental Education has chronicled the ongoing critical issues and trends in dental education. The evolution of the curriculum has run in fits and starts across the twentieth century and into the twenty‐first. Today, there has been a resurgence in the introspective work of the profession to examine what is taught, how it is taught, in what sequence it is taught, and the context relating dental education to other health professions and the global reach of the educational and professional environment. In the context of contemporary times, individual as well as organizational leadership has refocused the educational environment from teaching to learning. This article discusses the types of curricular changes documented in the Journal of Dental Education.
Determining the Validity and Reliability of Clinical Communication Assessment Tools for Dental Patients and Students
Authors: Schönwetter Dieter J. , Wener Mickey Emmons , Mazurat Nita
Published: June 2020

A shortcoming identified in the dental education literature is the scarcity of patient assessment of the quality of communication between student clinicians and patients. This study, the second in a series, attempts to address this scarcity by testing the communication components deemed critical to patients identified in the first article. Two instruments were tested: the Patient Communication Assessment Instrument (PCAI) and the Student Communication Assessment Instrument (SCAI). Item‐to‐total correlations and Cronbach's alpha were used to determine internal consistency reliability. Construct validity was examined through principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation using a total of 820 participants (410 patients and 410 students), who completed communication skills questionnaires collected in the 2006–07 school year as part of dental and dental hygiene clinical courses. Each component in the assessment instruments demonstrated internal consistency (alpha range=0.779–0.960). Based on a principal components analysis, six new factors were found to be significantly associated with communication skills: being caring and respectful, sharing information, interacting with team members, tending to comfort, professional relationship‐building, and appointment preparation/follow‐up. Correlational analysis demonstrated a core of critical instrument items to be considered for future assessment of the quality of communication between student clinicians and patients. Adequate estimates of reliability and validity for the PCAI and SCAI were demonstrated. Further research is needed in other countries and cultures to test and confirm the constructs.
Evaluation of a Revised Curriculum: A Four‐Year Qualitative Study of Student Perceptions
Authors: Lanning Sharon K. , Wetzel Angela P. , Baines Meredith B. , Ellen Byrne B.
Published: June 2020

Following curricular revisions at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, this longitudinal study was designed to determine students' perceptions of their educational experience in the revised curriculum. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) open‐ended response questionnaire was administered to students in the class of 2011 (N=89) in January of each academic year, 2008 through 2011, followed by focus groups three months prior to graduation. The overall response rate for the questionnaire was 69 percent, and a total of fourteen students participated in four focus groups. Cumulatively, 1,382 responses (SWOT=984 and focus groups=398) were qualitatively analyzed, and five themes emerged: 1) early clinical experiences led to a perceived readiness for direct patient care; 2) the pace and organization of the revised condensed preclinical curriculum were perceived as hectic yet were appreciated as necessary preparation for patient care; 3) most faculty members were seen as committed to student learning, but a few were reported to have poor teaching skills and attitudes when interacting with students; 4) a perceived lack of patients led to fewer clinical experiences and a decrease in student confidence; and 5) some curricular content was seen to be redundant and irrelevant to future practice. The results indicate that the students were satisfied with aspects of their educational experience, suggesting the revised curriculum's preliminary success in meeting its goals of earlier patient care, a condensed preclinical curriculum, and a student‐friendly environment. As the curriculum is adapted in response to student feedback, ongoing evaluation is necessary and should be complemented by other evaluation indicators such as faculty perceptions and student learning outcomes.
Dental Implant Placement by Predoctoral Dental Students: A Pilot Program
Authors: Jalbout Ziad , Chaar Edgard El , Hirsch Stuart
Published: June 2020

Dental implant education is increasingly becoming part of predoctoral dental curricula. New York University College of Dentistry has developed a pilot dental implant program that trains students in implant restorations for single‐tooth restorations and mandibular overdentures. Fourth‐year students have the option of applying for an implant honors program, which can include surgically placing posterior implants. Eight students were selected for the implant honors program for the 2010–11 academic year. Seven of the eight students fulfilled the didactic and simulation requirements, performing forty‐seven surgeries and placing fifty‐two implants. Surgical protocol events were recorded: three implants did not achieve 35 Ncm torque at placement, and ten implants required a change in direction following the initial 8 mm pilot drill. All direction changes were successfully performed and resulted in implant placements. This pilot program suggests that predoctoral dental students can be trained to successfully place posterior implants, which are becoming the standard of care.
Implementation of a New Advanced Graduate Education Program in Oral Implantology
Authors: Gallucci German O. , Weber Hans Peter , Kalenderian Elsbeth
Published: June 2020

The academic program for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine's Advanced Graduate Program in Oral Implantology is based on scientific evidence applied to educational quality, translational research, patient care, and service. The objective of the program is to enable highly motivated individuals with proven scholarship and excellence in patient care to achieve academic leadership in the clinical and scientific fields of implant dentistry and tissue regeneration. A detailed curriculum describing the academic program, as well as a business plan (which included a management plan describing the organizational structure, financial implications, and market forces) and implementation and communication plans, were developed before moving forward. With careful academic and business planning, the result was a vibrant implant program, in which all placements and restorations of implants are coordinated with regard to practice management. The program is integrated into the existing clinical care model and has been financially self‐sustaining from its inception. Six students have participated in the last two years. On average, each student performed seventy‐nine procedures on twenty‐nine patients, generating over $46,000 in production. The curriculum includes didactics, hands‐on clinical learning, and research activities. Research is a critical component as well. The results demonstrate that the time taken to develop a detailed curriculum and business plan for a new academic program, which anticipated and resolved potential barriers to success, was instrumental in the successful implementation of an oral implantology residency program.
Dental Hygienists in Israel: Employment Evaluation, Job Satisfaction, and Training Implications
Authors: Yavnai Nirit , Bilder Leon , Sgan‐Cohen Harold , Zini Avi
Published: June 2020

Fundamental changes have occurred in dental services for children in Israel that are likely to affect workforce needs for dental hygienists. The aim of this study was to describe the employment situation and job satisfaction of a sample of dental hygienists in Israel, to estimate associated variables, and to discuss corresponding possible implications for training programs after these changes. An e‐mailed questionnaire sent to all dental hygienists in the Israeli Dental Hygienists Association list included questions about respondents' demographic background, years of experience, working hours, desire to work in an alternative occupation, and sense that they were valued within the dental community. The response rate was 20.7 percent. The responses showed that dental hygienists worked, on average, in 2.11 different working venues, 23.64 hours/week, and 12.34 hours in the private sector. Almost 63 percent of the respondents were willing to add working hours as a dental hygienist, preferably in the private sector. Also, 38.2 percent of the respondents worked in an extra non‐dental hygienist job (mean=7.05 hours/week). These dental hygienists reported a high level of job satisfaction. After regression analysis, a high number of working venues, years of experience, and hypothetically choosing again to be a dental hygienist were found to be significant indicators of job satisfaction (R2=0.491). It is important that dental hygienists be satisfied and willing to expand their activities. Legislative changes may require reorientation and refocusing of dental hygiene education programs.
Clinical Pairing Revisited: A Study at the University of Malaya, Malaysia
Authors: Ahmad Norasmatul A. , Naimie Zahra , Lui Joo L. , Aziz Azwatee A. , Abdullah Mariam , Abu Kasim Noor H. , Abu Kassim Noor L. , Toh Chooi G. , Thong Yo L. , Abdul Razak Abdul A. , Abdullah Hadijah , Che' Ab. Aziz Zeti A. , Sulaiman Eshamsul , Gonzalez Maria Angela G. , Bindal Priyadarshni
Published: June 2020

This study is part of ongoing educational research conducted by the Department of Conservative Dentistry, University of Malaya, Malaysia, to evaluate the perception of clinical pairing. A thirteen‐question survey was distributed to 148 dental students after they had experienced four‐handed dentistry. The objectives were to identify the advantages, disadvantages, and the acceptance of the implementation of clinical pairing from the students' point of view. The responses from the open‐ended questions were categorized into six main themes (areas of interest): quality‐related (Q), patient‐related (PT), partner‐related (P), lecturer‐related (T), infection control (IC), and learning environment (L). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 18. Results indicated that the students perceived they possessed enough knowledge regarding clinical pairing. However, it was found that they still preferred to work independently as compared to working in pairs. The benefits of clinical pairing may not be viewed in the same vein by both dental students and teachers. The quality‐related theme was perceived by students as the main advantage of clinical pairing, whilst the partner‐related theme was perceived otherwise. The study also revealed that students may have some preconceived notions about pairing that may have impaired their acceptance. As a consequence, some reluctance was seen in their responses.
The Summer Institute in Clinical Dental Research Methods: Still Going and Growing After Twenty Years
Authors: DeRouen Timothy A. , Wiesenbach Carol
Published: June 2020

The first Summer Institute in Clinical Dental Research Methods, a faculty development program at the University of Washington, was offered in the summer of 1992 for sixteen participants. The primary objective of the program was to give clinical faculty members in dentistry an introduction to and an understanding of the fundamental principles and methods used in good clinical research. In the twentieth offering of the institute in 2011, there were thirty‐five participants, and over the twenty institutes, there has been a cumulative total of 463 participants who have come from thirty U.S. states as well as forty‐three countries outside the United States. The curriculum has expanded from the initial offering of biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, behavioral research methods, and ethics in clinical research to now include clinical trials, grantsmanship, data analysis, an elective in molecular biology, and a team project that provides participants with hands‐on experience in research proposal development as members of an interdisciplinary team. Enrollment has doubled since the first year, yet exit evaluations of the program content have remained consistently high (rated as very good to excellent). One of the indicators of program quality is that at least 50 percent of recent participants indicated that they attended because the program was recommended by colleagues who had attended. There seems to be an ever‐increasing pool of dental faculty members who are eager to learn more about clinical research methodology through the institute despite the intensive demands of full‐time participation in a six‐week program.
Factors Associated with the Satisfaction of Millennial Generation Dental Residents
Authors: Lam Hwai‐Tai C. , O’Toole Terry G. , Arola Patricia E. , Kashner T. Michael , Chang Barbara K.
Published: June 2020

Data from the 2010 Learners’ Perceptions Survey (LPS) administered through the Office of Academic Affiliations, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were analyzed to identify factors associated with dental residents’ satisfaction with the VA as a clinical training environment. Satisfaction scores were linked to clinic workloads, dental procedure complexity levels, staffing patterns, and facility infrastructure data to explore conditions that may improve residents’ satisfaction. Findings supported the construct validity of the LPS survey data and underscored the importance of maintaining optimal ratios of attending dentists, dental assistants, and administrative staff to residents so that each trainee will have opportunities to perform an adequate level of dental workload. As programs strive to improve the quality of graduate dental education, findings from this study are vital for setting curriculum design guidelines and for providing infrastructure support for dental resident education.
Periodontal Probing Calibration in an Academic Setting
Authors: Drucker Scott D. , Prieto Lorenzo E. , Kao Daniel W.K.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to locate the common discrepancy sites in a periodontal examination by new student dentists in a dental school setting and to evaluate student progress after one year of clinical training. Sixty‐nine patients were enrolled in the initial phase of this study. Periodontal probing examinations were performed by both dental students and calibrated faculty members. A total of 9,171 sites were probed. Student‐faculty agreement was then determined for each individual probing site. Frequency of agreement and average variance of agreement were calculated for each individual site probed. An identical procedure was conducted on thirteen patients by dental students after each had received one year of clinical training. A total of 1,991 sites were probed. Students new to the clinic had a significantly higher frequency of discrepancy in molars of all quadrants, with a trend of highest discrepancy shifting from mesial to distal sites when moving posteriorly in the posterior region. After one year of experience, there was a significant decline of discrepancy in all regions examined. More preclinical emphasis must be placed on proper probing technique to ensure accurate probing depths upon entry into the clinical setting.
Implementation of Portfolio Assessment of Student Competence in Two Dental School Populations
Authors: Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , McCracken Michael S. , Woldt Janet L. , Brennan Robert
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this article is to describe the process and procedures involved in the implementation of portfolio assessment at two dental schools. Portfolios can be defined as a purposeful collection of student work that involves reflection in which students identify gaps in their knowledge and abilities and develop strategies for correcting those gaps. Framed within the current context of dental education and the calls for change in the ways dental students are taught and assessed, these two dental schools embarked upon an assessment strategy aimed at engaging students in self‐directed learning and self‐assessment. Where one school chose the implementation of programmatic portfolios based on all program competencies, the other school implemented portfolio assessment around specific program competencies not typically captured easily with traditional assessment measures such as ethics and ethical decision making. In a competency‐based dental curriculum in which competence has been defined as the ability to accurately self‐assess, it makes sense that strategies aimed at developing the skill of self‐assessment should be the goal of every dental education program.
Intraprofessional, Team‐Based Treatment Planning for Oral Health Students in the Comprehensive Care Clinic
Authors: Mattheos Nikos , Storrs Mark , Foster Lea , Oberholzer Theunis
Published: June 2020

In 2009, Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health, in Queensland, Australia, introduced into its various curricula the concept of team‐based treatment planning (TBTP), aiming to facilitate intraprofessional, interdisciplinary training and peer learning among its students. Fifty student teams were organized, each of which included students from three programs (Dental Science, Oral Health Therapy, and Dental Technology) and three years of study (third‐, fourth‐, and fifth‐year students). This study prospectively evaluated the impact of TBTP on students' perceptions and attitudes towards teamwork and their role in a team of peers. A total of 202 students who participated in fifty TBTP teams were prospectively surveyed at baseline and at six and twelve months after introduction of TBTP. “Reliable” and “responsible” were reported to be the most important qualities of both an effective team leader and member. Fifth‐year students identified “hard‐working” as an important quality of the ideal leader as opposed to the fourth‐year students who ranked “supportive” higher. Attitudes of the fifth‐year students towards TBTP appeared to have declined significantly from the previous years, while fourth‐year students remained consistently more positive. In addition, fourth‐year students appeared more likely to enjoy working in a team and considered themselves more effective in a team. No gender differences were observed, other than female students' appearing less confident to lead a team. It was concluded that the function of student‐directed interdisciplinary, intraprofessional treatment planning teams might pose disproportionate strain on fifth‐year students, impacting their attitudes to such modes of work.
Restorative Dentistry Productivity of Senior Students Engaged in Comprehensive Care
Authors: Blalock John S. , Callan Richard S. , Lazarchik David A. , Frank Caughman W. , Looney Stephen
Published: June 2020

In dental education, various clinical delivery models are used to educate dental students. The quantitative and qualitative measures used to assess the outcomes of these models are varied. Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine has adopted a version of a general dentistry comprehensive care dental education hybrid model. Outcome assessments were developed to evaluate the effectiveness of this delivery model. The aim of this study was to compare the number of restorative procedures performed by senior dental students under a discipline‐based model versus senior student productivity engaged in comprehensive care as part of a hybrid model. The rate of senior students' productivity in performing various restorative procedures was tracked over four years, and a comparison was made. In the first two years, the seniors operated in a discipline‐based model, while in the last two years the seniors operated in a comprehensive care hybrid model. The results showed that there was a significant increase in productivity by the students in terms of direct and indirect restorations. This increase in productivity may indicate that the comprehensive care model may be a more productive model, thereby enhancing clinical experiences for the students, improving operating efficiency for the schools, and ultimately increasing clinical income.
Information and Communication Technology Use Among Victorian and South Australian Oral Health Professions Students
Authors: Mariño Rodrigo , Habibi Elmira , Morgan Michael , Au‐Yeung Winnie
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to determine and analyze the use of information and communication technology (ICT) by oral health professions students in Victoria and South Australia. Data were collected during the 2009 and 2010 academic years via electronic survey. Out of 1,138 students studying in Adelaide and Victorian dental schools, 740 students participated, for an overall response rate of 65 percent. The majority were dental students (n=609) with 131 seeking a Bachelor of Oral Health (B.O.H.) degree. The majority were female (62.0 percent), had home Internet access (91.7 percent), and no barriers to accessing the Internet (87.2 percent). Among those who mentioned barriers, difficult access and cost were the most common. The Internet was accessed at least once a week by the majority for general purposes (93.5 percent) and for study purposes (84.2 percent). Nonetheless, thirty‐nine students (5.3 percent) were non‐frequent ICT users. The probability of an oral health professions student being in the non‐ICT users group was explored utilizing a logistic regression analysis. The final model contained three predictors: location of school, ethnic background, and place of Internet use (χ2 [3]=117.7; p<0.0001). After controlling for other variables in the model, those studying in South Australia were significantly more likely (OR=2.32; 95 percent CI 1.05 to 5.11) to be in the non‐users groups. In the same manner, students from an Asian background were three times more likely to be non‐users (OR=3.06; 95 percent CI 1.16 to 8.08). Those who had access to the Internet at home (OR=0.02; 95 percent CI 0.01 to 0.05) were less likely to be a non‐user. These results represent a preliminary evaluation of ICT use among oral health professions students in Australia. It seems that a digital divide exists among these students. The information can be utilized in planning dental education programs and incorporating the use of ICT suitable for oral health professions students and in the design and implementation of employment recruitment and retention programs.
Changes in Compliance with Recommended Infection Control Practices and Affecting Factors Among Dentists in Taiwan
Authors: Cheng Hsin‐Chung , Su Chen‐Yi , Huang Chiung‐Fang , Chuang Chi‐Yu
Published: June 2020

Compliance with recommended infection control practices in East Asia has not been clearly documented. To investigate changes in compliance with recommended infection control practices over a eleven‐year period and to identify affecting factors, two nationwide cross‐sectional surveys of dentists in Taiwan were conducted in 1999 and 2010. An anonymous questionnaire that assessed characteristics of dentists and practices of recommended infection control guidelines was mailed. Results showed that all infection control practices surveyed had improved in 2010. Factors affecting compliance with wearing basic protective barriers in 2010 were being female (odds ratio [OR]=3.631, p<0.001), aged forty‐one to fifty years (OR=3.991, p<0.05), treating twenty‐one to thirty patients per day (OR=2.690, p<0.05), and having information sources from seminars and conferences (OR=2.659, p<0.05). Although infection control practices have improved over time, there is still much room to increase rates of wearing a head cap, protective eyewear, and a face mask and disinfecting impression materials. Providing correct information about disinfection and sterilization processes through the Internet might be effective in improving compliance.
Association Between Students’ Dental Admission Test Scores and Performance on Comprehensive Clinical Exams
Authors: Allareddy Veerasathpurush , Howell T. Howard , Karimbux Nadeem Y.
Published: June 2020

This study examined the association between Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores and the comprehensive exams conducted at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. The authors hypothesized that students who scored high on the DAT would also perform well on the comprehensive examinations. Sixty‐six students from the graduating classes of 2005 and 2006 were included. The outcome variable of interest was the final composite grade obtained by the students in the three comprehensive examinations. The main independent variable of interest was the individual component scores on the DAT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis using the maximum likelihood methods was used to examine the association between comprehensive exam grades and DAT scores. Effects of age, gender, and race/ethnicity were adjusted in the regression models. On the first comprehensive examination, seventeen students obtained an Honors grade, while thirteen did so on the second comprehensive examination and fifteen on the third comprehensive examination. None of the DAT component scores were significantly associated with Honors grades on the first comprehensive examination. On the second comprehensive examination, quantitative reasoning scores (OR=2.48, 95 percent CI=1.09–5.68, p=0.03) and total science scores (OR=14.17, 95 percent CI=1.89–106.80, p=0.01) were significantly associated with Honors grades. Reading comprehension score was associated with increased odds of obtaining Honors grade on the third comprehensive examination (OR=1.81, 95 percent CI=1.13–2.92, p=0.01). Students who scored well on the quantitative reasoning, total science, and reading comprehension sections of the DAT had higher odds of receiving an Honors grade on the second and third comprehensive examinations. These factors may be associated with the problem‐solving/critical thinking components in the school's PBL curriculum.
Leadership Training for Oral Health Professionals: A Call to Action
Authors: Taichman Russell S. , Parkinson Joseph W. , Nelson Bonnie A. , Nordquist Barbara , Ferguson‐Young Daphne C. , Thompson Joseph F.
Published: June 2020

With dramatic changes in the scope and mode of delivering oral health care on the horizon, a strategic approach to addressing the emerging opportunities and challenges is required. Such an approach will demand new and sustained initiatives to develop leaders with the skills, knowledge, and passion to guide oral health care into the future. The purpose of this position paper is to define the need for leadership training programs for dental and dental hygiene students to become future leaders. Whether these oral health professionals become leaders within a solo or group practice or at the local or national level of their profession, they must be given the mindset and tools to lead. This position paper will describe goals for leadership training and give examples of some programs that currently exist in dental education and other professional settings as the background for a call to action for dental education to provide leadership training opportunities for its students.
Interactive Distance Learning in Orthodontic Residency Programs: Problems and Potential Solutions
Authors: Klein Katherine P. , Hannum Wallace H. , Fields Henry W. , Proffit William R.
Published: June 2020

Sharing resources through distance education has been proposed as one way to deal with a lack of full‐time faculty members and maintain high‐quality content in orthodontic residency programs. To keep distance education for orthodontic residents cost‐effective while retaining interaction, a blended approach was developed that combines observation of web‐based seminars with live post‐seminar discussions. To evaluate this approach, a grant from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) opened free access during the 2009–10 academic year to twenty‐five recorded seminars in four instructional sequences to all sixty‐three orthodontic programs in the United States and Canada. The only requirement was to also participate in the evaluation. Just over half (52 percent) of the U.S. programs chose to participate; the primary reason for participating was because faculty members wanted their residents to have exposure to other faculty members and ideas. The non‐participating programs cited technical and logistical problems and their own ability to teach these subjects satisfactorily as reasons. Although participating distant faculty members and residents were generally pleased with the experience, problems in both educational and technical aspects were observed. Educationally, the biggest problem was lack of distant resident preparation and expectation of a lecture rather than a seminar. Technically, the logistics of scheduling distant seminars and uneven quality of the audio and video recordings were the major concerns of both residents and faculty members. Proposed solutions to these educational and technical problems are discussed.
Indian Dental Students’ Preferences Regarding Lecture Courses
Authors: Parolia Abhishek , Mohan Mandakini , Kundabala M. , Shenoy Ramya
Published: June 2020

Teaching and learning activities in the dental clinic or hospital are a challenging area for students as well as teachers. With various teaching methodologies being used in dental schools around the world, gaining greater understanding of students’ attitudes toward these methodologies would be useful for dental educators. The objective of this study was to explore the preferences of dental students in India about various aspects of lecture courses. A structured survey consisting of ten closed‐ended questions was developed, and 2,680 undergraduate students from forty‐three dental schools in India were approached via e‐mail with a follow‐up postal mailing. Of these, 1,980 students responded, for a response rate of 73.8 percent. Most of the students reported preferring lectures with the aid of PowerPoint and chalkboard. They preferred morning lectures from 8 am to 10 am for a maximum of thirty to forty minutes for each lecture, and they preferred to receive information about the lecture topic in advance. The students said that delivery of clinical demonstrations was beneficial after the lectures, and they preferred learning‐based rather than exam‐oriented education. The respondents also said that attendance should be made compulsory and that numerical marking of examinations should not be replaced by a grading system.
Dental School Faculty Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward the New Dental Therapy Model
Authors: Lopez Naty , Blue Christine Mary , Self Karl D.
Published: June 2020

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry launched its new dental therapy program in September 2009 after the Minnesota state legislature had authorized the training and practice of a dental therapist in May of the same year. The creation of this mid‐level dental provider is seen as a workforce solution to help address the problem of access to dental care experienced by some members of our society. However, there is a lack of consensus and even controversy in organized dentistry about dental therapy, one of the mid‐level provider models. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of dental school faculty members who have been tasked to prepare these new dental therapists to do their work. Focus groups were conducted with a randomly selected group of faculty members, the results of which were used to develop a survey of faculty members in all departments of the school. A total of 151 faculty members responded to the survey: 68 percent of these respondents were fifty‐one years of age or older; 79 percent were male; and 39 percent were full‐time and 61 percent part‐time. Fifty‐four percent were clinical faculty members, and the rest taught in the preclinical courses and basic sciences. The study found that these dental faculty members believe dentists have a personal responsibility in the care of the underserved but do not agree that the dental therapists are part of the solution to improve access. There was a clear divide between the part‐time faculty members, who practice outside the institu­tion, and the full‐time educators with regard to the role of dental therapists. However, there was an overall consensus that dental faculty members have a commitment and responsibility to educate future dental therapists regardless of their personal position. This is encouraging to dental therapy students, who can be assured that they will receive the education they need to prepare them to practice.
Assessing Context Effects on Test Validity of the National Board Dental Examination Part I
Authors: Yang Chien‐Lin , Neumann Laura M. , Kramer Gene A.
Published: June 2020

In support of actions taken by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, two changes—the inclusion of testlet items and the random presentation of items in an interdisciplinary format—were made to enhance the test validity of the National Board Dental Examination Part I in 2007. As a result, the examination was changed from a conjunctive to a comprehensive format. It was assumed that validity would be enhanced with regard to the examination's internal structure, while not disturbing item performance and examinee score. This study of the results found that 1) three underlying variables were extracted from the conjunctive Part I but only two underlying variables from the comprehensive Part I and 2) the differences in item performance and examinee score were generally small in effect size across formats. Factor analyses revealed that Part I was more discipline‐sensitive for the conjunctive format but more item format‐sensitive for the comprehensive format. The revision of Part I changed the nature of the examination from a discipline‐based format to a more clinically relevant, interdisciplinary format, a favorable outcome anticipated by the Joint Commission. The results of this study provide evidence supporting the validity of the revised Part I examination for its intended purpose in the licensure process.