bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of student attitude and confidence in a program of dental education in care of the disabled
Authors: Kinne RD , Stiefel DJ
Published: June 2020

An analysis is presented of the effect of a four‐year dental school program in care of the disabled on expressed student attitude and confidence towards treating the handicapped patient. The longitudinal study, involving 503 students in six dental classes, revealed a willingness by the majority of students (greater than or equal to 60 percent) to treat pateints with whom they feel capable. This attitude remained essentially unaffected by the program. In contrast, levels of students' perceived confidence in treating handicapped persons increased significantly as the result of specific instruction in disability management; heightened confidence levels were sustained for one academic year. Expressed ability to treat the disabled appeared to increase for successive classes. The result support the premise that dental graduates who have received instruction in disability care will fell more confident and hence will be more likely to treat patients with special needs.
The role of research in advanced dental education
Authors: Proffit WR , Vig PS
Published: June 2020

Research is an integral part of quality advanced programs. Clinical research should be done in all departments where advanced dental education occurs, because this is the best way to improve the scientific base and rationality of clinical treatment. At present, many departments with postdoctoral programs lack faculty and others resources for research productivity. Programs to produce clinical faculty with research training are needed. The development of clinical research centers would offer the potential of combined clinical training and research. Combining existing resources for maximum effectiveness will be important in producing stronger programs.
Dental students' personality: a Jungian perspective
Authors: Silberman SL , Cain MJ , Mahan JM
Published: June 2020

The Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was employed to measure the nature and strength of dental students' various basic preference in perceiving and making judgments. The MBTI yields four sets of scores–extrovert‐introvert (E‐l), sensing‐intuitive (S‐N), thinking‐feeling (T‐F), and judging‐perceptive (J‐P)–and represents 16 personality types that define these preferences. The sample consisted of five classes at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry (n = 217). The data indicated that the largest group (32 students) was ESFJ, while the next largest (30) was ESTJ. The least frequently represented groups were the INTP (3), the INFP (7), the INTP (7), and the ENTP (7). Dental students exhibited characteristics different from those of students in business, engineering, social work, medicine, and other fields. These findings have implications for admissions committee decisions as well as for the organization and curriculum of the dental school.
A factor analysis of students' ratings of clinical teaching
Authors: Romberg E
Published: June 2020

Factor analytic methods were used to uncover what students perceive to be the underlying dimensions of clinical teaching. Results of this study were based on 1,796 ratings of clinical instruction completed by 226 students on 104 faculty members. The four factors students found basic to effective clinic instruction were: 1) an instructor meeting teaching responsibilities, 2) an instructor behaving in a manner conducive to clinical learning, 3) an instructor being technically competent, and 4) an instructor enjoying his or her job. The first factor was the strongest, accounting for the majority of the explained variance. Providing faculty with students' summary ratings on these four factors may encourage improvement in clinical teaching skills.
Correlates of self‐reported dental health status upon enrollment in the Rand Health Insurance Experiment
Authors: Gooch BF , Dolan TA , Bourque LB
Published: June 2020

This study explored the personal impact of dental problems in terms of pain, worry, and conversation avoidance, and factors associated with this impact. A self‐reported dental health index, comprising three questions asked of participants in the Rand Health Insurance Experiment, was examined. Index reliability was 0.69. One‐way analysis of variance and Pearson's product‐moment correlations were used to explore the bivariate associations between the index and sociodemographic variables, provider‐assessed clinical indicators, and the respondent's report of a toothache. Perceived dental health of the study sample (N = 1,658) was notably lower in the presence of a toothache, increasing numbers of decayed teeth, and worsening periodontal health. Weaker, but statistically significant, associations were observed for sociodemographic factors. Nonwhites and those persons with lower educational and income levels reported more impact. In regression analysis, standardized coefficients indicated that the respondent's report of a toothache and, secondarily, numbers of decayed teeth were the most important explanatory factors. These findings suggest that in the future improved self‐reported measures, in addition to clinical indicators, may be an acceptable and cost‐effective method of epidemiological data collection and dental health outcome assessment.
Mercury release during autoclave sterilization of amalgam
Authors: Parsell DE , Karns L , Buchanan WT , Johnson RB
Published: June 2020

Natural teeth are an invaluable teaching tool for preclinical instruction in operative dentistry and endodontic techniques. Cavity preparation in teeth containing amalgam restorations is a realistic simulation of an often experienced clinical situation. As various pathogens are contained in saliva, teeth must be disinfected before use by students. The purpose of this study is to indirectly evaluate whether mercury vapor is released from amalgam restorations in such teeth during steam autoclave sterilization. Mercury vapor detection, sample mass changes and x‐ray fluorescence data were collected from experimental steam autoclave sterilization of amalgam samples sealed in autoclave bags. All of the data showed evidence of mercury vapor generation coincident to steam autoclave sterilization. Mercury vapor levels within the room where amalgam was exposed to steam autoclave sterilization reached levels that constitute an unnecessary health risk to dental personnel. The volume of amalgam tested simulated that contained in 175 amalgam restored teeth. Initial venting of the autoclave chamber produced mercury vapor concentrations significantly in excess of OSHA vapor concentration ceiling levels. Thus, the use of a steam autoclave for sterilization of amalgam containing teeth for use in preclinical laboratory exercises may be harmful to personnel involved.
The influence of a patient‐management course to dental hygiene students on the dental anxiety of their patients
Authors: Peretz B , Kaplan R , Stabholtz A
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the effect of teaching dental hygiene students a course in caregiver‐patient relationships on their patients' dental anxiety, and patients' feelings toward known anxiety‐provoking stimuli. The study group (twenty‐five men and twenty‐five women) was treated by a class of dental hygiene students following a behavioral course given after the first visit. The control group (twenty‐four men, twenty‐six women) was treated by another class without the intervention. Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and a twelve‐item questionnaire identifying specific anxiety‐provoking situations were completed by the patients before initial visit and after the third visit. A significant reduction in DAS within the study group was observed after the intervention. In both groups, women demonstrated higher anxiety. No significant difference was found in the twelve‐item questionnaire after intervention in both groups. These findings suggest that a four‐hour behavioral course to a class of dental hygiene students was an influencing factor in reducing their patients' levels of dental anxiety.
Rethinking knowledge and pedagogy in dental education
Authors: Whipp JL , Ferguson DJ , Wells LM , Iacopino AM
Published: June 2020

Dentistry as a profession has often been considered both art and science. Traditional dental education has attempted to address both; however, in many places only the science of dentistry is emphasized. The move toward competency‐based curricula in dental education requires an expansion of what constitutes meaningful knowledge in the curriculum and what pedagogies best support that curriculum. The scientific and technical knowledge considered foundational to clinical practice is not sufficient to teach competencies associated with the art of dentistry. Habermas, a social scientist, offers a way of looking beyond technical knowledge to consider two other forms of knowledge: practical and emancipatory. Pedagogy that supports development of practical and emancipatory knowledge includes problem‐based learning and case methods, heuristics, reflective practica, journals, storytelling, and performance‐based assessment methods. These important teaching strategies are being integrated into various dental curricula including a new competency‐based dental curriculum at Marquette University's School of Dentistry. It will be critical for dental educators to continue developing these methods to provide efficient and effective education for future practitioners in both the art and science of dentistry.
The Dentist as Biobehavioral Clinician
Authors: Dworkin Samuel F.
Published: June 2020

At the core of all clinical dental practice is the interpersonal interaction between dentist and patient. An expansion of the dentist's responsibility in the unique dentist‐patient relationship is suggested. Such an expanded role encourages dentists to engage the emotional and behavioral health of dental patients who are appearing in dental offices for treatment of orofacial diseases and other conditions. The term “biobehavioral clinician” is used to refer to this broadened role for the dentist. It is suggested that such a biobehaviorally oriented dentist will be a powerful ally on behalf of the health of patients, attending to more dimensions of the patient's presentation and management than the diagnosis and treatment of oral pathobiology. It seems entirely appropriate that dentists have such a role in its future, engaging as they do millions and millions of Americans on a regular basis and a productive and collaborative dentist‐patient relationship is already an accomplished fact for most dentists with most of their patients across all stages of the life span. The benefit to patients' overall health and well‐being could be tremendous and would add an enriching and personally rewarding dimension to being a dentist.
Personality and Gender Influences on Faculty Ratings and Rankings of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Applicants
Authors: Frantsve Lisa Maria E. , Laskin Daniel M. , Auerbach Stephen M.
Published: June 2020

This study examined effects of applicants' personality and gender on faculty rankings and matching to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency program. Forty‐seven applicants completed a standardized personality measure (Adjective Check List, ACL), and faculty interviewers rated each applicant on five personality dimensions during their onsite interview. Applicants were found to be similar to the normative population on all ACL personality dimensions, indicating that there is no distinctive personality profile characteristic of individuals seeking an OMS residency position. Male applicants were rated by interviewers as being more capable of dealing with stress effectively and more affiliative and deferent to authority than female applicants. Applicant ACL scores were unrelated to faculty rankings, but applicants rated as more friendly, motivated, assertive, confident, and tolerant of stress received more favorable rankings. Compared to applicants who did not match at this site, matched applicants were more likely to seek emotional support from others and were rated as being more assertive. Study limitations as well as implications for the use of personality measures and interviews in the selection of OMS residency candidates are discussed.
Keeping Up Appearances: Using Qualitative Research to Enhance Knowledge of Dental Practice
Authors: Meadows Lynn M. , Verdi Anthony J. , Crabtree Benjamin F.
Published: June 2020

Current issues in dentistry including a focus on patients' wishes for outcomes and dentists' role in that process raise important questions that cannot be addressed by quantitative, statistical study alone. The intriguing complexities and ambiguities that are emerging with ever‐improving techniques and materials in dentistry, as well as competing demands for attention in dental health, require a range of research methodologies to address important existing and future research questions. Qualitative research, much like what a dentist does in an office visit, can seem intuitive and almost common sense in nature. Yet behind that research, when it is done well, lie years of training and practice, rules of evidence, guidelines for rigor, and various subspecializations in its pursuit. Qualitative research begins with a clearly defined problem; identifies the appropriate strategy to gather data from people, existing documents, and other sources of information that will help address the problem; uses a multifaceted tool kit of analytic methods to work with those data; and proceeds to investigate the data for their insight into the research problem and interpretation of the findings. This article provides an overview of common approaches to qualitative methods and resources to explore their potential for dental research.
The Relationship Between Dental Caries Status and Oral Health Attitudes and Behavior in Young Israeli Adults
Authors: Levin Liran , Shenkman Alon
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic relationship between oral health attitudes and behavior as measured by the Hiroshima University‐Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU‐DBI) and dental caries status using the DMF in a sample of young Israeli adults. The HU‐DBI (in Hebrew) was used to survey 123 young Israeli army recruits (eighteen and nineteen years old). All participants submitted to a clinical and radiographic dental examination. Dental caries status was evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth and surfaces (DMFT and DMFS, respectively). Data were statistically analyzed. DMFT and DMFS scores, which measure dental disease, ranged from 0 to 24 (average 6.77) and from 0 to 48 (average 10.95), respectively. There were sixteen (13 percent) caries free (DMF=0) participants. When relating the different DMF values to the HU‐DBI responses, a statistically significant relation was found between seven items and DMF scores or their components and indices. The HU‐DBI score ranged from 2 to 9 (mean 5.8, SD=1.5). Low DS and DT values significantly correlated with a high total HU‐DBI score (p<0.05); that is, subjects with low levels of dental disease had more positive oral health attitudes and behavior. In young Israeli adults, dental disease, as measured by DMF scores or their components, were related to HU‐DBI, which demonstrate the relationship of dental caries status with oral health behavior. Special emphasis should be given to improving patients’ oral health attitudes and behaviors by providing patient education during treatment.
A Model for Increasing Senior Dental Student Production Using Private Practice Principles
Authors: Pousson Rebecca G. , McDonald Gary T.
Published: June 2020

Previous dental graduates have reported a lack of confidence in their ability to implement business practices upon graduation. The purpose of the new model was to enable senior students to gain experience using sound business principles in their senior year. This model involves setting and meeting production goals, teamwork, personnel evaluation, and performance incentives. This article reports the findings after implementing this model in the academic year 2003–04. Each student averaged 226 more charged visits than in 2002–03. Total dollars produced increased $7,526 per student, which represented a 63 percent increase in production over the previous year. Total dollars produced by the senior class increased from $713,740 to $1,066,139 over the previous year. A survey of the students’ attitudes toward the model showed an increase in acceptance from the beginning of the senior year to the end of the year. The model was successful in achieving most of the desired outcomes but failed to increase seniors’ chairtime utilization.
Identification of Competencies for Effective Dental Faculty
Authors: Hand Jed S.
Published: June 2020

A faculty of sufficient size and possessing the appropriate skills is critical to dental education. Faculty shortages have been identified, but little has been written about the skills and abilities necessary for dental faculty to be effective. This project identified consensus lists of competencies in the areas of teaching and research. A panel of dental education experts used a web‐based Delphi method to refine competency lists. The final lists of competency statements were organized into foundational competencies that applied to all areas and several areas of major competencies that were defined by supporting competencies. The panel rated the importance of each competency statement for each of three dental faculty categories: 1) clinical teachers, 2) clinical scholars, and 3) research‐intensive scholars. The identification of a consensus list of competency statements for effective dental faculty will facilitate the development of programs for faculty to attain and maintain these competencies. ADEA could play a coordinating role in this faculty development effort.
Improving Student Dentist Competencies and Perception of Difficulty in Delivering Care to Children with Developmental Disabilities Using a Virtual Patient Module
Authors: Kleinert Harold L. , Sanders Carla , Mink John , Nash David , Johnson Jeff , Boyd Sara , Challman Sandra
Published: June 2020

An interactive, multimedia, virtual patient module was designed and developed on compact disc (CD‐ROM) to address the need for student dentists to increase their competence and decrease their perception of difficulty in caring for children with developmental disabilities. A development team consisting of pediatric dentistry faculty members, parents of children with developmental disabilities, an individual with a developmental disability, and educational specialists developed an interactive virtual patient case. The case involved a ten‐year‐old child with Down syndrome presenting with a painful tooth. Student dentists were required to make decisions regarding proper interactions with the child, as well as appropriate clinical procedures throughout the case. Differences in perceived difficulty level and knowledge change were measured, as well as the student dentists’ overall satisfaction with the learning experience. Significant results were obtained in both perceived difficulty level and knowledge‐based measures for student dentists. Participants reported overall satisfaction with the modules. Preparing student dentists to provide sensitive and competent care for children with developmental disabilities is a critical need within dentistry. This study demonstrated that an interactive, multimedia (CD‐ROM), virtual patient learning module for student dentists is potentially an effective tool in meeting this need.
Accuracy of Referrals to a Specialist Oral Medicine Unit by General Medical and Dental Practitioners and the Educational Implications
Authors: Sardella Andrea , Demarosi Federica , Lodi Giovanni , Canegallo Lorenza , Rimondini Lia , Carrassi Antonio
Published: June 2020

In this study we investigated the accuracy of diagnoses of oral mucosal diseases made by family physicians (without a dental degree), other categories of physicians, and general dental practitioners prior to referring patients to a university oral medicine unit. Over a three‐year period, we compared the diagnoses proposed in referral letters with the definitive histological diagnoses made by the specialist unit. Only 305 of 678 (45 percent) of the referral letters included a clinical diagnosis. Eighty‐six patients (86/305, 28 percent) were referred by general dental practitioners (GDPs) who had graduated in dentistry; seventy‐six (76/305, 25 percent) were sent by GDPs who had graduated in medicine with a postgraduate degree in dentistry; and 143 (143/305, 47 percent) were referred by other categories of physicians. More than 50 percent of the referring professionals were not able to make a clinical diagnosis of oral mucosal diseases. Only 40 percent of the provisional diagnoses (122/305) coincided with the diagnosis made at the specialist unit. The proportion of correct diagnoses was 40 percent for GDPs who had graduated in dentistry, 33 percent for other categories of physicians, and 27 percent for GDPs who had graduated in medicine with a postgraduate degree in dentistry. These findings suggest that Italian dental and medical practitioners have limited knowledge in the field of oral medicine. Consequently, there is a need for better education in the diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases and for improvement in total oral health training.
Medical Profile of a Dental School Patient Population
Authors: Radfar Lida , Suresh Lakshmanan
Published: June 2020

Advances in health care and pharmacotherapeutics have led to a growing aging population living with complex medical conditions. These changes are apparent in patients presenting for treatment at dental schools. This study assessed the medical profile of patients seeking treatment at the School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo. Medical records of 1,041 consecutive patients who presented for comprehensive dental care at the school were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic data, medical status, and use of medications from the charts were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 52 (SD±18), and the female to male ratio was 1.2:1. More than half of the patients had one or more systemic illnesses or were taking medication. The results of this study reflect the medical complexity of the growing aging population. The dental school curriculum should address the needs for management of the growing number of medically complex patients.
Some Paradoxes in Competency‐Based Dental Education
Authors: Licari Frank W. , Chambers David W.
Published: June 2020

Competency‐based dental education was introduced in 1993 and has proven to be a robust innovation, guiding curricular design, clinical education and evaluation, and accreditation. At the same time, it has been irregularly implemented and is understood in different ways. These paradoxes were explored in a survey of academic and clinical deans and chairs of departments of endodontics and restorative dentistry at U.S. and Canadian dental schools. It was confirmed that fewer than half of the respondents can identify the ADEA and ADA definition of competency. Significant differences were reported in the perceived understanding and value placed on competencies and their impact on dental education. Differences were also found to exist in evaluation practices and in how evaluation data are used to determine students’ readiness for graduation. It is concluded that the openness of the competency concept is one reason for its longevity and usefulness in dental education.
The Prevalence of Academic Dishonesty in Texas Dental Hygiene Programs
Authors: Muhney Kelly A. , Gutmann Marylou E. , Schneiderman Emet , DeWald Janice P. , McCann Ann , Campbell Patricia R.
Published: June 2020

The media has given much attention to the academic cheating crisis in America. A majority of college students believe that, in today's global environment, it is necessary to cheat in order to get ahead and to compete with their peers. The prevalence and attitudes concerning academic dishonesty of health professions students, including those in medical, dental, and nursing schools, have been extensively researched. No such studies exist in the discipline of dental hygiene. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cheating in Texas dental hygiene programs. Four hundred surveys were mailed to twenty Texas dental hygiene schools for graduating students to complete. A total of 289 usable surveys was returned for a response rate of 72.25 percent. Data were analyzed using SPSS with frequencies and chi‐square tests. Findings from this study reveal that 86.5 percent of graduating Texas dental hygiene students have cheated a minimum of one time during matriculation. Students identified the demands of what they considered academic overload as the primary justification for cheating behavior.
Evidence‐Based Practice Among a Group of Malaysian Dental Practitioners
Authors: Yusof Zamros Y.M. , Han Lee Jin , San Poon Pei , Ramli Anis S.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to assess dentists’ knowledge and use of evidence‐based practice (EBP), including their attitudes toward and perceptions of barriers that limit the use of EBP. A cross‐sectional survey was used with self‐administered questionnaires involving dental practitioners in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. One hundred ninety‐three replies were returned, for a response rate of 50.3 percent. More than two‐thirds (135/193, 69.9 percent) of the respondents had heard of EBP. Out of the 135 respondents who had heard of EBP, a majority agreed it was a decision‐making process based on evidence (127/135, 94.2 percent) and involved a series of steps from formulating the research question, locating and assessing the evidence, to applying it if suitable (129/135, 95.6 percent). Out of the 135 respondents who had heard of EBP, a high percentage agreed that EBP improved their knowledge and skills (132/135, 97.8 percent) and treatment quality (132/135, 97.8 percent). For advice, a majority of the 135 respondents frequently consulted friends and colleagues (123/135, 91.1 percent), made referrals (120/135, 88.9 percent), consulted textbooks (112/135, 83.0 percent), and referred to electronic databases (90/135, 66.7 percent). Out of the 135 respondents, many perceived EBP as very important (59/135, 43.7 percent) and important (58/135, 43.0 percent) and were interested to learn further information about EBP (132/135, 97.8 percent). The main reported barriers were lack of time (87/135, 64.4 percent), financial constraints (54/135, 40.0 percent), and lack of knowledge (38/135, 28.1 percent). A majority of the 135 respondents had knowledge of and positive attitudes towards EBP. However, due to barriers, a majority of them preferred colleagues, textbooks, and referrals for advice instead of seeking evidence from electronic databases.
U.S. Dental School Applicants and Enrollees, 2006 and 2007 Entering Classes
Authors: Okwuje Ifie , Anderson Eugene , Siaya Laura , Brown L. Jackson , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

The number of applicants to dental schools in the United States continues to rise at a double‐digit rate, 12 percent from 2005 to 2006 and 14 percent from 2006 to 2007. The number of applicants to the 2006 and 2007 years’ entering classes of U.S. dental schools was 12,500 and 13,700, respectively. The number of first‐time enrollees (4,600) in 2007 was the highest recorded since 1989. Men continue to comprise the majority of all applicants, 55 percent in 2006 and 53 percent in 2007. However, the percentage of women applicants to each school ranged from a third to more than half. Underrepresented minority (URM) applicants comprised 12 percent of the applicant pools in both 2006 and 2007. For the 2007 entering class, URM enrollees comprised 13 percent of enrollees. As in previous years, in 2007, the largest number of applicants and enrollees came from states that are among the largest in population in the United States: California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Grade point average and Dental Admission Test scores were the highest in more than a decade. More than three out of four of the 2007 first‐time, first‐year enrollees earned a baccalaureate degree either in biological/life or physical sciences or in health. Regardless of major field of study, the percent rates of enrollment generally exceeded 30 percent, though there were exceptions (e.g., engineering and education). The majority of enrollees to the 2007 entering classes were twenty‐two or twenty‐three years of age.
Assessing Dental Students’ Competence: Best Practice Recommendations in the Performance Assessment Literature and Investigation of Current Practices in Predoctoral Dental Education
Authors: Albino Judith E.N. , Young Stephen K. , Neumann Laura M. , Kramer Gene A. , Andrieu Sandra C. , Henson Lindsey , Horn Bruce , Hendricson William D.
Published: June 2020

In this article, the Task Force on Student Outcomes Assessment of the American Dental Education Association's Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education describes the current status of student outcomes assessment in U.S. dental education. This review is divided into six sections. The first summarizes the literature on assessment of dental students’ performance. Section two discusses catalysts, with a focus on problem‐based learning, for development of new assessment methods, while the third section presents several resources and guides that can be used to inform selection of assessment techniques for various domains of competence. The fourth section describes the methodology and results of a 2008 survey of current assessment practices in U.S. dental schools. In the fifth section, findings from this survey are discussed within the context of competency‐based education, the educational model for the predoctoral curriculum endorsed by the American Dental Education Association and prescribed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The article concludes with a summary of assessments recommended as optimal strategies to measure three components of professional competence based on the triangulation model. The survey of assessment practices in predoctoral education was completed by 931 course directors, representing 45 percent of course directors nationwide, from fifty‐three of the fifty‐six U.S. dental schools. Survey findings indicate that five traditional mainstays of student performance evaluation—multiple‐choice testing, lab practicals, daily grades, clinical competency exams, and procedural requirements—still comprise the primary assessment tools in dental education. The survey revealed that a group of newer assessment techniques, although frequently identified as best practices in the literature and commonly used in other areas of health professions education, are rarely employed in predoctoral dental education.
Dental Education in a Flat World: Advocating for Increased Global Collaboration and Standardization
Authors: Donaldson Martin E. , Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , Khajotia Sharukh S. , Nattestad Anders , Norton Neil S. , Zubiaurre Laureen A. , Turner Sharon P.
Published: June 2020

Globalization is a broad term referring to the increasing connectivity, integration, and interdependence of economies, societies, technologies, cultures, and political and ecological spheres across the world. This position paper was developed by a working group of the 2007 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute. The authors explore the effect that globalization has had on dentistry and dental education to date and hypothesize what dental education could look like in the years ahead. While the paper is written from a North American perspective, some of the authors bring international expertise and experience to the topic of global dental education in a flat world. Specific issues and barriers addressed in this position paper include variations in accreditation and licensure requirements in dental education throughout the world; the historical development of dental education models (odontology and stomatology) and the need for congruency of these models in the global environment; the competency‐based model of education and its relevance to development and implementation of global dental competencies; and the slow adoption of technological advances in dental education for promoting collaborations and encouraging resource sharing among countries. These challenges are discussed as they affect the implementation of a standardized global dental education that can lead to improved access to oral health care services and better oral and overall health for the citizens of the world.
Dental Residents’ Perceptions of Practice and Patient Management Training During Postgraduate Education
Authors: Houlberg Bryan J.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine what aspects of practice and patient management matter most to dental residents and how they rate their level of training in these areas. In 2005, residents in twelve postdoctoral training programs at the School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, were surveyed about the importance of thirteen topics regarding dental practice and patient management. Residents also rated the level of training they received in these areas during their residency and dental school education. Results from the 2005 survey were compared with those from an identical survey administered to residents in 1997. Residents in 2005 rated time management, multidisciplinary coordination, and total quality management as the most important topics. Comparisons between the 1997 and 2005 groups found that time management and total quality management were significantly less emphasized in 2005 than in 1997. Residents from all specialties also rated dealing with health care payers as important to their future practices, but rated it the least emphasized topic in their programs. Results from this survey illustrate which practice and patient management skills are important to residents in comparison to how well they perceive they are being trained in these skills and suggest where programs could enhance their training to help residents run successful practices.
Magnification in Dental Practice and Education: Experience and Attitudes of a Dental School Faculty
Authors: Meraner Mark , Nase John B.
Published: June 2020

The routine use of magnification and enhanced lighting by oral health care providers, educators, and students is growing, but there is little consensus regarding its implementation and use. Many students and faculty at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry elect to use some form of magnification in their real and simulated patient care activities, even though the school does not mandate or suggest standards for its utilization. A questionnaire was administered to the clinical faculty to assess two parameters: experience with magnification, and attitudes concerning the value of enhanced vision. Eighty‐two out of 124 eligible participants completed the questionnaire successfully for a 66 percent return rate. Sixty‐one percent of respondents reported their primary practice or teaching activities as “general dentistry or restorative/prosthodontics.” The remainder of the respondents represented a cross‐section of other departments and specialists. All endodontists and periodontists who completed the survey and 56 percent of the general/restorative dentists indicated they use magnification. This group accounted for 91 percent of all magnification users. Thirty‐nine percent in the magnification users group indicated that they avoid using magnification for some procedures. Faculty magnification users are not in full agreement about the value of enhanced vision in a dental education program. Nearly one‐quarter of all magnification users indicated it is unlikely they would use magnification in the teaching environment, even though they may use it in private practice. Various explanations were given for this inconsistency. Only 61 percent of magnification users indicated they make a point to talk to students about the uses and benefits of magnification. While 91 percent of users said that magnification offers significant benefits, only 73 percent believe it should be a program requirement, and 61 percent think it should be required beginning in the first year of the curriculum. The findings of this survey suggest that educational institutions would be wise to address faculty concerns and reasons for resistance before moving to the mandated use of magnification.
Resident Evaluation of Orthodontic Programs in the United States
Authors: Noble James , Hechter Frank J. , Karaiskos Nicholas E. , Wiltshire William A.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate the satisfaction of orthodontic residents in the United States with their programs and determine the scope of their training. Program chairs/directors of all sixty‐five U.S. orthodontic graduate programs were contacted for permission to email their residents. A total of 335 residents from thirty‐seven programs were invited to complete an anonymous, online, fifty‐seven‐item survey in May 2007. Data were categorized, and basic statistics were performed. A total of 136 (40.60 percent) residents completed the survey. Overall, 75.74 percent were satisfied with their program. Residents said they feel they receive appropriate didactic teaching sessions and dedicated academic time (60.29 percent). Most residents (92.70 percent) indicated their program offers training in numerous philosophies, while 80.29 percent said they have sufficient clinically based training and 59.85 percent said they have sufficient research‐based training. A total of 57.66 percent said they will not complete more than thirty cases from start to finish and on average treat two orthognathic surgery, thirteen extraction, twenty‐four nonextraction, and nine adult patients. Most (92.70 percent) said their program contains care for disabled or underserved patients; most (92.70 percent) said they feel they will be adequately prepared to provide unsupervised orthodontic care after graduation; and 54.41 percent said they think other specialties have a positive view of orthodontics. Only 58.09 percent indicated they have a formal interdisciplinary program for treating patients. We conclude that U.S. orthodontic residents are satisfied with their programs. They receive training in a variety of approaches; however, inadequacies in exposure to interdisciplinary teaching and a limitation of the number of cases started and completed were identified. These observations may be a result of program length due to the preponderance of twenty‐four‐ to thirty‐month programs.
Evidence‐Based Patient Education: Knowledge Transfer to Endodontic Patients
Authors: Sorrell John T. , McNeil Daniel W. , Gochenour Lori L. , Jackson C. Russell
Published: June 2020

Evidence‐based treatment is emphasized in oral health care, but there has been less focus on empirically demonstrating the effects of patient education. Attempts to educate patients must be empirically demonstrated in order to provide evidence‐based guidance to practitioners and educators. We conducted two studies that assessed information acquisition during five‐minute audiovisual films on oral hygiene procedures, endodontic procedures, and fear about pain during root canal therapy. A fifteen‐item Dental Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), with three subscales each focusing on the content of one of the films, was developed and psychometrically evaluated. Study 1 included 268 undergraduates; study 2 involved 104 endodontic patients. Participants completed the DKQ, viewed one of the three films, and repeated the questionnaire. The effects of information on knowledge were assessed using 3 (film group) X 3 (subscale of the DKQ) X 2 (time) repeated measures ANOVAs. Scores improved in a content‐specific fashion relevant to the film viewed among undergraduates, F(4, 263)=211.33, p<.001, partial η2=.62 and endodontic patients, F(4, 99)=87.22, p<.001, partial η2=.63. The results provide evidence for using brief informational film as an efficacious method to increase patient knowledge, at least in the short term. The DKQ is proposed as a tool to assess patient knowledge in the arenas of oral hygiene and endodontics.
Improved Student Performance Following Instructional Changes in a Problem‐Based Learning Curriculum
Authors: Marshall Teresa A. , Finkelstein Michael W. , Qian Fang
Published: June 2020

Problem‐based learning (PBL) supplements the traditional curriculum at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and is used to introduce basic critical thinking skills and evidence‐based dentistry. The objective of this article is to describe instructional changes made in response to student and faculty concerns and to compare the quality of student performance before and after the instructional changes. Instructional changes introduced in fall 2008 included replacing one learning report with a structured peer‐reviewed manuscript critique in each of four cases, having the same course director evaluate all written assignments rather than facilitating faculty members, and eliminating midterm and final assessment cases. The final learning reports from first‐year dental students entering dental school in fall 2007 were compared to the final reports of students entering in fall 2008. Final learning reports were evaluated using course grading criteria. Scores for students from fall 2008 were higher than those from fall 2007 for overall performance (p<0.001), overall background quality (p<0.001), overall clinical significance (p<0.001), and overall reference quality (p<0.001) as well as for individual components within each category. These results suggest that the implemented instructional changes were effective in improving student performance and reinforce the need to evaluate and revise instructional strategies in response to student and faculty concerns.
Graduates’ Perceived Preparedness for Dental Practice from PBL and Traditional Curricula
Authors: Yiu Cynthia K.Y. , McGrath Colman , Bridges Susan , Corbet Esmonde F. , Botelho Michael , Dyson John , Chan L.K.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to compare dental graduates’ perceived preparedness for practice after being educated in a problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum with those who graduated from a traditional undergraduate curriculum, both at the University of Hong Kong. A cohort of graduates from the traditional dental curriculum (1997–2001) and a cohort of graduates from the PBL curriculum (2004–08) rated their self‐perceived preparedness for dental practice in fifty‐nine aspects of dentistry across nine domains. Perceived preparedness for dental practice was compared at domain and item levels (accounting for multiple comparisons) using chi‐square statistics. Both cohorts felt well prepared for the “bread and butter” aspects of dentistry, but less so for specific specialty disciplines. There was no significant difference between PBL and traditional graduates’ self‐perceived preparedness in eight of the nine domains of dental practice (P>0.05). However, in the area of orthodontics, both cohorts felt ill‐prepared for practice and more so among the PBL cohort (P<0.01). For the most part, regardless of curriculum design, these dental graduates perceived themselves to be well prepared for dental practice.
The Use of Independent, Interactive Media for Education in Dental Morphology
Authors: Maggio Margrit P. , Hariton‐Gross Karina , Gluch Joan
Published: June 2020

Educational researchers have argued for the addition of new technologies to enhance or replace traditional dental education modalities to more effectively engage and appeal to the new generation of dental students. Two‐ and three‐dimensional interactive media technology is now available for implementation into curricula to teach to a next‐generation paradigm. The purpose of this study was to analyze the introduction of a unique, online, totally independent learning module for dental morphology instruction, completely replacing the traditional classroom teaching of the topic, and to determine the relationship between its use and parameters depicting success in learning dental morphology. In particular, the authors hypothesized that the novice, preclinical dental student can learn dental morphology independently and efficiently this way. One‐third of a 2010–11 first‐year class of dental students were given an independent, interactive media module for the instruction of dental morphology. The remaining members of the class experienced the traditional course with classroom lectures. At the end of the module, a written examination and survey were given to both groups. The major findings were that the independent, interactive media module was just as effective as the traditional classroom method for successful dissemination of foundational knowledge in dental morphology; the independent study group performed significantly better on the didactic examination; the online module positively engaged the students; and students preferred the interactive media module but did not regard it as a total replacement for the traditional course.
Attitudes of Students and Teachers on Cheating Behaviors: Descriptive Cross–Sectional Study at Six Dental Colleges in India
Authors: Asokan Sharath , John J. Baby , Janani D. , Jessy P. , Kavya S. , Sharma Khushbu
Published: June 2020

Cheating behavior has been a serious problem in dental institutions across the globe. Attitudes of dental students have an impact on the quality of health care provided to their patients. This descriptive cross–sectional study had the following objectives: to assess and compare the attitudes of dental students and teachers about cheating behaviors, to assess students’ opinions of various justifications for their cheating, and to assess teachers’ attitudes towards various punishment options for cheating behaviors. The study sample consisted of 1,261 undergraduate students and 131 teachers from six randomly chosen dental colleges in Tamil Nadu State, India. A closed–ended questionnaire was used for respondents to rate the seriousness of cheating behaviors. The students were asked to justify their cheating behavior, and the teachers were asked to assign punishments for the cheating behaviors. The attitudes of students and teachers on the cheating behaviors were analyzed and compared using a Pearson chisquare test, with a confidence interval of 95 percent and significance level of p≤0.05. The attitudes of the teachers and students were statistically different in two cheating behaviors: copying during exams and helping other students copy in exams. The two main justifying reasons students gave for cheating behavior were to pass the exam (59.3 percent) and to obtain a better grade (31.3 percent). Warning and counseling to help the students reassess their moral values were preferred to penalizing punishments by the teachers.
Dental Students’ Perceptions of the Use of Digital Microscopy as Part of an Oral Pathology Curriculum
Authors: McCready Zachary R. , Jham Bruno C.
Published: June 2020

Recent technological advances have allowed the computer to be turned into a microscope and therefore entailed a shift from light microscopy to digital microscopy (DM). Recent studies have shown that DM is gaining popularity in multiple academic fields, including dentistry. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine–Illinois second–year dental students of the use of DM as a component of the institution's oral and maxillofacial pathology curriculum. After 129 students utilized DM in an oral and maxillofacial pathology course, they were asked to complete a voluntary survey regarding their perceptions of the use of DM. A total of 123 students responded, for a response rate of 95 percent; 112 of these were included in the final analysis. Nearly all the respondents (92 percent) favored DM over light microscopy. Almost all (98 percent) agreed that the digital microscope enhanced their learning, and 97 percent agreed that it allowed for greater collaboration among peers. These findings support the implementation of DM as the primary teaching methodology in the field of oral and maxillofacial pathology.