bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The e‐Evolution of Microscopy in Dental Education
Authors: Farah Camile S. , Maybury Terrence S.
Published: June 2020

Recent technological innovation has now made it possible to turn the computer into a microscope. This has entailed a shift from light microscopy to virtual microscopy. This development then foregrounds the issue of the pedagogy involved in this move from the analogue technology of the light microscope to the digital, computerized instance of virtual microscopy. In order to address this issue, undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Science program at the University of Queensland School of Dentistry were surveyed to ascertain their preference for light or virtual microscopy. The value of this study is that it was conducted on the same cohort of students in two separate courses in 2006 and 2008, giving it longitudinal validity. The responses were overwhelmingly in favor of virtual microscopy. When it came to completely replacing the light microscope with virtual microscopy, however, students were much more ambivalent about such a wholesale change although this was less of an issue in the senior year. This shift from light to virtual microscopy signals larger changes in the tertiary sector from print‐literate to electronic forms of knowledge and from teacher‐centered to student‐focused frames of learning. In short, we are in the midst of the e‐evolution of microscopy in dental education.
Dental Therapists and Dental Hygienists Educated for the New Zealand Environment
Authors: Coates Dawn E. , Kardos Thomas B. , Moffat Susan M. , Kardos Rosemary L.
Published: June 2020

New Zealand has a long history of dental care provided by school dental nurses, now known as dental therapists. The nature of their training courses, although delivered in different centers, had remained relatively constant until 1999 when educational responsibility was transferred to the universities. Dental hygienists were not trained in New Zealand until 1994, with the exception of the New Zealand Army hygienists. Since 2001, the education of both dental therapists and dental hygienists has been the responsibility of the universities. Significant and progressive changes in educational delivery have occurred since then, which have culminated in three‐year degree qualifications for dual‐trained oral health professionals. Factors influencing this change included increased professionalism associated with the new legislative requirements for registration, workforce shortages, and enhanced educational and clinical practice requirements. The Bachelor of Oral Health degree at the University of Otago has an added emphasis on social sciences and incorporates aspects of learning relating to New Zealand's cultural heritage. We explore in this article the rationale for the introduction of a Bachelor of Oral Health in New Zealand and how it is designed to equip graduates as professionals in oral health.
Application of Basic Science to Clinical Problems: Traditional vs. Hybrid Problem‐Based Learning
Authors: Callis Amber N. , McCann Ann L. , Schneiderman Emet D. , Babler William J. , Lacy Ernestine S. , Hale David Sidney
Published: June 2020

It is widely acknowledged that clinical problem‐solving is a key skill for dental practitioners. The aim of this study was to determine if students in a hybrid problem‐based learning curriculum (h‐PBL) were better at integrating basic science knowledge with clinical cases than students in a traditional, lecture‐based curriculum (TC). The performance of TC students (n=40) was compared to that of h‐PBL students (n=31). Participants read two clinical scenarios and answered a series of questions regarding each. To control for differences in ability, Dental Admission Test (DAT) Academic Average scores and predental grade point averages (GPAs) were compared, and an ANCOVA was used to adjust for the significant differences in DAT (t‐test, p=0.002). Results showed that h‐PBL students were better at applying basic science knowledge to a clinical case (ANCOVA, p=0.022) based on overall scores on one case. TC students’ overall scores were better than h‐PBL students on a separate case; however, it was not statistically significant (p=0.107). The h‐PBL students also demonstrated greater skills in the areas of hypothesis generation (Mann‐Whitney U, p=0.016) and communication (p=0.006). Basic science comprehension (p=0.01) and neurology (p<0.001) were two areas in which the TC students did score significantly higher than h‐PBL students.
Comparison of Clinical Productivity of Senior Dental Students in a Dental School Teaching Clinic Versus Community Externship Rotations
Authors: Perez Fernando A. , Allareddy Veerasathpurush , Howell Howard , Karimbux Nadeem
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to report on the clinical and monetary productivity of fourth‐year dental students at community‐based clinical sites and school‐based clinics at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). This study included forty‐seven students from the graduating classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008. These fourth‐year students were required to spend twelve weeks at one of several participating community health centers throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Students also treated their patient pool in the teaching practice at HSDM in the fourth year. The most common sixty American Dental Association procedure codes were compared, and variables were created by grouping them by specialty or type of service. HSDM dental students completed 8,365 procedures at an externship site during their community experience. An average of 178 procedures was completed per student, and mean revenue of $17,486 was produced. In comparison, the same students completed 3,640 procedures during an equal amount of time spent (normalized for this study) at the school teaching practice clinic, where each student completed an average of seventy‐seven procedures and generated $16,802 in revenue. The results of this study show that fourth‐year dental students at the community health centers, working under the supervision of adjunct faculty, completed more than double the number of procedures they did in the HSDM teaching practice clinic. However, the revenue generated was very similar at the two sites. In addition, the types of procedures performed by students at externship sites were simpler than the complex and specialized procedures performed at the HSDM clinic, which include fixed and removable prosthetics, periodontal surgery, and implantology.
ADEA/WKKF Access to Dental Careers Program: Supporting a Dental Pipeline Concept and Program
Authors: Sinkford Jeanne C. , Valachovic Richard W. , Weaver Richard G. , Harrison Sonja G.
Published: June 2020

In 2001, funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) provided the resources necessary for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) to lend its support to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program. Through the $1.1 million WKKF grant, ADEA was able to provide grants to eleven of the Pipeline schools. The awards were known as the ADEA/WKKF Access to Dental Careers grants. Each school received $100,000 during the four‐year grant period. The grant funds were used for direct educational support only to underrepresented minority and low‐income students. ADEA provided administrative support for distribution of funds to the schools and for reporting to the foundation. The grants provided educational support funding to underrepresented minority and low‐income students as an added value to the recruitment component of the Pipeline program. A total of 226 awards were made during the four‐year grant period. The average grant award was $4,867.25.
The Role of the Dental School Environment in Promoting Greater Student Diversity
Authors: Pendleton Darryl D. , Graham Bruce S.
Published: June 2020

This chapter describes the strategies implemented by one dental school during the past decade to establish an environment that supports a culture of diversity. The school audited its initial diversity milieu, authored a strategic plan for diversity, fully participated in university‐wide diversity initiatives, and created an administrative infrastructure for underrepresented minority (URM) student support. Mentoring and counseling programs were established for URM students, and a schoolwide diversity committee was formed to make cultural competence a high priority for all students, faculty, and staff. URM faculty members were recruited and retained through a minority faculty development program. Student professional organizations were established and supported by mentoring partnerships with members of the corresponding organizations in the practicing community. The school's diversity culture is continuously evaluated and nurtured within the context of evolving human interactions in society, dental education, and dental practice.
Dental Education About Patients with Special Needs: A Survey of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools
Authors: Krause Meggan , Vainio Lauren , Zwetchkenbaum Samuel , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: June 2020

The objectives of this study were to explore how U.S. and Canadian dental schools educate students about special needs patients and which challenges and intentions for curricular changes they perceive. Data were collected from twenty‐two dental schools in the United States and Canada with a web‐based survey. While 91 percent of the programs covered this topic in their clinical education, only 64 percent offered a separate course about special needs patients. The clinical education varied widely. Thirty‐seven percent of the responding schools had a special clinical area in their school for treating these patients. These areas had between three and twenty‐two chairs and were funded and staffed quite differently. Most programs covered the treatment of patients with more prevalent impairments such as Down syndrome (91 percent), autism spectrum disorders (91 percent), and motion impairments (86 percent). Written exams were the most common outcome assessments (91 percent), while objective structured clinical examinations (18 percent) and standardized patient experiences (9 percent) were used less frequently. The most commonly reported challenge was curriculum overload (55 percent). The majority (77 percent) planned educational changes over the next three years, with 36 percent of schools planning to increase clinical and 27 percent extramural experiences. The findings showed that the responding U.S. and Canadian dental schools had a wide range of approaches to educating predoctoral students about treating special needs patients. In order to eliminate oral health disparities and access to care issues for these patients, future research should focus on developing best practices for educational efforts in this context.
Does Peer Mentoring Work? Dental Students Assess Its Benefits as an Adaptive Coping Strategy
Authors: Lopez Naty , Johnson Sara , Black Nicki
Published: June 2020

Dental students deal with various stressors while in dental school. While some develop adaptive coping skills, others may suffer from damaging effects of constant and increasing levels of stress. This study evaluated a peer mentoring program at a dental school in the Midwest to determine student perceptions of its benefits and to identify areas for improvement. Data were collected through a survey sent out to all dental classes online. The twenty‐five‐item survey was based on student responses during two focus groups held to elicit student assessment of the peer mentoring program. Sixty‐six percent of the student body participated with representation from all four classes. Students find their peer mentoring program an effective tool in helping them deal with stress especially during transition phases of their curriculum, first into dental school and later from preclinic to the clinics. Having a mentor means easy access to an available person who can help students relieve anxieties about dental school. Experiencing dental school enables a student to serve as a mentor, so a non‐dental student is seen as not effective. Peer mentoring needs to be loosely structured and flexible and should cover all years in the dental curriculum.
Development and Implementation of an Online Screening Application at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School
Authors: Connor Joseph P. , Hendricson William D. , Guest Gary F. , Dodge William W.
Published: June 2020

This article describes a quality improvement (QI) initiative that is in process at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) Dental School and the website that grew out of this effort. The process of screening and assignment of patients was selected for improvement in 2006. QI methods were used to develop a website that improves access to care for patients and assists in the matching of patients and students. The website (www.dentalscreening.com) has received more than 15,000 screening applications in the period from May 2007 to January 2010 and has provided unprecedented insight into the needs of our patients. This article outlines the process by which the website was created, the rationale for the design, and the benefits of establishing a screening website for any dental school. The program was developed entirely at UTHSCSA, but it addresses a problem that may affect many dental schools.
Dental Students’ Ability to Evaluate Themselves in Fixed Prosthodontics
Authors: Cho George C. , Chee Winston W.L. , Tan Derek T.
Published: June 2020

Self‐evaluation is an essential skill for dental professionals for lifelong learning and improvement through the course of their careers. Students taking a preclinical fixed prosthodontics course were studied. The students were asked to assign themselves a grade upon completion of their timed preparation examination (teeth preparations and provisional restorations), and these were compared with grades given by the faculty. The poorer performing students tended to be less critical with their examination and to overrate their performance whereas the higher performing students were more critical of themselves and underrated their performance.
Microteaching in Dental Education
Authors: Kamboj Mala , Kamboj Pradeep , George Jiji , Jha Uddipan Kumar
Published: June 2020

Health professionals acknowledge that their education does not prepare them for teaching. However, society's increasingly high expectations of them demand that they be taught teaching techniques/skills and trained effectively. Microteaching is a teaching‐simulation exercise that will provide immediate supportive feedback. It can be useful in honing soft emotional intelligence skills, presentation skills, and interpersonal skills. This focused approach encourages growth through practice and critique. The “teach, critique, reteach” model gives the faculty member immediate feedback and increases retention by providing an opportunity to learn good teaching values.
Observation and Assessment of Faculty Development Learning Outcomes
Authors: Behar‐Horenstein Linda S. , Childs Gail Schneider , Graff Randy A.
Published: June 2020

Prior research has found that participation in course offerings provides a means of professional development and results in changes to faculty beliefs and instructional practices. However, as with most professional development initiatives in education, little is known about the sustainability of these training efforts. The research question that guided this study was the following: Do professional development efforts in teaching result in observed learning outcomes among faculty members? In this study, teaching observations served as the primary data source. Twelve faculty members (six in the College of Dentistry and six in the College of Health and Human Performance) who completed two six‐week teaching seminars in fall 2006 and spring 2007 or spring 2008 and summer 2008 were asked to participate in a classroom observation and an interview lasting no longer than forty‐five minutes. Six dental faculty members and three faculty members from the College of Health and Human Performance agreed to participate in the study. Three standardized reviewers conducted these classroom observations during fall 2008, spring 2009, and summer 2009. An active teaching rubric was used to evaluate the class transcripts. The findings revealed that participants somewhat frequently to frequently used questions that were open‐ended or checked for comprehension. Seven of nine instructors made extensive efforts to engage the students interactively throughout the teaching session. Six of the participants infused the description of actual or hypothetical cases to illustrate the connections between teaching and patient care, while six utilized reflective practices. Findings from the interviews corroborated the observations. Overall, the findings showed that participants demonstrated the integration of those strategies that were taught during the seminars, which were consistent with teaching critical thinking skills and showed that the learning acquired during professional development initiatives was sustained.
Teaching Dental Students Motivational Interviewing Techniques: Analysis of a Third‐Year Class Assignment
Authors: Hinz Jessica G.
Published: June 2020

Motivational interviewing (MI) has been promoted in recent years as an effective method for engaging patients in positive health behaviors and increasing adherence to treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a brief training of MI techniques provided within the dental school curriculum. Third‐year dental students received three hours of instruction on MI theory and techniques and then were assigned to use the method with a patient and report on their attempt in a paper. To determine if the brief training and paper assignment were effective methods for training students and assessing their understanding of MI methods, the papers were analyzed to assess aspects of the students’ self‐reported use of MI‐related methods. Effective use of MI techniques was demonstrated by students who appropriately matched their intervention to the patient's stage of readiness to change, accurately recognized patient resistance, and responded to resistance. The paper assignment appeared to be an effective method to assess the students’ use and understanding of MI‐related techniques.
A Mathematical Simulation Approach to Testing Innovative Models of Dental Education
Authors: Tennant Marc , Kruger Estie
Published: June 2020

A combination of the increasing costs associated with providing a complex clinical program and an ever‐reducing education‐based income finds dental schools throughout Australia continuing to face serious financial risk. Even more important is the growing workforce crisis in academic staffing faced in almost all dental schools as the impact of the widening gap between private practice incomes and academic remuneration takes effect. This study developed a model of core variables and their relationship that was then transformed into a mathematical simulation tool that can be applied to test various scenarios and variable changes. The simulation model was tested against a theoretical dental education arrangement and found that this arrangement was a commercially viable pathway for new providers to enter the dental education market. This type of mathematical simulation approach is an important technique for analysis of the complex financial and operational management of modern dental schools.
Introduction of Health Literacy into the Allied Dental Curriculum: First Steps and Plans for the Future
Authors: Jackson Richard D. , Coan Lorinda L. , Hughes Elizabeth , Eckert George J.
Published: June 2020

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The NAAL reported that over 90 million adults were functionally or marginally illiterate. When these individuals encounter the health care system, they often have difficulties with reading and understanding basic text and, as a result, have difficulty managing their disease or using medications. The purpose of this article is to describe our initial efforts to educate our students concerning health literacy, its consequences, and our assessment. As part of a new segment of the allied health curriculum, second‐year dental hygiene students received a lecture concerning the prevalence of poor literacy in America and the possible consequences of poor literacy on their patients’ ability to maintain oral health. To provide clinical experience with assessing health literacy, the students were instructed in the administration of a validated medical health literacy tool. This clinical exercise had two functions: 1) to familiarize students with assessing health literacy as part of their clinical experience and 2) to continue to gather preliminary data concerning the level of health literacy of adult patients at Indiana University School of Dentistry using a standardized methodology, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S‐TOFHLA). The results indicated that 13 percent of those assessed had “inadequate” or “marginal” literacy as measured by the S‐TOFHLA. As a result, we plan to continue to expand our educational efforts and develop a larger investigation of the prevalence in our dental school population. With these data, we hope to develop effective educational programs and experiences for our students, faculty, and staff to improve their awareness and communication skills and ultimately improve the oral health of our patients.
A Faculty Group Practice‐Driven Credentialing and Privileging Infrastructure in a School of Dental Medicine
Authors: Kalenderian Elsbeth , Friedland Bernard , White Robert R. , Zavras Athanasios , Da Silva John D. , Timothé Peggy , Gallucci German , Donoff Bruce R.
Published: June 2020

Credentialing and assigning clinical privileges are well‐established practices in institutions that need to verify a clinician's ability to provide direct patient care services. The credentialing process verifies a provider's credentials to practice his or her profession, while privileging authorizes the individual to perform enumerated procedures within a specific scope of practice. All clinical faculty members at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) practice in the Faculty Group Practice (FGP). Because of the number of practitioners in the FGP, the organization instituted a more formal process of credentialing that verifies that practitioners are not only licensed to practice, but also are competent to provide direct patient care. In contrast to other dental schools that have established similar protocols, HSDM approached the process not from the academic side, but rather from the clinical practice side, explicitly taking into account whether the FGP could accommodate another practitioner when an academic department wished to appoint a new faculty member. In doing so, we had to be careful to reconcile our educational and research needs with those of the FGP. In this article, we describe how, within this framework, we established a credentialing and privileging program in which all full‐ and part‐time faculty members, as well as advanced graduate students, were included.
Impact of the University of Colorado's Advanced Clinical Training and Service (ACTS) Program on Dental Students’ Clinical Experience and Cognitive Skills, 1994–2006
Authors: Berg Rob , Call Richard L. , Maguire Kerry , Berkey Douglas B. , Karshmer Bernard A. , Guyton Brad , Tawara‐Jones Karen
Published: June 2020

The University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine has operated a community‐based dental education program for all of its students since 1985. A database of student productivity has been maintained in a standardized format, capable of multiyear compilation, since 1994. This study utilizes twelve years of these data to profile the type and amount of clinical treatment that can be provided by a typical fourth‐year dental student during a 100‐day community‐based training experience. Between 1994 and 2006, the school's 423 graduates provided a mean of 922 treatment procedures per student at a mean of 498 patient visits per student. During a typical four‐week clinical affiliation, each student provided a mean of approximately twenty‐seven restorations on permanent teeth, sixteen restorations on primary teeth, and twenty‐four oral surgery procedures (extractions). Students also gained considerable experience in periodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, and endodontics. Self‐assessed competency ratings tended to increase after completing the program, as did willingness to treat underserved populations after graduation. About 16 percent of graduates reported planning to practice in the public sector after completing dental school. A community‐based experience such as this appears to offer an opportunity to substantially augment dental students’ clinical training experiences.
Nigerian Dental Students’ Willingness to Treat HIV‐Positive Patients
Authors: Azodo Clement Chinedu , Ehigiator Osarobo , Oboro Helen Oziofu , Ehizele Adebola Oluyemisi , Umoh Agnes , Ezeja Ejike Bartholomew , Omili Michael , Ehigiator Laura
Published: June 2020

Dental care of HIV‐positive individuals plays a vital role in improving their nutritional intake, medication tolerance and effectiveness, treatment success rate, and quality of life. It is therefore important to ensure optimal dental care of this group of people, especially since more of them, with or without knowledge of their serologic status, are now utilizing dental services. The objective of this study was to assess Nigerian dental students’ willingness to treat HIV‐positive individuals. A descriptive cross‐sectional survey of all seventy‐six final‐year dental students of the University of Benin, Nigeria, was conducted in December 2007 using a self‐administered questionnaire that elicited information on the students’ demography, self‐rated knowledge on HIV/AIDS, attitude towards homosexuals, infection control practices, occupational risk perception, and willingness to provide care for HIV‐positive individuals. The response rate was 76.3 percent. Over 77 percent of the respondents were in the twenty‐five to thirty years age group. The male‐female ratio was approximately 1.6:1. HIV‐related knowledge was reported as high by only 31 percent of the respondents. Eighty‐one percent showed great interest in HIV‐related information, while about half (53.4 percent) exhibited significant worry about occupational contagion. Forty‐eight (82.7 percent) desired more knowledge about safety precautions during treatment of HIV patients. Fifty respondents (86.2 percent) reported good infection control practices. About three‐fourths (74.2 percent) rated the risk of HIV contagion from patients high, while only one‐fourth (25.8 percent) reported having an unsympathetic attitude towards homosexuals. Almost all respondents (98.3 percent) agreed that oral care for HIV‐positive individuals improves their quality of life, but only 58.8 percent expressed a willingness to treat HIV‐positive patients and only 46.5 percent said they will render volunteer dental services in HIV centers. HIV prevalence will determine the location of practice of 41.4 percent of the respondents. The result suggests the need to have a comprehensive educational/motivational program for the next generation of dentists in Nigeria in order to ensure adequate care of HIV‐positive individuals. The perceived deficiency revealed in this study can also serve as a vital guide for curriculum change on HIV‐related issues.
Leaders or Managers: Who Will Define a New Vision for Dental Education?
Authors: Certosimo Fred
Published: June 2020

Leaders and managers are vital to any organization; however, each possesses intrinsic characteristics ideally suited to produce entirely different outcomes. Modern dental education finds itself in a predicament as it assesses new ways to meet the ever‐changing demands of its profession and the superimposed mega‐issues and global concerns of the new millennium—all competing in an organization and curriculum imprisoned in the first two‐thirds of the twentieth century. The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of leadership in dentistry and more specifically dental education. It compares and contrasts characteristics commonly found in leaders who seek long‐term, outward‐looking organizational changes and managers who work with short‐term, inward‐looking changes. Both are needed in dental education; however, only leaders can provide a clear vision of our future. Having leaders will allow dental education to begin to address its professional and educational challenges not only today, but in the decades to come.
Health Science Education: Reviewing a Framework for Problem‐Based Learning
Authors: McCarlie V. Wallace , Orr Daniel L.
Published: June 2020

Although problem‐based learning (PBL) has become one pedagogical approach to gain currency in recent decades, its foundational underpinnings have remained obscure. This investigation seeks to elucidate the theoretical framework or assumptions upon which PBL operates. We have situated core PBL principles in the larger context of health science education, which underwent dramatic changes at the beginning of the twentieth century. The fundamental problem at that time in dental education was moving beyond a lecture‐based and apprentice curriculum (students memorizing facts) to a critical thinking‐based curriculum. We trace these developments and especially the principles that one thinker, who does not easily fit into any one school of thought, used to frame the problem. We found that the principles underlying the idea of PBL have existed for over a century in varying academic alleys outside of dentistry (including constructivist thought). Despite our technological advances, many of the core challenges of a century ago remain challenges today. Although PBL is certainly not the only way to provide dental students an opportunity to best develop critical thinking, it nevertheless provides an environment in which the learning process may be enhanced.
Who Will Serve? Assessing Recruitment of Underrepresented Minority and Low‐Income Dental Students to Increase Access to Dental Care
Authors: Andersen Ronald M. , Carreon Daisy C. , Davidson Pamela L. , Nakazono Terry T. , Shahedi Shirin , Gutierrez John J.
Published: June 2020

This article uses data from the 2007 American Dental Education Association survey of dental school seniors to assess their intentions to serve underserved populations according to the students’ underrepresented minority (URM) and income status. Dental school recruitment and retention programs that concentrate exclusively on URM students will not benefit most low‐income students since 83 percent of them are not URM. Recruiting URM students leads to more graduating students with intentions to serve minorities. Whether the income of URM students was high or low, about half in each income group stated that more than 25 percent of their patients would be underserved minorities, compared to 28 percent of the low‐income non‐URM students and 17 percent of the higher income non‐URM students. However, our multivariable results suggest that recruitment of both low‐income groups (URM and non‐URM) rather than high income regardless of ethnicity might be especially helpful in producing graduates who choose public service. URM/income status was not significantly related to serving special care or rural populations.
Teaching Methods and Surgical Training in North American Graduate Periodontics Programs: Exploring the Landscape
Authors: Ghiabi Edmond , Taylor K. Lynn
Published: June 2020

This project aimed at documenting the surgical training curricula offered by North American graduate periodontics programs. A survey consisting of questions on teaching methods employed and the content of the surgical training program was mailed to directors of all fifty‐eight graduate periodontics programs in Canada and the United States. The chi‐square test was used to assess whether the residents’ clinical experience was significantly (P<0.05) influenced by having a) a structured preclinical program or b) another dental residency program in the institution. Thirty‐four programs (59 percent) responded to the survey. Twenty‐six programs (76 percent of respondents) reported offering a structured preclinical component. Traditional teaching methods such as slides, live demonstration, DVD/CD, and animal cadavers were the most common teaching methods used, whereas online courses, computer simulation, and various surgical mannequins were least commonly used. The most commonly performed surgical procedures were conventional flaps, periodontal plastic procedures, hard tissue grafts, and implants. Furthermore, residents in programs offering a structured preclinical component performed significantly more procedures (P=0.012) using lasers than those in programs not offering a structured preclinical program. Devising new and innovative teaching methods is a clear avenue for future development in North American graduate periodontics programs.
Assessing the Content, Presentation, and Readability of Dental Informed Consents
Authors: Glick Aaron , Taylor David , Valenza John A. , Walji Muhammad F.
Published: June 2020

Informed consents are important aids in helping patients make optimal decisions. Little knowledge exists about the quality of dental informed consents. Fifty‐two informed consents used throughout the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch were evaluated based on the quality of their content, readability, and presentation. Content quality was judged on four basic elements: description of procedure, risk, benefits, and alternatives. Of the clinical consents, 26 percent of forms contained all four of the basic content elements, 48 percent contained three of four elements, 16 percent contained two of four elements, and 10 percent contained one of four elements. Presentation quality was judged on twelve criteria items. The average clinical consent included seven out of twelve presentation items, and the average nonclinical consent included eight out of twelve items. Readability was judged using three standard instruments for rating readability: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch‐Kincaid Grade‐Level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. Average Flesch‐Kincaid Grade‐Level was 12.7 (range, 7.4 to 19.1), significantly higher than the recommended ninth grade level (p<.001). The results suggest that many existing dental informed consents may be improved by 1) increasing the comprehensiveness of the content, 2) improving the design and layout, and 3) reducing the readability levels for patient comprehension.
Review of Outcomes from a Change in Faculty Clinic Management in a U.S. Dental School
Authors: Nadershahi Nader A. , Salmon Eric S. , Fathi Nava , Schmedders Karl , Hargis Jace
Published: June 2020

Dental schools use a variety of clinic management models with the goals of promoting patient care, student education, and fiscal responsibility. In 2004, the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry transitioned to a more generalist model with these goals in mind. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of this clinic model change relative to the quantity of specific procedures completed by students. The quantity of procedures completed by each student from the classes of 1995 through 2009 were compiled from our electronic clinic management system and analyzed. The post‐transition group (2004–09) showed a greater number of completed oral diagnosis and treatment planning and root planing procedures per student compared to the pre‐transition group (1995–2003), but fewer crowns, root canals, operative procedures, and dentures. Because the higher procedure numbers were for low‐cost procedures, our transition to a generalist model did not necessarily enhance clinic income but may support student learning and enhanced patient care.
Prerequisites in Behavioral Science and Business: Opportunities for Dental Education
Authors: Dunning David G. , Lange Brian M. , Madden Robert D. , Tacha KoKo K.
Published: June 2020

There is increasing pressure on recent dental school graduates to understand and successfully utilize patient management and business management strategies to run a productive dental office. Dental schools are faced with the dilemma to either add more credit hours in their already crowded curriculum or adjust predental school requirements. All fifty‐nine U.S. dental schools were assessed online to determine admission requirements in the areas of behavioral science and business education. Results show that only 11.9 percent of the schools require prerequisite coursework in behavioral science and no school requires prerequisite coursework in business. However, 64.4 percent and 30.5 percent of schools encouraged or recommended prerequisite coursework in behavioral science and business, respectively. We suggest that the dental education community involve key stakeholders to discuss the incorporation of prerequisite coursework in behavioral science and business. Additional courses in these disciplines would provide dental students better backgrounds from which the dental curriculum could build a more advanced and applied perspective to better prepare students for practice.
The Status of Ethics Teaching and Learning in U.S. Dental Schools
Authors: Lantz Marilyn S. , Bebeau Muriel J. , Zarkowski Pamela
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information about the status of ethics teaching and learning in U.S. dental schools and to recommend a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education. A survey to collect this information was developed by the authors and administered by the American Society for Dental Ethics. The results suggest that dental schools have adopted many of the recommendations for curricular content and learning strategies proposed in the 1989 American Association of Dental Schools (now American Dental Education Association) Curriculum Guidelines on Ethics and Professionalism in Dentistry. The survey was sent to the individual who directs the ethics curriculum at the fifty‐six U.S. dental schools that had a full complement of enrolled predoctoral classes as of January 2008. All fifty‐six schools responded to the survey. The data suggest that, in general, little time is devoted to ethics instruction in the formal curriculum. The mean number of contact hours of ethics instruction is 26.5 hours, which represents about 0.5 percent of the mean clock hours of instruction for dental education programs reported in the most recent American Dental Association survey of dental education. While the amount of time devoted to ethics instruction appears not to have changed much over the past thirty years, what has changed are what qualifies as ethics instruction, the pedagogies used, and the development and availability of norm‐referenced learning outcomes assessments, which are currently used by a number of schools. We found that dental schools address a substantial list of topics in their ethics instruction and that there is general agreement as to the appropriateness of the topics and the ethics competencies that need to be developed and assessed. This study also identified the respondents’ perceptions of unmet needs in ethics education. Four general themes emerged: the need for ethics to be more fully integrated across the curriculum, including carryover into the clinical years; the need to assess and ensure competence; the need for faculty development; and the need for more attention to method of instruction. Recommendations based on the study findings are offered for a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education.
Ninth‐Grade Students’ Perceived Attitudes and Behaviors in a Tobacco Cessation Program Delivered by Dental Educators
Authors: McClain Mildred A. , McClain Clifford R. , Ditmyer Marcia M. , Dounis Georgia , Mobley Connie C.
Published: June 2020

This study measured whether a tobacco cessation program in Nevada's Clark County School District (CCSD) delivered by dental educators affected ninth‐grade students’ short‐term perceived knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and intentions (KABI) toward tobacco use and whether the CCSD's immersion approach led to positive changes in students’ KABI. A quantitative research methodology with a descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 617 students using pre‐ and post‐program surveys self‐administered by the participants. The surveys were based on those used previously in national and other large‐scale epidemiologic studies assessing tobacco intervention program effectiveness. The survey data revealed that, after the program, more students had an increased awareness of tobacco use dangers to their health and significantly increased awareness of the negative consequences of tobacco use. The number of students who did or did not use tobacco changed very little as a result of the program, but the tobacco users on the post‐program survey did report statistically significant decreases in overall use. Significant reduction in tobacco usage by the tobacco users indicates some desire on the part of smoking students to quit or reduce their tobacco usage. Little evidence of major changes in student attitudes was found.
Penalties for Academic Dishonesty in a Greek Dental School Environment
Authors: Koletsi‐Kounari Haroula , Polychronopoulou Argy , Reppa Christina , Teplitsky Paul E.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of the faculty and students of the University of Athens Dental School in Greece regarding the appropriate penalty for specific academic offenses. In addition, faculty and student opinions were compared. A questionnaire was distributed to officially registered seniors and full‐time faculty members, and 177 individuals responded anonymously and voluntarily. The respondents were asked to select one from a set of nine penalties for each of fifteen hypothetical academic offenses and three cases with extenuating circumstances. Non‐parametric Mann‐Whitney U tests and a Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, depending on the nature of variables, were used to detect significant differences in penalty scores between faculty and students. A p‐value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The penalty scores for the fifteen offenses ranged from a mean of 2.23±1.55 to 7.25±2.64. Faculty respondents gave more severe penalties than students did for all offenses, and the finding was statistically significant (p<0.05) for eleven of the fifteen offenses. Where extenuating circumstances were added, the penalty selection altered in two of the three cases. A significantly more lenient penalty was selected by both faculty and students in these two cases. The results of this study suggest that faculty members are harsher than students for the same offenses and that extenuating circumstances can sometimes significantly change recommended penalties.
Diverse and Participative Learning Methodologies: A Remedial Teaching Intervention for Low Marks Dental Students in Chile
Authors: Alcota Marcela , Muñoz Andrea , González Fermín E.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this educational intervention was to diagnose the learning style of a group of low marks (i.e., grades) dental students in Chile and improve their academic achievement by means of remedial teaching. The intervention group was composed of ten students in endodontics and eleven in pedodontics with low marks. These two groups were mutually exclusive. The Kolb test of learning styles was applied to the low mark students group and to the rest of the class (n=72). Diverse methodologies were applied to the low marks students, such as seminars, case‐based learning and problem‐based learning, directed study, plenary discussions and debate, integration and questions, and web‐based learning in an effort to cover all learning styles. Students’ perceptions of the educational intervention were assessed by means of a questionnaire. The learning styles of the low marks group were mainly divergent (52.4 percent) and convergent (19 percent). Accommodators and assimilators were 14.3 percent each. The rest of the class showed a very distinct frequencies distribution: divergent 18 percent, convergent 20 percent, accommodators 28 percent, and assimilators 34 percent. After the educational intervention, the mean of the scores obtained by the intervention group in formal evaluations was higher than the average scores obtained before the intervention for both courses. Students’ perceptions of the activities were that they were effective for their learning process (76 percent) and that the teaching methodologies were useful mainly to clarify concepts and contents from both courses (82 percent). We can conclude that the use of diverse and participative teaching methodologies in a remedial teaching intervention, to cover all the different learning styles of the students, contributes to improve their marks in formal evaluations.
Community‐Based Dental Education and Community Clinic Finances
Authors: Le Huong , McGowan Taegen L. , Bailit Howard L.
Published: June 2020

To develop a long‐term, sustainable partnership with dental schools, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) need to assess the financial impact of dental students on their financial operations. Primary concerns are that students will not cover their marginal costs and will reduce the productivity of clinic dentists. This study uses data from Asian Health Services, an FQHC in Oakland, California, to examine revenues generated by senior dental students and by FQHC dentists when students are and are not present. The analysis of ten months of electronic record data showed that two full‐time equivalent students generated $420,549 in gross revenues and reduced dentist output by only $29,000. While the results are from just one FQHC, they strongly suggest that students make a significant contribution to clinic productivity and finances.
Testing the Educational Potential of 3D Visualization Software in Oral Radiographic Interpretation
Authors: Vuchkova Julijana , Maybury Terrence S. , Farah Camile S.
Published: June 2020

There is heightened optimism about the potential of 3D visualization software as an alternative learning resource in radiology education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 3D visualization software on students’ learning of oral radiographic interpretation from 2D radiographic images. Fourth‐year dental students underwent a learning intervention phase of radiographic interpretation of oral pathoses using 3D visualization software. The success of the educational intervention was assessed by quantitative means, using a radiographic interpretation test, and by qualitative means, using a structured Likert‐scale survey, asking students to evaluate their own learning outcomes. It was anticipated that training with the rotational mode of 3D visualization software would provide additional depth cues, enabling students to create spatial‐mental models of anatomy that they can apply to 2D radiographic interpretation of oral pathoses. Although quantitative assessment did not support this, questionnaire evaluations demonstrated a positive effect of the 3D visualization software by enhancing students’ learning about radiographic interpretation. Despite much optimism about the educational potential of 3D visualization software, it is important to understand the interactions between learners and such new technologies in order to identify potential advantages and limitations prior to embracing them as learning resources.