bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survey of Dental Student Financial Assistance, 2003–04
Authors: Chmar Jacqueline E. , Weaver Richard G. , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

The Survey of Dental Student Financial Assistance reports data collected by the American Dental Education Association on financial assistance to dental students in the academic year 2003–04. Over 90 percent of students at the fifty‐one responding dental schools received financial assistance in the form of loans, grants, scholarships and/or work‐study programs, with students receiving an average of $43,191 per year. As tuition and fees rose 21.4 percent over the past two years, financial assistance rose 23.1 percent. Both continue to increase at a rate greater than inflation. The primary source of financial assistance was in the form of loans, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the reported financial assistance. Most of the remaining assistance was in the form of obligated or unobligated grants and scholarships, with an increasing share attributable to grants/scholarships with obligations following graduation. As the price of higher education increases, reliance on financial assistance continues to increase, and students graduate with an increasing amount of debt in real and constant dollars.
Clinical Competence of Graduates of Community‐Based and Traditional Curricula
Authors: De Castro Jeanette E. , Bolger David , Feldman Cecile A.
Published: June 2020

As community‐based dental education programs proliferate, so do concerns about the quality of education at extramural sites. While there have been some comparisons of the effects of community‐based programs on attitudes and perceptions of competency, there is virtually no information about whether such programs can train students to carry out standard dental procedures as well as if they were prepared in the dental school proper. To address this gap in our knowledge about the educational outcomes of community‐based programs, the following performance measures were retrospectively compared for 457 students in traditional senior year curricula and fifty seniors in a community‐based program: scores and pass/fail rates on the Northeastern Regional Boards (NERB), clinical production, passage of competencies, and on‐time graduation rates. Students in the CODE (Community‐Oriented Dental Education) program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)‐New Jersey Dental School (NJDS) demonstrated significantly higher scores on the restorative section of the NERB, but this did not translate into a better overall pass rate. CODE students passed the same competencies as graduates of the traditional program, yet demonstrated appreciably higher clinical productivity and on‐time graduation rates. The additional clinical experiences for the CODE students may be a factor in their higher board scores. Based on these data, it is concluded that community‐based dental educational programs can be at least as effective as intramural (school‐based) educational experiences in providing students with a sound clinical education.
Self‐Assessed Dental Status, Oral Behavior, DMF, and Dental Anxiety
Authors: Samorodnitzky Gili R. , Levin Liran
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between self‐assessed dental status, oral behavior, dental anxiety, and DMF scores. The study was conducted among young army personnel (eighteen to twenty‐one years old) who arrived at a single military dental clinic for dental screening. A questionnaire was used to collect the data anonymously. The questionnaire included self‐assessment of dental status and behavior, as well as the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Dental caries status was evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). A total of 393 young adults were examined (98.3 percent response rate). Approximately one‐third brushed their teeth once a day or not at all. Of the participants, 10.7 percent assessed their dental status as “Poor” and 46.3 percent as “Fair.” Furthermore, 25.5 percent assessed their dental treatment needs as high. The average DAS score was 7.14. The average DMF score was 6.2. There was a correlation between self‐e of this study was to evaluate the relation between self‐assessed dental status, oral behavior, dental anxiety, and DMF scores. The study was conducted among young army personnel (eighteen to twenty‐one years old) who arrived at a single military dental clinic for dental screening. A questionnaire was used to collect the data anonymously. The questionnaire included self‐assessment of dental status and behavior, as well as the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Dental caries status was evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). A total of 393 young adults were examined (98.3 percent response rate). Approximately one‐third brushed their teeth once a day or not at all. Of the participants, 10.7 percent assessed their dental status as “Poor” and 46.3 percent as “Fair.” Furthermore, 25.5 percent assessed their dental treatment needs as high. The average DAS score was 7.14. The average DMF score was 6.2. There was a correlation between self‐reported tooth status, participants’ assessment of their dental treatment needs, and DMF score (p<0.0001). Anxious participants assessed their dental treatment needs as higher (p=0.05). The dental practitioner could ask patients to assess their dental status prior to treatment or appointment. These findings will help the practitioner to accomplish more effective time and patient management.
Preparing Dental Graduates to Provide Care to Individuals with Special Needs
Authors: Waldman H. Barry , Fenton Sanford J. , Perlman Steven P. , Cinotti Debra A.
Published: June 2020

In 2004, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) adopted a new standard that directs dental and dental hygiene programs to prepare dental professionals for the care of persons with special health care needs. This article reviews the demographics of individuals with special needs, documents that most dental schools provide their students with very limited educational opportunities related to the care of this population, describes the path that was followed to bring about change in the accrediting standard, and discusses the difficulties involved in developing the needed educational programs. Educational programs at two dental schools are presented as examples of how schools can provide students with learning experiences pertinent to the new CODA standard that states: “Graduates must be competent in assessing the treatment needs of patients with special needs.”
Future Trends in Dental Benefits
Authors: Anderson Maxwell H.
Published: June 2020

Dentistry and dental payment systems as we know them today will continue to evolve. Dentistry as practiced today and the prepayment systems of dentistry are substantially different than they were fifty years ago when dental insurance as we know it was first developed. Dentistry has always changed with the development of our science and the expression of dentistry's diseases in the populations we serve. The changes that are likely to occur in the future will be focused on improving health outcomes across risk‐analyzed populations with the goals of providing optimal health outcomes at reasonable costs. Dentists will increasingly become engaged in the whole health of their patients. Where sufficient correlations can be leveraged between dentistry and overall health, medical plans will play an increasing role in dentistry's future for two reasons. Given favorably altered therapeutic outcomes for medical systems that preserve scarce resources, it will be an economic imperative to engage the dental system. It will also be the right thing to do from a total health perspective. In the final analysis, this elevates the role of dentistry and empowers the dentist to participate in the total health of their patients.
Relationship Between Performance in Dental School and Performance on a Dental Licensure Examination: An Eight‐Year Study
Authors: Stewart Carol M. , Bates Robert E. , Smith Gregory E.
Published: June 2020

This study assessed relationships between academic performance in dental school and “first attempt” performance on a state dental licensure examination for 1996–2003 graduates from the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The 524 graduates were ranked into quartiles based on graduating GPA. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the students’ mean exam score (or exam section score) for each respective quartile (n=131) was compared with mean score for graduates in the combined four quartiles (n=524). ANOVA assessments, by quartile, were performed for the following six measures: 1) overall composite score on the dental licensure exam, 2) clinical periodontics section, 3) clinical amalgam section, 4) combination of clinical periodontics and clinical amalgam, 5) laboratory (manikin exam) with a written prosthodontic exam, and 6) manikin exam without the prosthodontic exam. For the overall exam and all exam sections, a significant (p<0.001) relationship was found between higher mean exam scores and academic ranking in quartile 1. A significant relationship was found between performance (lower mean scores) and ranking in quartile 4 for all exam sections, with the exception of the clinical periodontal section. The results of this study indicate a correlation between performance in dental school and performance on the Florida dental licensure exam for 1996–2003 UFCD graduates.
Comparison of Written Examinations Required for Dental Licensure in Japan and the United States: Contents, Cognitive Levels, and Cultural Implications
Authors: Komabayashi Takashi , Bird William F.
Published: June 2020

The goal of this article is to describe differences between the written examinations required for dental licensure in Japan and in the United States. Candidate guides, old exams, and other published data pertaining to the Japan National Examination for Dentists (NED) and the U.S. National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) were used. Dental education in Japan consists of a six‐year program following high school graduation. The U.S. counterpart is usually a four‐year program following a bachelor's degree. The NED, which is made up of 330 questions, is a single, all‐important gatekeeper test that immediately grants licensure to practice dentistry throughout Japan. The NED contains no evaluation of technical skills; it is purely a written exam. By contrast, in the United States, the NBDE Parts I and II, which consist of 900 questions, are only components of a three‐step licensure process. An additional state or regional board examination on technical skills is required to obtain licensure to practice. There are 400 basic science questions on the NBDE Part I, while the NED has thirty. In terms of cognitive level, questions on the NED place more emphasis on recall, while those on the NBDE Part II are more focused on problem solving. The outcomes of this comparison provide dental educators with comparisons of the licensure examination process for Japanese and U.S. dentists.
Barriers to and Enablers of Older Adults’ Use of Dental Services
Authors: Kiyak H. Asuman , Reichmuth Marisa
Published: June 2020

The theme of the Elders’ Oral Health Summit is older adults’ access to dental care and how this situation can be improved for future cohorts. A major question is whether older adults today, as well as baby boomers who will be entering their seventies within the next decade, will demand dental care as part of their overall well‐being. The current cohort of elders varies widely in its use of dental services, from regular preventive users to non‐users who report that they have not been to a dentist in more than twenty years. In 1999, 53.5 percent of older adults reported that they had visited a dentist, the lowest rate of any age group beyond eighteen. This article examines some determinants of older persons’ dental service utilization, both barriers and enablers, as a means of understanding why some people continue seeking preventive dental care throughout their lives while others are lifelong irregular users and still others discontinue regular use after retirement or relocation to a new community or long‐term care facility. Based on the epidemiological and psychosocial literature available on this topic, barriers and enablers include cohort and age, race and ethnicity, income and education, availability of dental and medical insurance, urban vs. rural residence, physical access to a dental office, and systemic and functional health. Attitudes toward oral health and dental care and other psychosocial variables may override some of these demographic and structural variables. Research in medical and dental service utilization offers insights into the relative predictive ability of these variables. Dental providers can also be potent enablers or barriers to older adults’ access to dental care. Each of these factors plays a role in older adults’ use of dental services. Under different situations some serve as both barriers and enablers.
The Role of Health Literacy in Achieving Oral Health for Elders
Authors: Rudd Rima , Horowitz Alice M.
Published: June 2020

A mismatch between the literacy skills of individuals and the demands of oral health services may erect an unnecessary barrier to preventive care and treatment. Findings from the 1992 survey of adult literacy in the United States indicate that more than two‐thirds of adults over the age of sixty were limited in their ability to use written health materials in prose format, had problems finding and processing quantitative information, and were very limited in their ability to use documents such as forms, lists, charts, and graphs. Thus, many older adults face barriers to oral care, to needed information, to full participation in decision making and informed consent, and for follow‐up activities. The pathways between literacy and health outcomes are being examined, and the body of literature linking literacy to health continues to grow. However, similar studies examining literacy and oral health outcomes have not yet been undertaken. Research in this area might well begin with consideration of the skills needed to perform important oral health tasks. Rigorous studies of the impact of improved communication strategies on elders’ access to care, participation in services, and action steps would lend insight into needed change.
Access to Oral Health Care for Elders: Mere Words or Action?
Authors: Rubinstein Helena Gail
Published: June 2020

For many years, the health care community has used a silo approach to oral health, with little exception, treating the oral cavity as the sole province of the dentist, with no interaction with the medical profession. However, as research shows links between periodontal disease and diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease, it seems clear that the silo approach to oral health should be replaced with a new paradigm—that of including dental care in comprehensive medical benefits. Retirees who have limited or no access to traditional employer‐based dental benefits should be among the early beneficiaries of this paradigm shift. The federal government should consider social insurance mechanisms to ensure that retirees have access to oral health care.
Student Occupational Exposure Incidence: Perception Versus Reality
Authors: Wood A. Jeffrey , Nadershahi Nader A. , Fredekind Richard E. , Cuny Eve J. , Chambers David W.
Published: June 2020

Reports of clinical injuries made to a dental school Office of Occupational Health and Safety at the time of their occurrence were compared to self‐reports on a survey for dental students in five classes at various times over their educational careers. The majority of injuries were from needlesticks and mishaps with hand instruments. Underreporting at the time of injury was approximately one‐third in the first clinical year and one‐half in the final clinical year of the three‐year program. Students reported a greater perceived likelihood of injury later in their education than at the beginning but a decreased fear of such injuries. Female students reported more needlesticks and a greater fear of injury than did male students. It is hypothesized that a personal interpretation of the meaning of clinical injuries influences reporting behavior.
Access, Responsibility, and Funding: A Systems Thinking Approach to Universal Access to Oral Health
Authors: Werhane Patricia H.
Published: June 2020

Universal access to oral health care is a justifiable demand for a number of disparate but morally sound reasons. Nevertheless, that conclusion, however reached, has not solved the problem of the lack of access. Market forces, scarcity of funding, and lack of clarity as to who is responsible for ensuring that oral care is available seem to present insurmountable difficulties. I shall argue that these are not irresolvable problems, but the resolution has to take place through the tool of systems thinking and a systemic approach to moral imagination. Taking the lead from Susan Wolf's and Linda Emanuel's work on systems thinking, and developing ideas from work on mental models and moral imagination, I shall argue that what is often missing in discussions and demands for universal access to oral health care is a morally imaginative systemic approach that takes into account the multi‐perspective dynamics involved in health care today. Moral imagination may encourage sound, broad‐based, more inclusive moral thinking and moral judgment without ignoring the critical roles and responsibilities each of us has as professionals, providers, payers, or patients, without which change will not take place at all.
Educating Dental Students About Oral Health Care Access Disparities
Authors: Graham Bruce S.
Published: June 2020

Dental educators provide learning experiences for dental students that help them develop the belief that universal access to oral health care is a social justice imperative that will compel them to provide care to underserved patients after they graduate. To accomplish these learning outcomes, dental schools first recruit underrepresented minority students and students with previous volunteerism experiences. Dental educators then expose dental students to learning experiences in the classroom and in the community, dental school‐based clinics, and community health clinics, to help them to develop the requisite knowledge, values, and competencies for serving underserved populations. The long‐term, educational outcomes of these learning experiences have not been assessed to date. Systematic surveys should be conducted of dentists who have had these educational experiences to measure the number who actually care for the underserved in private dental offices, community health “safety net” clinics, and the Indian and Public Health Services.
Moral Communities
Authors: Chambers David W.
Published: June 2020

This article explores the twin issues of whether organizations can act as ethical agents and what it means to exert moral influence over others. A discursive perspective is advanced that characterizes ethics as the action of communities based on promises. The received view of ethics as either the universal principles or individual responsibility is criticized as inadequate. Moral influence within community is considered under the various headings of democracy, office, brotherhood, agency, witness, and promise making. Moral influence among communities can include the damaging methods of “the superior position,” coercion and misrepresentation, and appeal to third parties and the sound methods of rhetoric and promise making.
A Framework for Service‐Learning in Dental Education
Authors: Yoder Karen M.
Published: June 2020

Service‐learning has become an important component of higher education. Integrating service‐learning into dental and dental hygiene curricula will foster graduates who are better prepared to work effectively among diverse populations and to function dynamically in the health policy arena. Although the phrase is familiar to dental educators, there is not a consistent understanding of what comprises this pedagogy. This article offers a framework for service‐learning in dental education and describes ten components that characterize true service‐learning. This framework can provide a common understanding of this form of experiential education that brings community engagement and educational objectives together. More effective programs can be built around a shared understanding of the characteristics and goals of service‐learning in dental education.
Estimating Transfer of Learning for Self‐Instructional Packages Across Dental Schools
Authors: Chambers David W.
Published: June 2020

The most common topic of research in dental education is assessing the effectiveness of self‐instructional units in various formats compared to lectures covering the same material. Generally, these studies are of high methodological quality and reveal mixed results or results slightly favoring self‐instruction. All such studies, save one, have been conducted in the context of various single schools, thus confounding the effects of self‐instructional format with factors particular to schools and their students. A reanalysis, using Cronbach's generalizability analysis, was performed on a study in the literature that was conducted at six schools and measured student aptitude. The reanalysis found that the largest source of variance on immediate post‐test quizzes for knowledge following a three‐hour unit on disturbances in tooth development was the school at which the study was conducted (24 percent), followed by student aptitude measured by DAT score (20 percent). Difference in format among lecture, booklet, and audiotape presentations accounted for 5 percent of the variance. This reanalysis demonstrated that statistically significant results from rigorous experimental designs can overrepresent what is revealed by such research. The context‐specificity of educational innovations may be underestimated because few studies are replicated across schools. Studies conducted as single schools, regardless of their methodological rigor, fail to address issues associated with potential transfer of findings to other schools.
Dental School Vacant Budgeted Faculty Positions: Academic Year 2004–05
Authors: Chmar Jacqueline E. , Weaver Richard G. , Valachovic Richard W.
Published: June 2020

The number of vacant budgeted faculty positions in dental schools has continued to decline, dropping from 296 in 2003–04 to 275 in 2004–05. The number of lost positions declined to twenty‐five, from 147 lost positions reported in 2003–04. While the average number of vacancies per dental school was just under five, three‐quarters of these vacancies were considered usual and normal to the operation of the dental school. Based on ADEA's annual survey of dental educators, there was approximately a 9 percent faculty turnover between 2003–04 and 2004–05, and according to the 2003–04 and 2004–05 surveys of vacant faculty positions, it is taking longer to fill vacant positions. The greatest challenges influencing the ability of a school to fill a vacancy were salary/budget limitations and lack of response to a position announcement. Still, between 2003–04 and 2004–05, the number of dental school faculty increased from 11,348 to 11,715, including 4,736 full‐time, 5,097 part‐time, and 1,791 volunteer faculty members. Employment status was not reported for ninety‐one individuals. Private practice remains the primary reason for faculty separations and the source of new faculty. In addition, nearly one in four new faculty members entered dental education directly following graduation from a dental or postdoctoral education program. While it may take longer to fill positions and it has become more difficult to fill some vacancies, overall, dental school deans indicated that the number of vacancies was not affecting the quality of dental education. However, between anticipated faculty retirements and current levels of faculty turnover, continued support for and development of faculty recruitment and retention programs remains essential to maintaining a quality dental education workforce.
Dental Education and Care for Underserved Patients: An Analysis of Students’ Intentions and Alumni Behavior
Authors: Smith Carlos S. , Ester Todd V. , Inglehart Marita Rohr
Published: June 2020

The U.S. surgeon general's report on oral health stressed the importance of providing dental care to underserved patients. The objectives of this study were to explore a) dental students’ intentions and dentists’ behavior concerning treating underserved patients, b) their perceptions of their education concerning these patients, and c) the relationship between dental education and their attitudes and behavior. Data were collected from 328 dental students (response rate: 77.5 percent) and 234 alumni (response rate: 43.7 percent). Only 67.4 percent of the students and 38 percent of the alumni indicated that their education had prepared them well to treat patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds; 71.3 percent of students and 55.2 percent of alumni responded that they had been well educated to treat patients from different ethnic/racial groups. The findings showed a positive relationship between the degree of curriculum focus on the importance of treating patients from all aspects of society and students’ and alumni intentions to provide inclusive patient care to patients from diverse backgrounds. The more students agreed that their dental education had prepared them well to treat patients from different ethnic backgrounds, the more likely they were to report that they intended to treat these patients (r=.12; p=.033). In a similar manner, the more the alumni agreed that their dental education had prepared them well to treat patients in different communities, the more likely they were to treat patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds (r=.18; p=.009). In conclusion, these findings showed that access to oral health care for underserved patients could potentially be increased if dental students were more overtly educated about the importance of treating patients from all segments of society.
Predictive Validity of Critical Thinking Skills and Disposition for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Williams Karen B. , Schmidt Colleen , Tilliss Terri S.I. , Wilkins Kris , Glasnapp Douglas R.
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to determine if preexisting critical thinking skills and critical thinking disposition predict student performance on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). The predictive value of critical thinking skills scores and disposition (habits of mind, attitudes, and character attributes) scores were examined above that provided by traditional predictors: entering grade point average, age, and total number of college hours at entry into the dental hygiene program. Seventy‐six first‐year dental hygiene students from three baccalaureate dental hygiene programs participated in this study. Participants’ preexisting general critical thinking skills and disposition were assessed during the first week of classes in their respective baccalaureate level programs using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). At the completion of their two‐year educational program, the CCTST and CCTDI were administered a final time, and students’ scores on the multiple‐choice and case‐based NBDHE were obtained. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that CCTST scores explained a statistically significant (p<.05) proportion of variance in students’ multiple‐choice and case‐based NBDHE scores, above and beyond that explained by other predictor variables. Although CCTDI scores were not a significant predictor of either outcome measure, CCTST is a good predictor of student performance on high‐stakes qualifying examinations and may have utility for student selection and retention.
Teaching Implant Dentistry in the Predoctoral Curriculum: A Report from the ADEA Implant Workshop's Survey of Deans
Authors: Petropoulos Vicki C. , Arbree Nancy S. , Tarnow Dennis , Rethman Michael , Malmquist Jay , Valachovic Richard , Brunson W. David , Alfano Michael C.
Published: June 2020

In 2004, a survey of the deans of U.S. and Canadian dental schools was conducted to determine the implant dentistry curriculum structure and the extent of incorporating implant dentistry clinical treatment into predoctoral programs. The questionnaire was mailed to the deans of the fifty‐six dental schools in advance of the ADEA Implant Workshop conference held in Arizona in November 2004. Out of the fifty‐six, thirty‐nine responded, yielding a response rate of 70 percent. Thirty‐eight schools (97 percent) reported that their students received didactic instruction in dental implants, while one school (3 percent) said that its students did not. Thirty schools (86 percent) reported that their students received clinical experience, while five schools (14 percent) reported that theirs did not. Four schools (10 percent) did not respond to this question. Fifty‐one percent of the students actually receive the clinical experience in restoring implants, with the range of 5–100 percent. Of those schools that provide clinical experience in restoring implants, four schools (13 percent) reported that it is a requirement for them, while twenty‐eight schools (88 percent) reported that it is not a requirement for them. Three schools (9 percent) did not respond. The fee for implants is 45 percent higher than a crown or a denture, with a range of 0–100 percent. Twenty‐nine schools (85 percent) indicated that they did receive free components from implant companies, while five schools (15 percent) did not. The conclusions of this report are as follows: 1) most schools have advanced dental education programs; 2) single‐tooth implant restorations are performed at the predoctoral level in most schools; 3) implant‐retained overdenture prostheses are performed at the predoctoral level in most schools; 4) there is no predoctoral clinical competency requirement for surgical implant placement in all schools that responded to the survey; 5) there is no predoctoral clinical competency requirement for implant prosthodontics in most schools that responded to the survey; 6) prosthodontic specialty faculty are often responsible for teaching implant prosthodontics at the predoctoral level; 7) periodontics and oral and maxillofacial faculty are commonly responsible for teaching implant surgery at the predoctoral level; 8) support from implant companies is common for dental schools, with most providing for implant components at discounted costs; and 9) there is a lack of adequately trained faculty in implant dentistry, which is a significant challenge in providing predoctoral students with clinical experience with dental implants.
The Impact of Quality Assurance Programming: A Comparison of Two Canadian Dental Hygienist Programs
Authors: Asadoorian Joanna , Locker David
Published: June 2020

Quality assurance (QA) and continuing competence (CC) programs aim to ensure acceptable levels of health care provider competence, but it is unknown which program methods most successfully achieve this goal. The objectives of the study reported in this article were to compare two distinct QA/CC programs of Canadian dental hygienists and assess the impact of these two programs on practice behavior change, a proxy measure for quality. British Columbia (BC) and Ontario (ON) were compared because the former mandates continuing education (CE) time requirements. A two‐group comparison survey design using a self‐administered questionnaire was implemented in randomly selected samples from two jurisdictions. No statistical differences were found in total activity, change opportunities, or change implementation, but ON study subjects participated in significantly more activities that yielded change opportunities and more activities that generated appropriate change implementation, meaning positive and correct approaches to providing care, than BC dental hygienists. Both groups reported implementing change to a similarly high degree. The findings suggest that ON dental hygienists participated in more learning activities that had relevancy to their practice and learning needs than did BC subjects. The findings indicate that the QA program in ON may allow for greater efficiency in professional learning.
Mechanical Versus Chemical Retention for Restoring Complex Restorations: What Is the Evidence?
Authors: Vaught Randall L.
Published: June 2020

This article reports the findings from a study conducted to answer this research question: can adhesive resin liners provide retention that is the same as dentinal pins or pots and slots when restoring complex amalgam restorations? The study methodology consisted of two components: a review of the literature and a survey to assess methods and materials that general practitioners use in their clinical practice for restoring complex amalgam restorations. Even though a vast majority of the general practitioners surveyed reported using dentinal pins or pots and slots, the occurrence or frequency of use was under 50 percent. It was also reported from the survey that over half the respondents are using adhesive resin liners exclusively when restoring complex restorations. New and improved materials allow general practitioners to restore complex restorations without the risks associated with the placement of pins or pots and slots. A review of the available literature indicates that adhesive resin liners may be used as an alternative or adjunct to mechanical retention. Because of the improvements of bonding strength of adhesive resin liners, dentinal pins and pots and slots should not be the only methods considered when faculty assist students in the development of treatment plans for patients who need complex amalgam restorations.
Core Curricula for Postdoctoral Dental Students: Recent Problems, Potential Solutions, and a Model for the Future
Authors: Iacopino Anthony M. , Taft Thomas B.
Published: June 2020

Development of common core curricula for the graduate advanced education/specialty programs in dental schools presents significant challenges. Similarities in graduate education accreditation standards justify such an approach, yet a core curriculum is difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons including scheduling constraints and the capacity of a common, single pathway curriculum to address the specific educational needs of postgraduate students in different disciplines. Additionally, many dental schools are experiencing severe shortages of qualified faculty to provide graduate program instruction. There are no previous reports regarding graduate core curricula and the definition/delivery of such core curricula in advanced education programs in dentistry although there are several reports in the medical literature that support the educational value of a unified core curriculum implemented in a modular format. Graduate curricula are typically designed to provide residents with advanced education/training beyond what is acquired during their predoctoral dental school experience. Advanced education programs must emphasize knowledge and skills that are discipline‐specific; however, there is a large amount of common foundational material within the early phases of these programs. Dental schools have attempted to identify and present this common material within the context of an organized shared set of courses/seminars where residents from each advanced education program are scheduled simultaneously. However, there have been problems with the implementation of a shared core curricula including the following: 1) dissimilar educational backgrounds/abilities among residents; 2) relevance of material to all residents; 3) lack of central management; 4) scheduling conflicts; and 5) lack of adequate and consistent program evaluation. In an attempt to resolve these problems, a new comprehensive graduate core curriculum was implemented at the Marquette University School of Dentistry in 2000. This core curriculum was designed to 1) be user‐friendly; 2) allow flexibility; 3) meet specific programmatic/accreditation needs for each advanced education program; and 4) provide assessment tools for continuous resident feedback and curriculum improvement. Assessment data obtained from residents, faculty, and program directors indicate that this approach has been successful and has transformed graduate education at Marquette. Thus, this model may prove useful for other institutions seeking to refine or develop graduate core curricula.
Attitudes Towards Replacement of Teeth Among Patients at the Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, India
Authors: Shigli Kamal , Hebbal Mamata , Angadi Gangadhar Shivappa
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitude towards replacement of teeth among patients who reported to the department of prosthodontics in the Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, which is located in the northwestern part of the state of Karnataka in the southern region of India. A fourteen‐item, closed‐ended questionnaire was completed by 365 volunteer patients who were then examined by a clinician and existing and missing teeth were charted. All the patients who reported to a dental clinic in a period of two months with at least one missing tooth were included in the study. Collected data were statistically analyzed using chi‐square test at a significance level of p<0.05. The age of the subjects ranged from sixteen to eighty‐four years (mean age 51.06 ±16.47 years). Among these 365 patients, 228 were in a waiting period for soft tissue healing after extraction of tooth/teeth; 19.7 percent of the patients gave financial constraints as the reason for not replacing teeth; 7.1 percent reported that they lacked the time to have teeth replaced; 6.9 percent had low felt needs; and 3.8 percent indicated they did not know that teeth could be replaced. Subjects with different levels of socioeconomic status reported different reasons for not replacing the teeth and these differences were statistically significant (χ2=61.16, P<0.001). Knowledge about the equivalence of artificial teeth with natural teeth (χ2=23.01, P<0.05) and problems with artificial teeth (χ2=17.25, P<0.05) were also significantly different among subjects from different socioeconomic categories. The findings indicate that awareness needs to be increased regarding the other functions of teeth like esthetics and phonetics because many subjects in this study were only aware of the function of mastication performed by teeth, especially among individuals in the lower socioeconomic group. Attitudes of patients should be taken into consideration to improve patient compliance with and acceptance of prostheses.
Personality Types of Chinese Dental School Applicants
Authors: Wu Shengjun , Miao Danmin , Zhu Xia , Luo Zhengxue , Liu Xufeng
Published: June 2020

This his article reports the findings of a study conducted to investigate the personality types of Chinese dental school applicants. The Chinese version of the Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (Form G) was used to assess the personality styles of 332 dental school applicants from the mainland of China. The results of the MBTI for Chinese dental school applicants were compared with a previous study of applicants from the U.K. A higher percentage of this group of Chinese applicants scored higher for Introversion (I) than Extroversion (E); both Chinese and English applicants preferred Judging (J) to Perceiving (P). The dominant personality types in Chinese applicants were ISTJ, ESTJ, and ISFP. The findings suggest that the personality types of Chinese dental students may be somewhat different from the personality profiles exhibited by dental students from other nations. The findings may be of value to individuals who desire to investigate personality type differences among dental students with different cultural backgrounds.
The Need for Dental Ethicists and the Promise of Universal Patient Acceptance: Response to Richard Masella's “Renewing Professionalism in Dental Education”
Authors: Patthoff Donald E.
Published: June 2020

Richard Masella's “Renewing Professionalism in Dental Education: Overcoming the Market Environment” reveals why professionalism is nearly dead in America; it also shows the good of commerce and the excesses of commercialism in the market. More importantly, it collects and summarizes most of the relevant forms of education currently available to teach professionalism and professional ethics in dentistry; it then briefly examines whether those forms of education are used and if they are effective. Masella also asks some key challenging questions. His select and limited references lead to deeper studies about the nature and definition of professionalism and how it might be learned and presented. His suggestions for renewing professionalism are minimal; this sets the stage for proposing and selecting other ideas that need attention and development. Some of those ideas and suggestions, such as competition and collaboration, four types of dentistry, understanding two conflicting meanings of desire and need, and universal patient acceptance were recently explored in a workshop, “Professional Promises: Hopes and Gaps in Access to Oral Health Care” (procedings published in the November 2006Journal of Dental Education), and were not yet available to Masella when his article was authored. His article, though, stimulates good discussion and action. Its data and substance show why, for example, dentistry needs to develop a core cadre of full‐time practicing professional dental ethicists. Currently, there is only a small but very dedicated group of volunteers trying to meet our society's need to bring new life to professionalism in dentistry and our market.
Applicant‐Interviewer Gender Concordance and the Decision to Enroll in Dental School
Authors: Bender Daniel J. , Burk Dorothy T. , Candito Kathy P.
Published: June 2020

To increase the yield of females in the entering class, the executive admissions committee at a private West Coast dental school instituted gender‐concordant applicant‐interviewer dyads. Supported by Tajfel's social identity theory, members of the committee assumed that female applicants interviewed by female faculty interviewers were more likely to enroll than females interviewed by male interviewers. The purpose of this study was to test that assumption. Data were collected on all accepted applicants (n=1,192) and all faculty interviewers (n=43) for the 2001–05 entering classes and analyzed with chi square. Results revealed no relationship between applicant‐interviewer gender concordance and the decision to enroll at the school. Although these findings suggest that applicant‐interviewer gender concordance does not play a significant role in the enrollment decision, additional research is recommended on which factors are important to women in deciding to enroll at a particular dental school.
Evaluation of an Academic Service‐Learning Course on Special Needs Patients for Dental Hygiene Students: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Keselyak Nancy T. , Simmer‐Beck Melanie , Bray Kimberly Krust , Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a service‐learning course on special needs patients for dental hygiene students by considering student reflections, community site coordinators’ feedback, and faculty reflections in a qualitative analysis. Twenty‐three female dental hygiene students beginning their fourth semester in the program provided preventive oral health services at eight community sites serving six diverse groups of people having special health care needs. Students reflected on the experience via commentaries written in self‐reflection journals. The investigators applied the constant comparative method to analyze and unitize the data, ultimately reaching consensus on three category topics: awareness, higher order thinking, and professionalism. End of course project assessments provided additional data that was used to triangulate with data from the reflective journals. Telephone interviews with the site coordinators and personal interviews with the course faculty provided data from multiple perspectives. The outcomes of this study suggest that service‐learning pedagogy can facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject matter and provide an opportunity for students to use critical thinking strategies in addition to becoming aware of complex social and professional issues related to the oral health care of individuals with special needs.
Professionally Applied Topical Fluoride: Evidence‐Based Clinical Recommendations
Authors:   American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs
Published: June 2020

With the dramatic increase in the amount of scientific information available about oral health, an evidence‐based approach to oral health care and the practice of dentistry is necessary. There is a need to summarize, critique, and disseminate scientific evidence and to translate the evidence into a practical format that is used easily by dentists. The evidence‐based clinical recommendations in this report were developed by an expert panel established by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs that evaluated the collective body of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of professionally applied topical fluoride for caries prevention. The recommendations are intended to assist dentists in clinical decision making. MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library were searched for systematic reviews and clinical studies of professionally applied topical fluoride—including gel, foam, and varnish—through October 2005. Panelists were selected on the basis of their expertise in the relevant subject matter. The recommendations are stratified by age groups and caries risk and indicate that periodic fluoride treatments should be considered for both children and adults who are at moderate or high risk of developing caries. Included in the clinical recommendations is a summary table that can be used as a chairside resource. The dentist, knowing the patient's health history and vulnerability to oral disease, is in the best position to make treatment decisions in the interest of each patient. These clinical recommendations must be balanced with the practitioner's professional expertise and the individual patient's preferences.
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices Used in U.S. Dental Schools: Factors Related to Readability or Lack Thereof
Authors: Ha Anh T. , Gansky Stuart A.
Published: June 2020

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 requires Notices of Privacy Practices (NPP) in plain (clear, concise, and easily understood) language. The objectives of this study were to test the readability of U.S. dental school NPPs; examine factors relating to readability; and develop a plain language NPP supplement. Readability statistics were Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch‐Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). Social capital measures of potential resources available to people in a civil society (e.g., perceived trust, perceived reciprocity, and per capita voluntary organization membership) along with lawyers per capita for each state were examined for potential relationships with readability levels. One‐sample t‐tests assessed plain language (FRE=60, FKGL=8), and analyses of variance compared groups. Spearman rank correlations (rs) compared social capital to readability. A plain language NPP supplement was developed. All fifty‐six U.S. dental school NPPs were obtained (100 percent response). Forty‐eight of fifty‐six schools (86 percent) had website NPPs. FRE and FKGL were significantly more complex than plain language, overall (both p<0.0001, 95% CIs: FRE=37.6, 40.5; FKGL=11.2, 11.8) and by region (all p<0.014). Readability did not differ by region. Social capital measures moderately related to readability (0.18 ≤ |rs| ≤0.39) with reciprocity being most related (FRE rs=0.36, FKGL rs=−0.39). U.S. dental school NPPs are more complex than “plain language.”