DENTAL PROFESSION STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF HEPATITIS B PREVENTION AND TRANSMISSION BASED ON THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Context: The rapid spread of COVID-19 globally continues to be a threat for healthcare professionals. Dental students and practitioners remain at the risk of having this disease. Aim: The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students across India toward COVID-19. Settings and Design: A survey with 51 questions to obtain knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students toward COVID-19 was formulated, pretested via a pilot study and then validated. Subjects and Methods: The final questionnaire was circulated through a link to Google forms, making participation voluntary. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was carried out using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and independent t-test. Results: A total of 610 undergraduate dental students (3rd year, 4th year and students undergoing internship) from various dental colleges across the country responded. On intergroup comparison using One-way ANOVA test, between knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental undergraduate students, attitude toward COVID-19 was found be of statistical significance with P = 0.008. Conclusion: Knowledge, awareness, and perception toward COVID-19 will help contain the spread of this infectious disease that can be caused during dental procedures. There lies a strong call to conduct educational programs on COVID-19 regarding the infection control practices for all healthcare professions, especially dental school students.

Dental Student Perceptions of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as a Specialty

Peer assessment in dental and medical education is a key tool for evaluating attitudes and communication skills, serving as an effective formative learning method. It not only boosts academic performance and encourages lifelong learning and reflective practice but also fosters collaboration, effective communication, and constructive feedback among peers. This study aimed to assess dental students' satisfaction and perceptions regarding implementing peer assessment in case presentations, including contribution to their learning. This cross-sectional study involved third (n=26), fourth (n=54), and sixth (n=71) dental students divided into five groups. Each student received peer assessments (n=8) from the students of the other groups regarding their clinical presentation. At the end of the process, students were invited to complete an anonymous 9-item questionnaire to assess student perceptions of the peer-assessment process. Data were analyzed to evaluate students' perception and satisfaction with the peer assessment task. The bivariate analysis explored associations among questionnaire items. A total of 151 students participated in the current study. Results showed a high level of agreement for most of the students regarding their preparedness for peer and self-assessment. More than 75% of the students at all academic levels found it challenging to evaluate their peers. Student satisfaction scores increased with the level of education, (4.076, 4.214, and 4.246 out of five, respectively) with moderate correlations between peer evaluation characteristics. Peer assessment appears to enhance learning and professional development in dental students. Students' satisfaction with peer assessment grows with education level, reflecting its role in fostering critical evaluation skills and feedback.

Tooth carving on wax/plaster/plastic to reproduce reference models of teeth is used to teach dental studentsanatomy of the tooth. There is a ongoing debate on value of tooth carving exercise in undergraduate dentalcurriculum. Perception of students on utility of tooth carving is important in planning dental curriculum.Objective: The present study seeks to analyze the perception of undergraduate dental students about toothcarving, its relevance and utility in future clinical practice. The various aids preferred by them to learn dentalcarving.Method: Student’s perception was assessed using a self administered questionnaire.Results: Total 58 students participated in the study (36 girls and 22 boys). Both male and female studentsperceived that video demonstration of tooth carving, a improved carver design and having a collection of 32natural teeth in the department and attending workshops will help in more accurate and better understandingof tooth carving. More male students perceived that dental carving will be helpful in their clinical practicecompared to females. Majority of students believed that the course content on carving was adequate. 90% of3rd year students perceived that attending workshops would improve their knowledge on carving comparedto 66% 2nd year students and the difference was found to be statistically significant. A higher proportionof 2nd year students compared to 3rd year students perceived that improved carver design would help themcarve more accurately. More 3rd year students felt that the course content on carving was adequate. Majorityof students perceived that multimedia presentations were the most effective educational aid for teachingtooth carving. Majority of students perceived that having handouts of presentations and POP models will bebeneficial to them in learning tooth carving.Conclusion: There is a need to revise the curriculum emphasizing on the utility of tooth carving in clinicalpractice. Also there is a need to adopt new innovative method at teaching dental carving, improving oncarver design and enriching the course content with emphasis on competency and skills since many studentseven after having exposure to carving felt the need for further workshops.

This study evaluated the usage habits, attitudes, and perceptions of undergraduate dental students toward distance (online) learning and identified variables related to those attitudes. The study included 1,605 undergraduate dental students who participated voluntarily. The data collection tool consisted of a distance learning attitude scale, a questionnaire on personal information, and open-ended questions. The perceptions of dental students to distance education according to the year and type of dental school they attended were evaluated. Most students expressed that distance learning in dental courses was not as effective as traditional face-to-face education (59.1%, n=949). While students studying at state universities had a more negative view of distance education, the satisfaction scores of the first-year students were found to be significantly lower than the other students (p<0.05). Dental students were generally unhappy with the interruption of traditional education caused by COVID-19 and having to continue their education online. However, under the circumstances, they saw it as an advantage allowing them to continue their education and avoid a complete suspension.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a burning topic and use of AI in our day-to-day life has increased exponentially. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of Turkish dental students towards AI and to provide information about their opinions to use of AI in dentistry. A 22-question survey was distributed through Google Forms to all dental students at 9 Turkish dental schools in March 2019. It consisted of various sections aiming to evaluate the dental students' knowledge and attitudes toward AI and possible applications in dentistry. Respondents' anonymity was ensured. A total of 1103 students (650 female, 453 male; mean age was 21.36 ± 1.93 years) responded to the questionnaire for a 21.69% response rate. Of these, about 48.40% had basic knowledge about AI technologies and 10.6% stated that they had no information sources about AI. 85.70% agreed that dentistry would be revolutionized by AI but 28.60% did not agree that AI could replace themselves in the near future. In addition, 74.60% and 79.80% of agreed on topics about AI to be included in undergraduate and postgraduate dental education, respectively. Although participants have insufficient knowledge of AI, they are willing to improve their knowledge in this field. Participants shared an optimistic views and thought that AI will have a positive impact on dental future practice. Follow-up surveys and multinational studies should be conducted to further explore these issues.

Background: Dental students in their clinical years are part of the dental workforce. The ability of the graduate to identify patient's aesthetic requirements and determine the degree to which those requirements or desires can be met is one of the new dentist's competencies. The perception of dental students toward some esthetic factors of smile was investigated and compared to that of pharmacy students in the same university. Materials and Methods: The authors developed a booklet of smile comprised of an ideal smile and seven altered smiles involving change in shade, shape, width and length of teeth in addition to midline shift and change in the gingival display. Students rated ideal smile and altered smiles using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS).Results: The study involved 198 students; 108 dental students and 89 pharmacy students and 131 females and 66 males. Mean values for the VAS for the ideal smile were 72, 66 for dental and pharmacy students, respectively. While the mean values for the altered smiles varied between 23 and 65. Ideal smile was rated significantly higher by dental students (P = 0.015) Dental students rated midline shift change in gingival display, alteration in size and shape significantly lower than pharmacy students. While no significant difference was detected between the pharmacy students' ratings of the ideal smile and alterations in shape, size, clinical crown and gingival display.Conclusion: Dental students are more receptive to smile alterations. Dental students appreciated the ideal smile more than pharmacy students. Darker tooth shades, spacing and midline shift were least accepted by both dental and pharmacy students. Dental students were more sensitive to changes in gingival display, crown length, lateral incisors width and shape while pharmacy students were more tolerant to these changes.

Health care has transformed intensely with the Digital Era. Smartphone is one of the digital tools which change the traditional way of teaching-learning nowadays. There is the widespread use of Smartphones as a part of the ‘Learning Management System’ in dental healthcare. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, regular classroom and clinical educational activities for dental students were almost disturbed globally. ‘WHO Guidelines’, appeal to everyone to stop the spread of pandemic by maintaining social distancing. As per the Government and University guidelines, colleges must continue education through an online platform so that students should not be deprived of education. As this current situation is unpredictable, Smartphones are routinely used by many students to continue digital education. Therefore the perception of students on the usage of Smartphones as an easily available efficient teaching-learning tool in dentistry is the need of the hour. So, the aim of the study was to assess the perception of undergraduate dental students about the use of Smartphones in dentistry as an efficient teaching-learning tool during COVID – 19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was carried out at VSPM Dental College and Research Centre, Nagpur. Pre-validated questionnaires were provided to the dental undergraduate students containing 14 closed-ended questions and one open-ended question among approximately 500 students through Google Form. 99% of students used smartphones for e-learning. Smartphones are convenient and easily accessible devices during this pandemic situation to continue teaching and learning. Smartphones in dentistry are really an efficient digital teaching-learning tool during COVID – 19 pandemic situations.

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a recurring ulcer on the oral mucosa with no known cause and without association with systemic diseases. Dental profession students are expected to have adequate knowledge and positive perceptions regarding the use of mouthwash for RAS therapy. This study aimed to describe the levels of knowledge and perception of dental students about the selection and use of mouthwash for managing RAS. The study involved 90 students from the Dental Profession Study Programme at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising 18 questions, divided into two categories: (1) knowledge of mouthwash brands, active ingredients, usage duration, and timing, and (2) perceptions regarding the importance, safety, and effectiveness of mouthwash for RAS. The responses were tabulated and presented in percentages. The results revealed that 95.56% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of mouthwash for RAS therapy. Perceptions of the importance, safety, and effectiveness of mouthwash were 87.78%, 98.89%, and 94.44%, respectively, with an overall positive perception rate of 92.22%. In conclusion, dental profession students at Universitas Airlangga possess a high level of knowledge and positive perceptions about the use of mouthwash for RAS therapy.

Background: The educational setting in medical schools influences education quality and student satisfaction. Knowing students' views on learning environment is crucial as more enroll in private medical colleges. This study assesses the learning environment of University College of Medicine &amp; Dentistry, University of Lahore, through students' perspectives using the John Hopkins Learning Environment Scale. The aim is to identify areas for enhancement and improve the educational experience.Objective: The objective of current study was to assess the perception of medical and dental undergraduate students about their learning environment at Medical and Dental College of University of Lahore.Materials and Methods: This analytical Cross-sectional study was conducted in University College of Medicine &amp; Dentistry, University of Lahore. The Study was conducted from 12 April 2022 to 22 October 2022. Sample of the study was 214 medical and dental students. Data was collected using Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES). Independent sample t test was used to explore the difference of MBBS and BDS students' perception about learning environment.Results: A significant difference was found between the perception of medical and dental students in terms learning environment (t=2.45, P=.015). Perception of medical students about the learning environment of was more positive (92.57±10.03) as compared to dental students (89.22±9.97).Conclusion: Medical students of University College of Medicine &amp; Dentistry, The University of Lahore perceived learning environment more positive as compared to dental students. This is due to the better quality of physical space and facilities available for medical students compared to dental students.Keywords: Community of peers, Dental students, Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES), Medical students, Physical space,

Context: Due to emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were ordered to be closed to protect students from viral exposure. The mode of teaching had to be shifted from face-to-face to digital learning to complete the prescribed syllabi in a stipulated time period. Aim: This study aimed to assess the attitude and perception of undergraduate dental students towards computer-mediated teaching during COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: After obtaining informed consent, a questionnaire study was conducted online using Google Forms among undergraduate students of dental colleges in Central India. Methods and Material: A standard pre-tested questionnaire in English was used, which consisted of 3 parts. The first part recorded demographic data, second part evaluated learning and third part assessed the attitude of the students to computer-mediated learning. Statistical analysis used: 1045 students participated in the study. Learning and Attitude Score was calculated and mean score was compared between groups using ANOVA. Results: Most of the students (above 80%) believed the modern education is inconceivable without computer technology. However, only about 30% believed that such teaching can substitute traditional way of learning. Those with advanced skills in computers reported to have better experience with computer-mediated learning (p&lt;0.05).

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected educational institutions worldwide. The established face-to-face education has been converted to online education; therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate and compare the perception of dental students and academicians on online education and the challenges they face due to online education. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among dental students and academicians of eight dental colleges in the state of Telangana. A self-designed and validated 38-item questionnaire was distributed among dental students and academicians, and the collected data were subjected to descriptive statistics. A Chi-square test was applied to check the association between the perception of dental students and academicians. Results: Among 635 dental students, 79.7% believed that online education was the safest way during the pandemic, and 80.8% believed that online education focused on developing theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills. Among 136 dental academicians, 91.8% believed that online education negatively impacted student participation and productivity. There is a significant difference in the perceptions between dental students and academicians toward online education. Conclusion: Online education is a boon in many fields during the pandemic, but this mode alone will not serve the purpose of dental education.

Background and Purpose: A limited number of studies have assessed the level of confidence among final-year dental students regarding their ability to conduct key dental procedures. This study aims to assess the perception and confidence level of final-year dental students from the School of Dentistry at the University of Jordan to perform essential dental procedures across various dental disciplines and to assess the effect of competencies implementation in curricula on the confidence level of students. Methods: Two cohorts of final-year dental students answered an electronic questionnaire: one group in 2016 before the implementation of the competency-based assessment system (group 1, n = 153), and the other in 2019 after the implementation of this system (group 2, n = 199). The two groups were compared regarding the degree of confidence in conducting key dental procedures. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistics. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups regarding confidence levels in four out of nine endodontic procedures included in this study (anterior teeth root canal treatment (RCT), interpreting the results of vitality tests, placing rubber dam (RD), diagnosing irreversible pulpitis) and in five out of 15 oral surgery procedures considered herein (performing surgical extraction, local infiltration, simple extraction, simple suturing, prescribing medication for acute dental infection). These differences were all in favor of group 1 except for only one procedure (performing surgical extraction). Conclusion: This study showed that the implementation of a competency-based system at the University of Jordan is largely not useful if not counter-productive with regard to the student's level of confidence when performing endodontic or surgical procedures. The results also showed that dental students generally have high confidence levels in doing simple dental procedures and less confidence in more complex ones. Thus, additional focus on such complex procedures is advised during post-graduation training and before entitlement for practice licensing.

Aim and objective: The study aimed to assess the perception of undergraduate dental students toward online lectures during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) lockdown period. Materials and methods: A questionnaire using a 3-point Likert scale was distributed to 400 undergraduate dental students of a dental institute. The survey form distribution and data collection were done using Google Forms. The data were entered into an excel spreadsheet and analyzed using SPSS version 15. Chi-square test and Fischer’s exact test were applied to know the association of perception of undergraduate dental students toward online lectures with gender and their year of course. Results: A total of 356 students responded to the survey with a response rate of 89%. While the majority of students (77.8%) had a good experience in understanding online lectures, only 18% of students found online lectures to be more impactful than classroom lectures. Also, a statistically significant difference was found among students in a different year of the course (p = 0.04). Approximately 49% of the students with a higher number of males (69.6%) as compared to females (43.9%) felt that online lectures needed further improvement to support their learning (p = 0.001). While 58% of students preferred the inclusion of online lectures in future dental education, 76.4% of students said that they would prefer a combination of both online lectures and classroom lectures. Conclusion: Students had a positive response toward online lectures. However, based on the results, it can be concluded that the e-learning system needs further improvement to support students’ learning and it can only be considered as an adjunct to traditional classroom lectures. Clinical significance: The concept of online teaching was explored globally in view of the pandemic of COVID-19. The use of online lectures, webinars, and continuing dental education was very helpful and informative for dental students. The curriculum and teaching were possible even in lockdown, maintaining social distancing. Thus, this study helps to find out the perception and understanding of dental students toward online lectures and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. © Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. 2021.

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. IntroductionMedical emergencies in dental clinic can be upsetting to any practicing dentist. Cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one such medical emergency which can occur in dental office. Every dental practitioner therefore should at least be able to perform the basics of CPR. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate self-perceived perceptions of change in knowledge, skills and confidence level of 3rd year dental students after introduction of simulation based basic life support (BLS) teaching. It was assumed that after simulation based BLS teaching, dental students would feel more confident in providing immediate management to a patient of cardiac arrest during dental practice.Methods3rd year dental students attending General Medicine clinical rotation received two hours simulation based BLS teaching and perceptions of students were taken on a questionnaire, based on Likert scale. Change in self-perceived perceptions of knowledge, skills and confidence of students was analyzed.ResultsAnalysis showed that simulation based teaching significantly increases the level of knowledge, skills and self-perceived confidence of students regarding BLS skills.ConclusionThe study determined the perceived effectiveness of simulation based teaching in increasing the confidence level of dental students regarding performance of BLS skills in dental office.