Effect of an extramural program of dental care for the special patient on attitudes of students

Abstract

All too frequently, courses and clinical experiences are introduced in dental education merely becausse they seem to be the popular things to do. Unfortunately, however, just as frequently such experiences are inappropriately planned and developed; they fail to achieve the basic purpose behind their introduction. This study reports such a failure in dental education. A course in dental care for the special patient was hastily and inadequately conceived and implemented. Thecourse did not achieve its objective'in fact, had it been allowed to continuein subsequent years, it could have done more harm than good. The means exist for evaluating whatever id done, and the educator should be willing to accept failure as well as success. The recognition and identification of failure can infact serve a worthwhile purpose, to the advantage of the system, if the elementscontributing to the failure are identified and proper changes are introduced.