Evaluation and Gender Base Comparison of Single-Root Canal Treatment Performance by Clinical-Phase Dental Students Using an Analytic Rubric System

BackgroundThe analytical rubric serves as a permanent reference for guidelines on clinical performance for undergraduate dental students. This study aims to assess the rubric system used to evaluate clinical class II composite restorations performed by undergraduate dental students and to explore the impact of gender on overall student performance across two academic years. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between cumulative grade point averages (CGPAs) and students’ clinical performance.MethodsAn analytical rubric for the assessment of clinical class II composite restoration in the academic years of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 was used by two evaluators. These two evaluators were trained to use the rubric before doing the evaluations. The scores were based on a 4-point scale for the evaluation of five major parameters for pre-operative procedures (10 points), cavity preparation (20 points), restoration procedures (20 points), and time management (4 points). At the same time, chairside oral exam parameter was 15 points based on a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the different analytical rubric parameters, and the independent t-test was used to compare the scores between the student groups and the evaluators. Other tests, such as the Kappa test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, were used to measure the association among CGPA, evaluators, and gender participants.ResultsThe overall score out of 69 slightly increased for females/males (61.28/59.42) and (61.18/59.49) in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant. In the 2022/2023 academic year, female students scored significantly higher than male students in pre-operative procedures, as evaluated by both evaluators (p = 0.001), and in time management, as assessed by both evaluators (p = 0.031). The Kappa test demonstrated a moderate to substantial level of agreement between the two evaluators in both academic years. Strong and significant correlations were noted between students’ CGPA and some tested parameters (p = 0.000).ConclusionThe overall performance was very good and high among both genders, but it was marginally higher among females than among males. This study found some differences in performance between male and female students and variability in the evaluations by the two raters ranging from moderate to substantial agreement and similar performances for students with different CGPA.

BackgroundStudents´ assessment should be carried out in an effective and objective manner, which reduces the possibility of different evaluators giving different scores, thus influencing the qualification obtained and the consistency of education. The aim of the present study was to determine the agreement among four evaluators and compare the overall scores awarded when assessing portfolios of endodontic preclinical treatments performed by dental students by using an analytic rubric and a numeric rating scale.MethodsA random sample of 42 portfolios performed by fourth-year dental students at preclinical endodontic practices were blindly assessed by four evaluators using two different evaluation methods: an analytic rubric specifically designed and a numeric rating scale. Six categories were analyzed: radiographic assessment, access preparation, shaping procedure, obturation, content of the portfolio, and presentation of the portfolio. The maximum global score was 10 points. The overall scores obtained with both methods from each evaluator were compared by Student’s t, while agreement among evaluators was measured by Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The influence of the difficulty of the endodontic treatment on the evaluators´ scores was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Statistical tests were performed at a pre-set alpha of 0.05 using Stata 16.ResultsDifficulty of canal treatment did not influence the scores of evaluators, irrespective of the evaluation method used. When the analytic rubric was used, inter-evaluator agreement was substantial for radiographic assessment, access preparation, shaping procedure, obturation, and overall scores. Inter-evaluator agreement ranged from moderate to fair with the numeric rating scale. Mean higher overall scores were achieved when numeric rating scale was used. Presentation and content of the portfolio showed slight and fair agreement, respectively, among evaluators, regardless the evaluation method applied.ConclusionsAssessment guided by an analytic rubric allowed evaluators to reach higher levels of agreement than those obtained when using a numeric rating scale. However, the rubric negatively affected overall scores.

This study aimed to compare the strength of association (i.e., explained variability) of the cumulative grade point average (GPA) with the grades obtained in the clerkship portfolio and the final structured oral exam by dental students. A prospective longitudinal study was designed to analyze quantitative data from three cohorts of dental school students. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were built to evaluate the association between the students' cumulative GPA with the grades obtained in their clerkship portfolio and the final structured oral exam. In total, 171 students in the last year of the undergraduate program were considered (76% women, age average 24.8±1.6 years). The dental students' grades of both portfolio and structured oral exam were significantly associated with the GPA score but with different strengths of association. The clerkship portfolio was more strongly associated with cumulative GPA than the structured oral exam (R2 =19.6% versus R2 =7.6%). On the opposite, the association between the structured oral exam and GPA can be interpreted as a lower precision in its practical significance and thus reflecting different concurrent validity. Considering the results of this study, it could probably incline the balance toward the portfolio because it may be closer to a programmatic assessment model, with timely feedback, development of metacognition, and the achievement of formative process measurement rather than evidence of a single instance of examination.

Predictors, prevention, and management of postoperative pain associated with nonsurgical root canal treatment: A systematic review

This study aims to determine to what extent prior academic performance (secondary school Grade Point Average (GPA) and Ethiopian University Entrance Exam (EUEE) scores) and the psychosocial factors (academic motivation, self-esteem, academic self-efficacy, perceived stress, academic adjustment, and perceived social support) predict first-year students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). To this end, correlational research design was employed. Data were gathered using Academic Motivation Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale, Academic Adjustment Scale, Ethiopian University Entrance Examination, Secondary School GPA, and First-year CGPA. The research involved 343 first-year regular students of Wallaga University. Results revealed that academic motivation (r =.686; p < .001), self-esteem (r =.849; p < .001), academic adjustment (r =.771; p < .001), secondary school CGPA (r =.643; p < .001), and EUEE (r = .266; p < .001) were correlated positively and significantly with first-year students’ CGPA, while perceived stress (r= −.164; p = .002) is negatively correlated with academic achievement. Moreover, self-esteem (β = .539; p < .01), secondary school CGPA (β =.232; p < .01), academic adjustment (β =.219; p < .01), and academic self-efficacy (β = −.075; p < .01) were found to be the significant predictors of first-year students’ CGPA. Demographic variables, such as students’ sex, the place where they grew up, and parents’ level of education were also shown to be important determinant factors influencing students’ academic success i.e. being male, being grew up in urban settings, and being from parents with higher educational status were important contributors for students’ academic achievement. It is recommended that university leaders and instructors should provide the necessary support for their students’ psychosocial adjustment by reducing their stress levels and thereby improve their CGPA. Studying psychosocial factors alongside prior academic performance factors is crucial because it provides a more holistic understanding of student success and failure. Thus, in the context of the Ethiopian higher education, where dropout rates remain a significant concern, this research offers valuable empirical evidence to inform institutional practices and policy interventions aimed at enhancing student retention and academic outcomes.

Outcome of Endodontic Treatment: The Most Cited Publications

The study aimed to examine the correlation between students’ motivation and their academic achievement explained in terms of Cumulative Grade point Average (CGPA) and investigated the motivational factors' effect on the student’s overall academic achievement in the Applied Science courses. 393 students were selected using both stratified and random sampling techniques from the regular students attending 2nd and 3rd-year degree programs at Kotebe University of Education. Data were collected using a questionnaire to measure the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the sample students on a 5-point Likert scale. The results reveal that the supportive behavior of students significantly accounted for 1% of the variance in CGPA. Besides, students' supportive and personal behaviors significantly explained about 2.2% variance in the criterion measure (CGPA). However, assessing the relative importance of each factor, "challenging oneself" and "the need for personal growth and development" significantly contributed to 1.1% and 1.6 % of the variance in CGPA respectively. Such a low proportion of variance in CGPA might be associated with the range of restriction in scores of both independent and dependent variables. Thus, among the intrinsic motivation these two components appeared to be the direct factors that influence students’ CGPA in science courses. It could be inferred that students’ strong internal motivation seems to advance their successful science learning and achievement. Thus, to help students be motivated to learn science tangibly, teachers’ commitment to using interactive methods, providing reasonably challenging tasks, and giving timely feedback, through organizing the science teaching and learning environment is decisive.

Education is an important way for students to change their social status. Students’ academic performance in tertiary education is determined by their Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). There are many factors that contribute to determine whether the CGPA is excellent, moderate, or low. However, this study was carried out to determine the effect of different factors and academic achievement among university students of HSTU. For this study, A total of 500 students were involved in the study in which purposive or judgment sampling technique were used. In this study, ordinal logistic regression model is also applied to identify the factors that have impact more on academic achievement. From association test we have found that there was no association (p&gt;0.05) between stress and academic achievement (CGPA). There was also no association between involve in group study and CGPA (p &gt; 0.05) and between extra curriculum activities, stress, mobile usages in study purpose, relationship status and CGPA (p&gt;0.05). There was significant relationship between family monthly income, sex of student, occupation of family head, politics, residence, lab facilities, income source and CGPA (p&lt;0.05). In ordinal logistic regression model of academic achievement in HSTU students’ sex, political status, involve in group study, mobile use on study purpose and involve in extra curriculum activities as significant variables.

This study aimed to understand the medical sciences students’ critical thinking (CT) and their learning styles and investigate the relationship between academic performance and the both mentioned variables. A descriptive analytical study was conducted on 469 medical sciences students in Ardabil University of Medical Sciences using the Kolb's learning styles and California's CT skills test (Form-B). Cumulative grade point average was considered as academic performance. The data were analyzed with SPSS 18 and using Chi Square test, Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation test with a significant level of p<0.05 . The mean of academic performance was 15.9±1.7 . The popular learning style among students was assimilative style. Results showed significant relationship between academic performance and learning style. Significant relationship between academic performances of students with the total CT skills was not found, but significant relationship was seen between academic performance and deductive skill only. Learning styles changed in different semesters among medicine and dentistry students from an abstract-reflexive style to a concrete-active one. Using appropriate, active and collaborative teaching methods can help to improve learning and students' academic performance.

Graduating students of UiTM are required to sit for English Exit Test (EET) whose objective is to gauge students’ English proficiency level and their readiness for the workplace. Since the test is administered before students finish their studies, it is important to examine if EET has a predictive validity in determining the academic performance of UiTM students. We use the students’ CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) to gauge their academic performance and English language proficiency since English is used as a medium of instruction at UiTM. A four-part predictive validity study was conducted on the relationship between students’ EET performance and academic achievement. A sample of 1,436 students’ EET results and CGPA from various faculties were analysed based on the results from four semesters which were 2016/2, 2016/4, 2017/2 and 2017/4. The relationship among the scores were summarised with correlation coefficients and a series of one-way ANOVA tests were run to see if there were any significant mean differences in the scores based on faculties in a span of two years. The findings revealed that there were positive correlations between students’ EET results and their CGPA. Thus, it can be concluded that EET has the predictive validity for students’ academic achievement which is the CGPA. The present study also found that EET can be considered a good test as the results of EET could differentiate good students from weak ones. This was determined by running a series of One-way ANOVA tests. The results revealed that faculties whose students had high English proficiency level scored better in EET than those whose students who had low English proficiency level. Therefore, the findings indicate that EET has a potential in differentiating high English proficient students from low English proficient students for their language readiness in the workplace.

This research investigates the impact of emotions and mental health on students' cumulative grade point average (CGPA) using machine learning classification algorithms while addressing data imbalances with the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE). Emotional well-being and mental health are acknowledged as vital determinants of academic achievement. Data imbalance, particularly in mental health metrics such as anxiety and depression, frequently compromises forecast accuracy. This study improves the accuracy of CGPA prediction based on emotional and mental health factors by utilizing SMOTE in machine learning models such as logistic regression and random forest. A dataset including 226 university students, including academic records and self-reported mental health evaluations, was evaluated. The random forest model attained an accuracy of 87.63%, exceeding the logistic regression model's accuracy of 86.56%. These findings emphasize the significant role of emotions and mental health in academic outcomes and validate SMOTE’s efficacy in addressing class imbalance. This work offers a fresh technique in educational data mining by revealing the possibility for improved academic achievement forecasts based on psychological characteristics, helping to the development of targeted therapies for students experiencing emotional issues. Implications for educational policy emphasize the significance of mental health support systems in promoting academic achievement. Subsequent research should investigate supplementary psychological variables and comprehensible models to improve predictive accuracy and facilitate evidence-based policymaking.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the global education systems, affecting the individual social, mental, and psychological status of the community and forcing a global shutdown of the schools. Objective: The study was designed to identify the effects of COVID-19 on the academic performance of natural and computational science students at Wolkite University, Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 86 students were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The student’s department formed the strata, and from each department, the selection was made by the lottery method, drawn without bias. A paired t-test, an independent t-test, and an ANOVA test were employed for the analysis of the data. Results: The average of students’ cumulative grade point average (CGPA) before and after COVID-19 were 3.016 ± 0.529 and 2.955 ± 0.558 respectively. The average family's monthly income was (3380.23 ± 2596.23) and the average student's age was (22.41 ± 1.51. The outcome of paired samples t-test between students cumulative grade point average after COVID-19 and before COVID-19 (p-value: 0.01; 95% CI: -0.11, -0.01) showed a significant mean difference. The independent t-test for equality of means for cumulative grade point average after COVID-19 student stress status showed a significant mean difference (p-value: &lt;0.0000; 95% CI: -0.76499,0-.33045). The ANOVA test on students’ cumulative grade point average after COVID-19 and before COVID-19 stratified by department, mothers’ education level, and father’s education level showed no statistically significant mean difference. Conclusion: COVID-19 significantly impacted the performance, income, and stress levels of the participating students. More studies are needed on a larger sample to establish a trend. Keywords: Cumulative grade point average CGPA, COVID -19 Panadeamic, and Academic Performance

Neither the prevalence of periapical radiolucency (PARL), a surrogate for disease, nor the prevalence of non-surgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) in elders have been subjected to systematic review. The purpose of this study was to conduct systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of PARL and NSRCT in elders. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were used for defined searches in MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL. Title lists were scanned and abstracts read to determine utility; articles meeting the criteria were analyzed. Weighted mean percentages were calculated for prevalence of PARL, NSRCT, and PARL in both teeth with and without NSRCT. Defined searching produced 3576 titles; 29 prevalence articles were included. Patient samples mostly represented modern populations from countries with very high human development indices. Meta-analyses were performed on up to 74000 elders' teeth. For those aged 65+, the prevalence of all teeth with NSRCT was extremely high, 21%; the prevalence of all teeth with PARL was quite high, 7%; the prevalence of PARL in NSRCT teeth was high, 25%; and the prevalence of PARL in untreated teeth was surprisingly high, 4%. In elders, the prevalence of NSRCT and PARL separately increased with age; whereas, PARL in NSRCT teeth decreased with age. In comparison to general adult populations, elders had: a much higher prevalence of NSRCT, a higher prevalence of PARL, a lower prevalence of PARL in NSRCT teeth, and a higher prevalence of PARL in untreated teeth. Teeth saved through NSRCT were preferentially retained by elders.

Initial nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) is highly successful, is appreciated by patients, relieves pain, and is cost-effective. Results from systematic reviews and studies with very large sample sizes show very high tooth survival rates following NSRCT. Very few patient-associated factors decrease the prognosis for healing after NSRCT. The vast majority of cases will heal following initial NSRCT; the small minority that do not heal are generally best addressed by nonsurgical retreatment. Nonsurgical retreatment is effective and conservative, addressing bacteria remaining within the root canal system. Healing rates increase over time following nonsurgical retreatment. The very small proportion of cases that do not heal after nonsurgical retreatment are best addressed by modern apical microsurgery. Additional case-specific surgical options should be considered before extraction. Intentional replantation remains a viable alternative to extraction. Autotransplantation has a place, particularly in growing patients with an appropriate donor tooth. Root amputation is effective when disease is localized to a single root where adequate remaining tooth structure and periodontal support will remain. Valid reasons to extract and replace an unhealed NSRCT tooth include lack of remaining tooth structure, high caries risk, or high periodontal risk. Not all extracted teeth need to be replaced, but when replacement is indicated, the single-tooth implant is preferred. Single-tooth implants have higher survival rates, but the natural state has intrinsic value. Comprehensive case assessment, evaluation of all endodontic options, and risk assessment for caries and periodontal disease are always necessary when choosing the optimal treatment for a patient when initial root canal treatment has failed to heal.

Background: Sleep quality and stress are critical determinants of academic performance, especially among undergraduate dental students who face intense academic and clinical demands. Despite increasing awareness, the combined impact of sleep disturbances and stress on scholastic achievement remains underexplored in South Asian educational settings. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between sleep disturbances, perceived stress levels, and academic performance among undergraduate dental students in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over eight months, involving 284 dental students from multiple institutions in Lahore. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were used to assess sleep quality and stress levels, respectively. Academic performance was measured using self-reported cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Data were analyzed using SPSS v26, with Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression to determine associations among variables. Results: Poor sleep quality (PSQI &gt;5) was prevalent in 69.7% of students, and 85.3% reported moderate to high stress. The mean CGPA was 3.42 ± 0.34. Pearson’s correlation revealed a significant negative association between PSQI scores and CGPA (r = –0.42, p &lt; 0.001) and between PSS scores and CGPA (r = –0.38, p &lt; 0.001). A strong positive correlation was observed between PSQI and PSS scores (r = 0.51, p &lt; 0.001), indicating a reciprocal relationship between poor sleep and high stress. Conclusion: Sleep disturbances and elevated stress levels are prevalent among dental students and are significantly associated with lower academic performance. Institutional strategies promoting sleep hygiene and stress reduction are vital for improving student outcomes.