Bachelor Of Dental Surgery Research Articles

Respiratory Symptoms of Exposure to Substances in the Workplace among Bulgarian Dental Students: a Self-report Questionnaire Survey.

Dental students are at high risk of developing adverse respiratory reactions as a result of their practical work during their dentistry degree program when they come into contact with multiple airborne irritants and allergens. To estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms of exposure to substances in the workplace and associated risk factors in Bulgarian dental students. The prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms related to the pre-clinical and clinical training courses of the dentistry program was 12.4%. According to logistic regression analysis, the most important risk factors for work-related respiratory symptoms were a personal history of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (odds ratio (OR) 6.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.14-12.78), atopic dermatitis (OR 2.81, 95%CI: 1.26-6.26), and exposure to chemicals from dental environment for more than 6 hours a day (OR 3.60, 95%CI: 1.21-10.70). The results of this study suggest that work-related respiratory symptoms are frequent among dental students and indicate the need for efforts to establish effective primary preventive programs for occupational respiratory disorders at national level.

ASSESSMENT OF THE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG PRACTISING DENTISTS AND GENERAL PHYSICIANS ABOUT PRESCRIPTION WRITING: A SURVEY

The medical prescription is a legal document and prescribing errors may contribute to complications and medico-legal problems. Hence the following study was undertaken to assess and reinforce the prescription writing skills Aim: To assess the awareness and knowledge among practicing dentists and general physicians about prescription writing. Objectives: 1)To evaluate the prescription writing skills of practicing dentists and general physicians. Materials and methods: 1. The Ethical approval was taken. 2.Sample size was calculated to be 330. 3. The doctors were asked to give a written consent and prescribe - a) Antibiotic b) Analgesic c) Antacid 4.The prescriptions were collected and were divided into three Groups BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), MDS (Master in Dental Surgery) and General Physicians. 5.The observations were tabulated and statistical analysis was done. Results: The results showed that there was statistically significant difference between the three Groups in the criteria of Patient identification, Drug information and Legibility except the Doctors identification criteria. Conclusion: Awareness of the importance of proper prescription writing for avoiding any complications and reinforcement of prescription writing skills is required. Keywords: prescription, physicians, practicing dentist

How confidently do students address patients with psychiatric conditions in the dental clinic? A service evaluation in a UK dental school.

Background Extensive literature covers the relationship between psychiatric and dental health, but little research explores the ability of dental practitioners to confidently address patient mental health. This paper explored self-reported confidence of dental students when addressing patient mental health in a university setting.Methods Mixed-method approach involving a quantitative scenario-based survey and focus groups. Research participants were from years three, four and five of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree.Results Survey data showed low confidence among dental students. Focus group themes included lack of education, prejudice and rejecting responsibility. Participants suggested communication skills workshops to help improve confidence.Discussion Self-reported confidence among dental students when addressing patient mental health was low, echoing wider literature findings. Focus groups highlighted an absence of patient mental health from the curriculum. Systematic reviews have recommended greater education around screening tools for 'assessing psychological comorbidity'. Using best practice, focus group data and psychologist guidance, we developed a communication skills case-based workshop for service improvement.Conclusion Low student confidence likely originates from limited focus within the BDS curriculum. The research will be expanded into other UK dental schools to explore the confidence of dental students nationally and to evaluate and trial the developed workshop.

Frequency of Neck Pain Among Female Medical Students in a Medical University of Karachi

Background: Among all the Musculoskeletal Pain (MSP), the most commonly reported MSP among the undergraduate medical students is the neck pain. As the students study for long hours sitting in front of the computers, use incorrect postures while using the computers, mobile phones, reading, etc. The females face neck problems due to increase stress in their daily life. Our study aims to find out how prevalent is the neck pain among female medical students in a Medical University of Karachi. Methodology: The study conducted was a cross-sectional survey with a study duration of 4 months i.e. from January, 2018 till April, 2018. A non-probability purposive sampling, conducted among the female undergraduate students of Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) studying in DOW University of Health Science, Ojha campus Karachi. The estimated sample size was 400 including female undergraduate medical students of MBBS, BDS, Pharm-D and DPT of DOW University, Ojha campus. Male medical students and students other than DOW University, Ojha campus were not included in this study. Data was analyzed through SPSS version 16.0. Pearson Chi-Square test was used to see the association between neck pain and different physical parameters of the Neck Disability Index. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The results showed that out of 400 female medical students 301 students were having neck pain among which 24.8% of students reported no disability, 36.5% reported mild disability, 9.5% reported severe disability, and 4.5% reported complete disability. Conclusion: It was concluded that the majority of the female medical students were having neck pain with mild disability due to the presence of neck pain.

Assessment of Critical Thinking in a First-Year Dental Curriculum.

We studied how students in a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program perceived the importance of critical thinking and the extent to which critical thinking was perceived to be included in each of 25 courses of the first-year curriculum at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston (UTSD). Sixty-nine of the 102 second-year students who were invited participated in an online survey. The survey had three parts, with all statements of each part evaluated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The first two parts assessed the importance of critical thinking in dental education and the criteria by which critical thinking in didactic curriculum can be measured. In the third part of the survey, students evaluated how well each course of the first-year curriculum achieved critical thinking. More than 90% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that critical thinking is essential to making clinical decisions. Students strongly agreed/agreed that 19 of 25 of the courses incorporated critical thinking. However, when students were asked to rank the top five of the 25 courses, only two courses (Human Biology, Neuroscience) emerged above all others in their weighted ranks, with another seven courses standing out, leaving 16 courses with low weighted rankings for their inclusion of critical thinking. In summary, students agreed on the importance of critical thinking in dental education, and on the criteria by which the incorporation of critical thinking should be measured in didactic and pre-clinical courses.

National Student Survey: Reliability and prediction of overall satisfaction scores with special reference to UK Dental Schools.

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the UK National Student Survey (NSS) (2018) and explore the predictive values of individual questions and question domains on the overall satisfaction score. UK NSS result data (for 2018) were assessed for all those providers that award an undergraduate degree in dentistry. To analyse the correlation of each question item to the overall satisfaction question (question 27), a bivariate 2-tailed Pearson correlation test was conducted, where a P value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. The same test was used to assess such correlation at question domain level. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the test reliability of the NSS data. Question 5 ("My course has provided me with opportunities to explore ideas or concepts in depth") had the highest predictive value, explaining 85% of the correlation data to the overall satisfaction question. The strongest positive correlation could be seen at the "teaching on my course" and "learning opportunities" domains, whereby 84% of the data can be explained by each of these variables. The worst predictor domain was assessment and feedback, whereby only 40% of the data could be explained by the correlation line. Cronbach's alpha was 0.952-0.976. The NSS is a highly reliable test, both at question and domain levels. The highest predictors of overall satisfaction are teaching, learning opportunities and academic support domains. Assessment and feedback has weak predictive value towards the overall satisfaction score. Question 5 is highly predictive of the overall outcome.

Global Interest for Health Professions Education: A Geographic and Temporal Analyses Through Web Search Differences from 2010-2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal differences in web search trends for dental degrees (DD), medical degrees (MD), and nursing degrees (ND) across 197 countries from 2010 to 2019. Method: A search string was used to initiate a search query using Google Trends. The parameters used were DD, MD, and ND as search terms; worldwide as Location; 2010 to 2019 as time range; health education &amp; medical training as category; and web search as database. Data were downloaded and analyzed. Results: Via one-way ANOVA and post hoc Dunnett test, the searches for DD were found to be significantly lower in 2011 (3.2 ± 0.3, p = .044), 2012 (2.6 ± 0.2, p &lt; .001), 2013 (2.8 ± 0.3, p = .006), 2014 (3.0 ± 0.3, p = .017), and 2015 (2.9 ± 0.3, p = .010) compared to the year 2010 (4.5 ± 0.6); the searches for MD was significantly higher in 2019 (84.5 ± 2.5, p = .002) compared to the year 2010 (73.0 ± 1.7); and the searches for ND were statistically significantly higher in 2015 (28.9 ± 1.1, p = .024) and 2019 (31.7 ± 1.1, p = .001) compared to the year 2010 (24.5.0 ± 1.2). The search trend for MD increased in 31 countries and decreased in 14 countries while searches for ND increased in 40 countries and decreased in 5 countries as determined by a two-way ANOVA with Holm-Sidak’s multiple comparison test. The 12-month forecast for the search interests of these health professions predicted a rise in the third quarter and an abrupt decline at the end of the year. Conclusions: Geographic and time factors affect the search interests for health professions. In a span of a decade, the disparity of interests shown by the low interests for DD and ND compared to MD in some countries underscores the need to promote these professions to fill the future health care workforce.

Awareness related to COVID 19 among dental health-care students and professionals of national capital region: A cross sectional study

Background and Objective: The Coronavirus 2 syndrome (SARS CoV 2) or COVID-19 pandemic's rapid and widespread reach has become a major cause of concern to the dental health-care profession. The goal of this study was to assess the knowledge among dental students and professionals about COVID-19 disease and related infection management practices in the region of Delhi-National Capital Region, India. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was created, and it was divided into six sections to assess the awareness with respect to the facts, diagnostic aspects of the disease, and its importance in dental treatment. Convenient sampling method was used for data collection. Comparison was done among the following four groups: Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students, Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) students, academicians (teaching in a dental college), and academicians + practitioners (teaching/not teaching but working in a private dental clinic) over a total of 500 responses for a period of 10 days. The data were coded, entered, and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 version. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and percentages were used to summarize the data. ANOVA test was used to determine the association of study disciplines among BDS, MDS, practitioners, and academicians and practitioners. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average correct responses among various sections among all groups came out to be 60.64%, with the highest score being 64.91% among academicians + practitioners and the lowest score being 57.45% among BDS students. Among the sections, 72.4% was highest (section 1: what is coronavirus) and 41.2% was lowest (section 5: diagnosis/tests). Comparison of the overall sections among various groups showed a nonsignificant result although some individual questions showed a statistically significant result. Conclusion: Dental health professionals need regular educational activities and training programs on infection prevention practices with respect to COVID-19 infection to serve not just their own practice but also to help the health-care sector in case the demand arises.

Evaluating the stress and its association with stressors among the dental undergraduate students of Kanpur city, India: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND:Dental education can be a critical wellspring of stress among dental students, and studies have observed higher levels of stress among dental students than in the all-inclusive community. The present study aims to evaluate the perceived stress among dental undergraduate students, the sources of stress, and an association of perceived stress with sociodemographic characteristics and various stressors.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 undergraduate dental students (from 1st year to final year) in a private dental college, Kanpur. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data regarding sociodemographic profile, perceived stress using Perceived Stress Scale-14, and academic, psychosocial, and environmental stressors. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics-Version 21 (IBM Corp. Released 2012. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0, Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp.).RESULTS:The mean perceived stress score was 30.25 ± 1.914. The median perceived stress score was 30. Statistically significant (P < 0.001) values were found for higher age group and year of studying Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) were important sociodemographic determinant of stress. Vastness of academic curricula, frequency of examination (P < 0.05), and fear of failure/poor performance in examinations were important academic determinants of stress. High parental expectations and family problems were important psychosocial stressors. Accommodation away from home was an important predictor of stress (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:This study revealed that there are various sociodemographic (age and year of study in BDS), academic (curricula, frequency of examination, and performance level) determinants and predictors of stress (type of accommodation), along with psychosocial stressors (parental expectation and family problems). Dental colleges should develop stress management programs to promote gender and social equity and strategies to improve psychological support services. The stress management programs reported either helped to reduce the number of stressors or enhance stress coping skills, using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, and stress management programs.

Evaluation of Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness in Dentistry Students

Objective: To evaluate sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in undergraduate dentistry students. Material and Methods: This research is characterized as an observational study of transversal type, having analysed undergraduate students in dentistry from a public university in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. The sample consisted of 325 students enrolled between the 1st and 10th academic semester. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while excessive daytime sleepiness was analysed through the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) . The t-Student and Mann-Whitney tests were used for the numerical values, with the F-test (ANOVA) or the Kruskal-Wallis test being used to compare more than two categories. Results: It was observed that 71.1% of students presented a poor sleep quality, with more than half of the students exhibiting excessive daytime sleepiness (58.1%). A relationship between sleep quality and the academic semester was verified. However, gender and age were not associated with sleep quality or with excessive daytime sleepiness . Conclusion: A high prevalence of poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness was observed among undergraduate students in dentistry. The data suggest that the undergraduate degree in Dentistry can influence the students’ quality of sleep, regardless of age or gender.

Tratamento Restaurador Atraumático: evolução do conhecimento e aceitação entre Cirurgiões-Dentistas da Estratégia Saúde da Família de Ponta Grossa - Paraná, Brasil ao longo de 5 anos

Objetivo: este estudo avaliou as possíveis modificações no conhecimento teórico/técnico e na aceitação da técnica restauradora atraumática (ART) entre Cirurgiões-Dentistas (CDs) da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) de Ponta Grossa – PR, Brasil ao longo de 5 anos. Material e Métodos: foram utilizados dois instrumentos de avaliação: entrevistas em profundidade e questionários semiestruturados, aplicados ao mesmo grupo de 14 CDs que atuam na ESF. Durante este período, houve momentos de capacitação oferecidos pela Secretaria de Saúde do Município e Secretaria de Saúde do Estado. Resultados: Os CDs afirmaram, nas duas etapas da pesquisa, conhecer o ART e julgaram-no útil em Saúde Pública, fazendo uso das restaurações atraumáticas (RA) rotineiramente. Houve modificações nas percepções referentes ao caráter definitivo das RA; na indicação da técnica de acordo com a característica da lesão cariosa e de acordo com a idade do paciente; na utilização do ácido poliacrílico e de agentes de proteção para o cimento de ionômero de vidro (CIV), entre outras. Além disso, os dentistas passaram a reconhecer o CIV como material essencial à técnica e a aceitar a manutenção da dentina cariada. Houve modificação no hábito da leitura científica sobre o ART entre os profissionais avaliados, além do aumento do número de indivíduos que receberam capacitações sobre ART no serviço. Conclusão: concluiu-se que houve modificações positivas no conhecimento teórico/técnico e na aceitação da técnica ART entre os profissionais entrevistados, reconhecendo assim a importância das capacitações oferecidas no serviço

Dental schools and clinical endodontics in Brazilian Dental education institutions

Este estudo transversal do tipo censo avaliou características dos cursos e os modelos de ensino de endodontia clínica nos cursos de Odontologia no Brasil. Realizou-se acesso a sítios eletrônicos de 452 cursos registrados no Cadastro Nacional de Cursos e Instituições de Educação Superior do Ministério da Educação. As variáveis de interesse foram: dados da instituição; presença de matriz curricular e projeto pedagógico do curso: dados do curso (número de semestres, turno de realização), dados referentes à área de endodontia clínica. Os dados foram inseridos em banco de dados e foi realizada análise estatística descritiva. A graduação em Odontologia ocorre majoritariamente em instituições privadas (86,3%) e na região sudeste (37,8%), sendo os cursos em sua maioria diurnos (73,8%). A matriz curricular e os projetos pedagógicos estavam disponíveis em 76,5% e 23,4%, respectivamente, sendo predominantemente encontrados nos sítios eletrônicos de instituições públicas. O ensino de endodontia clínica tem início em diferentes momentos, conforme o curso, iniciando no terceiro semestre e pode ocorrer de forma isolada ou em clínica integrada. Conclui-se que há um predomínio de oferta de ensino de graduação em Odontologia em instituições privadas. Há um número restrito de vagas em cursos noturnos. Há uma tendência que o ensino de endodontia clínica ocorra de forma integrada com as demais áreas da Odontologia. A coleta de informações é dificultada pelo número restrito de projetos pedagógicos disponíveis para consulta. O total acesso a estar informações permitiria que o aluno, ao ingressar na instituição, conheça como ocorrerá o processo de ensino-aprendizagem.

DEVELOPMENT OF DENTAL ALTERATIONS—CORRELATION BETWEEN MORPHOLOGY AND X-RAY IMAGE

Alterations in tooth development may occur in different ways. One of them is when there are mutations in tooth shape. Occurrence of such alterations may directly affect clinical practice of dentists, interfering with endodontic, orthodontic, and tooth extraction procedures, for example. For that reason, it is of the utmost importance that doctors of dental medicine should be able to identify such alterations. Objective: This study aims to establish the relationship between different morphologic alterations and the images obtained by means of digital x-ray. Study Design: Ten previously extracted teeth were selected, which present the following alterations: dental erosion, talon cusp, taurodontism, hypercementosis, dilacerated root, supernumerary roots, enamel pearls, cervical enamel projection, concrescence, fusion, short root, and rhizomegaly. The aforementioned teeth were cataloged, photographed, and x-rayed. Later, a closer analysis enabled us to observe the relation between visible morphologic alterations and those detected by radiographic testing, thereby determining the correlation between the 2 parameters. Results: Alterations that can affect dental procedures are concrescence, supernumerary roots, dilacerated root, hypercementosis, taurodontism, fusion, short root, and rhizomegalia. Conclusion: It is absolutely essential that x-rays be done before any dental procedures.

Twenty years after the launch of Bologna Process—What is the status of harmonisation of dental education?

Higher education in the European Union states has undergone a major reform towards harmonisation following the "Bologna Declaration." The aim of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of the Bologna Process in Dental Education following its 20th anniversary and identify commonalities and differences in the way dental programmes are delivered in the EU. According to the aim of this study, an Internet search, based on the EU Manual published in 2015, was undertaken and included representative university/dental faculty websites from each EU member state. The search was focused on the type of the under- and postgraduate dental programmes (cycles), the awarded undergraduate degrees (bachelor, master, doctorate), duration of undergraduate study programmes, awarded ECTS credits and the necessity of mandatory postgraduate practical training. Results were collated, and descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken. The search identified 26 EU states out of a total of 28 as providers of dental education. Two of the 26 countries offer a bachelor's degrees (Bachelor of Dental Surgery); five countries offer a combined bachelor's and master's degree; and ten countries still award the doctor's degree for the undergraduate education. Finally, three countries award diploma for the graduating dentist. Two decades after the launch, noticeable differences in the structure and duration of undergraduate dental programmes persist and these may be attributed to curricular structure and university regulations in individual EU countries.

Dental anxiety in first- and final-year Indian dental students

ObjectivesThe study aims to investigate dental anxiety in first- and final-year undergraduate dental students in India.DesignQuestionnaire Study Setting: BDS Students in four University dental colleges in India carried-out during 2013 and 2014.Subjects (materials and methods)The students (n = 614) were assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire. We estimated the level of dental anxiety by using the Modified-Dental-Anxiety-Scale (MDAS). ANCOVA and Mann–Whitney U, and Chi-squared contingency tests were employed to analyze the extensive dataset acquired. Univariate clustering analysis and principal component regression were also applied. Students had similar demographic and lifestyle patterns.InterventionsAssessments of the level of dental anxiety amongst undergraduate dental students.Main outcome measuresMean ± SD MDAS scores for first- and final-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students were 12.96 ± 4.00 and 10.54 ± 3.41, respectively.ResultsSix hundred and fourteen (n = 614) students from four dental colleges were included in this study. In total 77% were female (n = 478) and 23% were male (n = 136). The mean age of the first- and final-year students were 18.31 and 21.54 years, respectively. First-year BDS students had dental anxiety score (Mean ± SD 12.96 ± 4.00) compared to that of the final year (10.54 ± 3.41), a difference which was very highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001).Conclusion(s)Dental anxiety was moderately higher amongst first year BDS students over that of final-year students but it is lesser than the dental phobic threshold level.

Fontes de estresse, bem-estar psicológico e saúde entre estudantes de Odontologia: uma comparação entre fases pré-clínica e clínica e entre os sexos

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar bem-estar psicológico, saúde geral e fontes de estresse de estudantes de Odontologia de quatro cursos, comparando as fases pré-clínica e clínica e os sexos. Três instrumentos foram aplicados: Dental Environment Stress (DES), Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB) e Health Survey (SF-36), respondidos por 203 estudantes, sendo 75 (37%) em fase pré-clínica e 128 (63%) em clínica. Desses, 59 (29%) eram homens e 144 (71%) mulheres. As comparações foram realizadas pelo teste de Mann-Whitney, adotando um nível de significância de 5%. Nos domínios analisados pelo DES (performance acadêmica; dificuldades e inseguranças sobre o futuro profissional; responsabilidade com pacientes; fatores pessoais e institucionais; relações interpessoais), estudantes em fase pré-clínica demonstraram escores significativamente menores quando comparados a estudantes em fase clínica. No escore total de PGWB e em dois domínios (ansiedade e saúde geral), observou-se também escores menores em estudantes em fase pré-clínica. Quatro domínios do SF-36 (dor corporal, funcionamento físico, funcionamento social e papel físico), apresentaram significativa melhor saúde geral dos estudantes em fase pré-clínica. Entre os sexos, dois domínios do DES (performance acadêmica, dificuldade e insegurança sobre o futuro profissional) mostraram menores fatores estressores para o sexo masculino. O PGWB demonstrou diferença significativa em quatro domínios (estado deprimido; autocontrole; saúde geral; vitalidade), com melhor bem-estar psicológico para homens. O sexo masculino apresentou melhor vitalidade no domínio do SF-36. Concluiu-se que estudantes em fase pré-clínica e do sexo masculino demonstraram menores fontes de estresse, melhor bem-estar psicológico e percepção de saúde geral.

Espaço de promoção da saúde na graduação em Odontologia: (re)significando saberes e práticas na produção do cuidado

A promoção da saúde demanda que a prática da atenção à saúde transcenda os conceitos normativos da Medicina em suas expressões clínicas e/ou de saúde pública, precisando ser construída e reconstruída em reconhecimento da realidade das experiências de vida dos pacientes. Desse modo, o objetivo desse artigo é relatar a experiência de desenvolvimento de atividades de promoção de saúde e prevenção de doenças em um espaço compartilhado da Clínica Escola de Odontologia do Centro Universitário Christus, no período de 2015 a 2017. Os grupos de trabalhos foram formados por docentes, discentes e pacientes que eram atendidos na clínica. As ações realizadas foram pactuadas com os usuários no primeiro acesso à clínica, ao iniciar o atendimento do paciente, no âmbito da proposta de construção partilhada do plano de cuidado. Dentre as temáticas trabalhadas destacam-se diabetes e hipertensão, nutrição, saúde da mulher, saúde mental, disfunção temporomandibular, medicalização da vida e automedicação, sexualidade e infecções sexualmente transmissíveis, lesões orais, dores posturais, cuidados e prevenção de acidente vascular encefálico, meio ambiente, sustentabilidade, cárie e doença periodontal. O Espaço de Promoção da Saúde como estratégia metodológica desenvolvida na graduação em Odontologia tem propiciado uma formação acadêmica diferenciada, na qual os discentes e docentes sistematizam o planejamento, trabalham em equipe e promovem ações criativas, problematizadoras, participativas e interprofissionais, experienciando a vivência intersubjetiva com coletivos.

Curriculum development in final year dentistry to enhance competency and professionalism for contemporary general dental practice.

General dentistry is the most common area of practice, and new dentists must have the competency and skills to safely deliver patient care. In New Zealand (NZ), completion of a 5-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree enables graduates to register with the Dental Council in NZ. This necessitates that the clinical component of the curriculum in final year dentistry (BDS5) transparently delivers learning opportunities and evaluates competency for independent practice. A review of the BDS5 Clinical Practice course was undertaken in 2015 and a revised curriculum introduced in 2016. We present a BDS5 curriculum for a Clinical Practice course that is learner focused with emphasis on comprehensive patient-centred care, competency and professional practice. Learning opportunities and assessment processes are described alongside teacher training. These changes have provided students scaffolding to support clinical and professional development, and accommodate different learning preferences. The outcomes align with the competency requirements of the NZ regulatory body for registration as a general dental practitioner. Since its introduction 3years ago, ongoing feedback from students and staff has been positive and indicates the curriculum is effective in achieving its objectives. This curriculum provides a firm foundation for students transitioning to independent clinical practice in the community and supports the professional development of clinical teachers. It may also be translated to other areas of health education to ensure the delivery of quality holistic patient care.

Integrated Interactive Tutorial for Dental Students to Teach Medical Subjects - An Innovative Approach to Effective Learning

Background: The students in medical and dental courses are usually focused on achieving good grades in the examinations. They tend to forget the knowledge gained in pre and paraclinical subjects and hence application of knowledge to the practical life situations suffers. There is a need to change this attitude of “learning only for exams” to “learning for applying the knowledge” for good care of the patients. It is well known that integrated teaching leads to better understanding of the topic than the traditional teaching. Aims and Objectives: Aim was to promote active self learning and develop skills of integrating knowledge. The objectives were to: (1)Introduce the integrated interactive learning method through two departments, (2) To obtain feedback from the students and faculty. Methods: An innovative approach of integrated interactive tutorial was tried among second year students of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course. Students were asked to prepare the Physiology and Pathology of a common clinical condition over a week’s time. During the session, students asked questions on physiology and pathology of that condition from each other. The teachers acted only as facilitators. These sessions were conducted for three consecutive years. After each session, the authors obtained the feedback of students and faculty on their satisfaction and learning experience of this alternative learning strategy. Results: Majority of students felt that this method of learning helped to develop reasoning skills, motivated them towards active self learning and leads to better and deeper understanding of the topic. Conclusion: Integrated interactive tutorial proves to be an easy and learner centred approach to effective learning.

Skin reactions among Bulgarian dental students: A self-report questionnaire survey.

Dental students are at high risk of developing adverse skin reactions following practical work during the dentistry degree program. They encounter multiple irritants and allergens that may cause skin reactions on exposed parts of the body, notably the hands. To estimate the prevalence of skin reactions related to the pre-clinical and clinical training courses of the dentistry program and associated risk factors in Bulgarian dental students. A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-report questionnaire. A total of 467 dental students completed the questionnaire (response 51.8%). The prevalence of self-reported skin symptoms was 21.2%. According to logistic regression analysis, the most important risk factors for work-related skin symptoms were a personal history of atopic dermatitis (odds ratio [OR] 3.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.99-7.72), allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma (OR 1.94, 95%CI: 1.03-3.68), personal history of contact allergy (OR 2.19, 95%CI: 1.06-4.55), and hand washing >16 times a day (OR 2.42, 95%CI: 1.06-5.52). The results of this study suggest that work-related skin symptoms are frequent among dental students and indicate the need to establish effective primary preventive programs for occupational skin disorders at a national level.