Dental Curriculum Research Articles

Teaching to learn: Using peer-assisted learning to complement the undergraduate dental curriculum.

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a method of teaching in which students teach their often less-experienced peers. Whilst they gain more knowledge, peer tutors are able to convey information at a level that tutees can engage with. Whilst the use of PAL has increased in popularity within the healthcare faculty, there are fewer reports of its efficacy within dental education. Our aim is to explore the advantages and disadvantages of PAL, identifying factors that make it effective within undergraduate dental teaching. 3rd-year dental students enrolled in supplementary PAL sessions taught by 4th-year dental student volunteers alongside their curriculum on an Integrated Human Disease course. Tutees participating in more than one PAL session were invited to a focus group to discuss the value of PAL within teaching, as were their tutors. Semi-structured focus groups in which they reflected on their learning experience and satisfaction were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. The qualitative data gathered from the focus groups for peer tutees (n=4) and peer tutors (n=5) revealed that the sessions stimulated learning, built confidence, developed skills out with the core topics and were complementary to the course. Our study confirms that PAL enhances the learning experience and is mutually advantageous to both tutees and tutors. Whilst further training, a larger sample size and higher quality research are required to confirm the more general use of PAL, the promise shown in this study would suggest that PAL is an extremely useful method, complementing the undergraduate dental curriculum.

Validation of the criteria matrix about the generalist's education in Dentistry Undergraduate Courses.

The generalist training planned by Brazilian National Curriculum Guidelines for Dentistry undergraduate courses should provide actions for the development of health promotion in the field of public health, as well as disease prevention, diagnosis, planning, and dental treatment in the clinical field. Considering this complexity, the aim of the present study was to validate dimensions and sub-dimensions in dentistry training, allowing the identification of the main necessary competences and clinical skills for the generalist practice. For this, an evaluation study was carried out through the Delph's Method with the participation of 19 professors of Dentistry courses in Brazil working in the clinical area, considered "experts" in this theme. It was possible to identify clinical competences and skills in four dimensions and respective sub-dimensions: Transversal skills (biosafety, patient-team communication, humanization, ethical principles, dental documentation); Diagnosis and planning (diagnosis of dental caries, pulp and periapical changes, and periodontal diseases, clinical and imaging exam, and single treatment planning); Preventive activities (oral hygiene guidance and oral cancer prevention); and Dental care (anesthesia, basic oral surgery, drug prescription, subgingival scaling and root planing, dental restoration, minimally and non-invasive restoration treatment, and dental urgencies). The developed model represents a differentiated alternative for the construction of an innovative curriculum in Dentistry, aimed at the training of general practitioners to provide humanized, highly effective, and resolving care. The importance of clinical tutoring by professors on the essential clinical skills and abilities is highlighted in this study.

Establishing links between assessments and expected learning outcomes through curriculum mapping in a dental physiology curriculum

. The relevance of curriculum mapping to determine the links between expected learning outcomes and assessment is well stated in the literature. Nevertheless, studies confirming the usage of such maps are minimal. . We assessed links through curriculum mapping, between assessments and expected learning outcomes of dental physiology curriculum of three batches of students (2012-14) at Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Manipal. The questions asked under each assessment method were mapped to the respective expected learning outcomes, and students' scores in different assessments in physiology were gathered. Students' (n = 220) and teachers' (n=15) perspectives were collected through focus group discussion sessions and questionnaire surveys. . More than 75% of students were successful (≥50% scores) in majority of the assessments. There was moderate (r=0.4-0.6) to strong positive correlation (r=0.7-0.9) between majority of the assessments. However, students' scores in viva voce had a weak positive correlation with the practical examination score (r=0.230). The score in the assessments of problem-based learning had either weak (r=0.1-0.3) or no correlation with other assessment scores. . Through curriculum mapping, we were able to establish links between assessments and expected learning outcomes. We observed that, in the assessment system followed at MMMC, all expected learning outcomes were not given equal weightage in the examinations. Moreover, there was no direct assessment of self-directed learning skills. Our study also showed that assessment has supported students in achieving the expected learning outcomes as evidenced by the qualitative and quantitative data.

Do didactics improve clinical skills: A retrospective educational study

Introduction: As predoctoral dental students navigate through the dental curriculum, the knowledge of clinical dentistry is progressively gained from didactic lecture courses. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between endodontic didactic knowledge and endodontic preclinical skills. Methods: The study utilized the existing preclinical endodontic assessments of 2nd-year dental students (105 students). Using ExamSoft, the nonclinical questions (e.g., microbiology and pulp biology) were excluded from the final didactic assessment, and a new didactic grade was calculated and assigned to each student. Each endodontic skill (access preparation, instrumentation and obturation, and combined) was matched with corresponding clinically related questions in the didactic assessment. For each student, the matched didactic grade was weighted against the practical grade using Kendall's τ correlation coefficient. To determine the effect of each predictor variable (didactic score and gender), an ordinal logistic regression was used. Results: For all portions of the examination, the correlation between preclinical and didactic grades was significant, P Conclusion: Only a weak association was found between didactic performance and preclinical skills. Lectures on clinical topics should be improved and sequenced accordingly to better link the theory of endodontic technique to the hands-on simulation laboratory.

Knowledge and attitude of dental students of Navi Mumbai on tobacco cessation counseling: A cross-sectional study.

Due to the increasing awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco, quite a few tobacco users have shown interest in quitting. But, still there is lack of knowledge, lack of tobacco cessation support, and strong cultural habits which influence their inability to quit. Dentists are less likely to provide tobacco cessation advice and counseling and they feel inadequately prepared to provide tobacco cessation education to their patients as compared to physicians and other health professionals. Furthermore, tobacco cessation counseling is not yet a part of routine dental practice and is not incorporated in the dental curriculum. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude of dental students of Navi Mumbai on tobacco cessation counseling. It is a cross-sectional survey-based study. A total of 691 interns and 4th year BDS students were assessed using a structured questionnaire. About 75.3% of the participants claimed that they were not sufficiently trained to provide tobacco cessation counseling. However, 84.2% indicated willingness to counsel their patients regarding the same. About 62.1% felt that the patients do not listen to dental students about quitting and 89.6% of students agreed that counseling patients on tobacco cessation is their duty. Dental students lacked confidence in providing counseling to tobacco users due to lack of knowledge on tobacco cessation counseling. However, majority of the participants were also motivated to undertake special training for counseling. The study highlights the importance of introducing tobacco cessation counseling program in the curriculum of dental students to create awareness about the same and to help dental professionals provide effective tobacco cessation counseling.

Needs Assessment for a Module on Medical Emergencies in Dentistry in Syrian Dental Schools: A Cross-sectional Study in Aleppo University

Medical emergency skills are very important for dentists. These skills need to be focused on by dental schools especially in Syria throughout civilian war. Assessment of the need for dental curriculum in Syrian dental schools was required to develop a module on medical emergencies in dentistry in Syrian dental schools to meet the community needs. A cross-sectional study design have been used to assess the need for a module on medical emergencies in dentistry at faculty of dentistry in Aleppo University. A multiple-choice question (MCQ) test has been developed to assess medical emergency knowledge among undergraduate students. A module on medical emergency in dentistry has been designed depending on the results of needs assessment which, is based on how many students have passed the MCQ test about comprehensive guidelines on medical emergencies in the dental practice. After collecting the test results, if any gap is founded in the curriculum based on medical emergency concepts in dentistry, Harden’s 10 questions will be used in this study to develop a module on medical emergencies in dentistry if the mean score of the MCQ test was below the pass/fail point (less than 50%). 44 students (42%) have passed the MCQ test. 61 students (58%) have failed the MCQ test. The mean score of 75 (MCQ) items test was 45%. Every item of the MCQ test was answered respectively by senior year undergraduate dental students in Aleppo University. Data from the test results has been collected and evaluated statistically. Depending on The mean score of the MCQ test, a module on medical emergencies in dentistry was needed to be developed in Syrian dental schools' curriculum. MCQs has been effective to assess knowledge of medical emergency in Syrian dental schools. Depending on this research results, there still need to develop a Module on Medical Emergencies in Dentistry in Syrian dental schools. Therefore a new module on Medical Emergencies in Dentistry was suggested in this paper to develop the curriculum in Syrian dental schools.

Network Modelling and Visualisation Analysis of the Undergraduate Dental Curriculum System in China

Objectives: This study aims to present the characteristics of the undergraduate dental curriculum system using network modelling and visualisation analysis based on complex network theory, thus providing a theoretical foundation for the course development and curriculum reform. Methods: The correlation coefficient was used to quantify the intensity of the correlation between courses, and a visualisation complex network of the dental curriculum was built to explore the curriculum pattern from a dynamic perspective. Further, the statistical measurements of curriculum network were adopted to express the most relevant topological features. Subsequently, the minimum spanning tree and parallel coordinates plot were drawn to explore the curriculum community structure, quantify the key courses, and present different courses in time and space relationships. Results: The correlation analysis results show that the courses are closely related to each other. The main courses focus on pathology, pathophysiology, oral anatomy and physiology, closely connecting almost all medicine-related courses. The whole course network has an average degree value of 41.53, and a clustering coefficient of 0.78, indicating an obvious small-world characteristic. From the perspective of curriculum attributes, the number of public and theoretical courses was more than that of skills and practical courses. Moreover, the academic performance of skills and practical courses was lower than that of public and theoretical courses. Conclusion: The undergraduate dental courses have a progressive structure from basic professional knowledge to professional skills, which is reasonable for the dental education in China. However, some efforts towards curriculum reform based on this study are needed.

Ranking the soft skills of the dental profession based on the importance in job performance: A mixed method study in Isfahan and Mazandaran Universities of Medical Sciences

Soft skills are the key indicators of success and quality of performance in various professions, including the dental profession. The skills are the main tools for enhancing the quality of technical work in Dentistry. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the soft skills in dental profession. The study employed a mixed methods research. In the qualitative phase, the dental skills were identified using a semi-structured interview with faculty members and dental students. In the quantitative phase, the soft skills were prioritized with Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The data analysis was using Expert Choice software. The results showed that the dental profession to improve the quality of performance needs to 29 soft skills in six categories. In professional ethics, work ethics (with weight of 0.212) and responsibility (0.188); in artistic skills, handicrafts (0.616); in cognitive skills, decision-making ability (0.290) and spatial thinking (0.249); in communication skills, verbal/nonverbal communication and listening (0.266), and patience (0.240); in individual characteristics, stress management (0.381) and self-esteem (0.260); and finally, in management skills, time management (0.481) are among the most important soft skills in dental profession. Identify and prioritize the soft skills can help to improve the quality of performance the dental profession. Therefore, it is recommended to integrate these skills into the dentistry curriculum. Moreover, by increasing the number of studies the essential backgrounds for developing soft skills in dentistry education will be provided.

The Trend of Analytical Approaches in Dental Research.

ABSTRACTObjectives:The aims of this article are to examine statistical approaches employed in international dental articles published in 2018 and 2019, as well as to examine relationships among analytical approaches, journal rankings, and types of research.Materials and Methods:International dental journals published in 2018 and 2019 were selected from the four quartiles (Q1–Q4) of journal rankings using a stratified random sampling. All original articles in a randomly sampled issue of each selected journal were reviewed to explore employed statistical approaches and to examine relationships among analytical approaches, journal rankings, and types of research.Results:One hundred and twenty-eight English-written international journals listed according to SCImago Journal Rank were selected, consisting 969 original articles. Significant differences in the use of statistics were found among the four quartiles and between types of research. The articles in Q1 tended to use more advanced analysis but lower descriptive analytics than other quartiles. The narrative approach was highly used in laboratory-based articles (18.66%), whereas clinical research was likely to use more descriptive (92.32%) and advanced analyses (26.30%). The data also found no remarkable differences in the patterns of the three most common statistical use among the four quartiles.Conclusion:This research revealed statistical use in international dental journals, which will enable educators to consider statistical content to be included in dental curricula, either for undergraduate or for postgraduate programs.

Value of self-assessment as a learning tool in dental education and practice: A descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Self-assessment (SA) skills are integral to lifelong learning process as they are a mode to share educational responsibility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the dental undergraduate student's perception, practice of SA, and its impact over their academic and clinical performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 444 dental students regarding practice of SA in their academic and clinical practice across all the years for a period of 3 months. Data were collected by a pilot-tested self-administered structured questionnaire adopting convenient sampling and analyzed using SPSS Version 22 Software. RESULTS: Mean score for the value of SA skill as a learning tool was lower (60.21 ± 4.83) among 3rd-year dental students and highest (65.26 ± 4.69) among interns with an overall mean score of 62.59 ± 5.27, and the results of one-way ANOVA revealed that the year-wise mean score difference was statistically significant. The post hoc test revealed that the mean score for value of SA skills was significantly different between 1st-year and 3rd-year students. Although undergraduate students valued the need of SA skills for lifelong learning process, there is paucity toward their ability to accurately perform SA. CONCLUSION: In the context of how SA is perceived by dental undergraduates, our study suggests that the acceptability of SA is seldom explored. The focused responses of the participants of this study underline the importance and need of training and practicing SA skills in dental undergraduate curriculum.

Maxillary Alveolar Bone Dimensional Changes of Post -Extraction Sockets in Humans

Dentistry has remarkable advancements in dental restorative materials, techniques and strategies that are remarkable in many ways. Scientifically proven approaches have proved that implants were esthetically and functionally excellent options for tooth replacement. Restoration of dental implant is considered to be a highly evolved procedure for oral health care considering reserved specialists and requires training beyond the regular dental school curriculum. Considering these important facts, a thorough knowledge of maxillary sinus anatomy in the edentulous patient is very much required for placement of successful maxillary sinus implants and the changes occurring in it periodically due course with no replacement. Treatment planning is very crucial considering the events occurring in dimensional changes in the maxillary sinus for successful implant placements and prognosis. The current study focuses on physical and physiological events occurring in the maxillary sinus due to a lack of prosthesis.

Successful development and implementation of a digital dentistry curriculum at a US dental school.

Introducing new technology in the dental school curriculum may face some uphill challenges navigating through university-level bureaucracy, financial ramifications, and influencing the mindset of certain faculty. A dental school that relies heavily on teaching traditional restorative procedures may particularly face many challenges to embrace new technology. The restorative department at a US dental school created a division of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) dentistry to introduce the concept of digital dentistry to dental students and faculty. This article describes methods that were adopted to improve acceptance and increase the productivity of chairside CAD/CAM restorations for both students and faculty at the dental school in US.

Adoption of IRT: An Instrument Retraction Technique in Local Anesthesia Delivery

This article evaluates the adoption of an Instrument Retraction Technique (IRT) taught in preclinical local anesthesia to dental students, and its subsequent use in their clinical practice. Immediately following their basic injection technique instruction, first-year students were asked to observe senior students’ technique over a three-week period. During this time, they completed surveys to determine if senior students continue to apply the techniques taught during the first-year course. The results of the surveys suggest safer techniques taught in preclinical curricula continue to be used during clinical procedures. Successful introduction of IRT during mandibular anesthesia into a dental school curriculum is an option for potential reduction in intraoral needle sticks and should be considered when evaluating local anesthesia curriculum in dental schools. The instruction of dental students should coincide with clinical faculty training and calibration. The authors concluded that further evaluation of the technique should be performed to confirm reduction of risk of Blood borne Exposure (BBE) to clinician without subsequent need for additional anesthesia to patient.

Current status of dental hygiene curriculum related to clinical practice for dental hygienists in some universities

Current status of dental hygiene curriculum related to clinical practice for dental hygienists in some universities

Tooth eruption clock: A novel learning aid.

Chronology of tooth eruption is the most preliminary and crucial topic which is covered in the undergraduate syllabus of the dental curriculum. Eruption of permanent and primary teeth follows a particular time sequence. Both maxillary and mandibular arch has similar number of teeth, beginning from central incisors to molars. The pattern of eruption differs slightly between maxillary and mandibular arch. Remembering the years or months in a numerical manner is the usual way by which a student learns the eruption chronology. Eruption clock is a specially designed learning aid, which makes this teaching–learning process a lot easier, effective and practical.

Emergency medical care in dentistry: A cross sectional analysis of competencies for undergraduate students.

Background:The possibility of a medical crisis, albeit a relatively uncommon occurrence in a dental practice, is often overlooked and it is imperative that dental practitioners equip themselves with the knowledge and skills essential to manage potentially life-threatening situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and competency levels of dental undergraduate students training across universities in the UAE in basic life support (BLS) and medical emergencies in a dental setting.Methods:A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted and 411 students undergoing clinical training (4th and 5th year of dental school) voluntarily participated in this study. The questionnaire comprised questions related to commonly occurring medical emergencies that they may have encountered in a dental setting. Data collected were then tabulated and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis.Results:More than half of the respondents (55.2%) reported that they had lower confidence in handling medical emergencies, with 54.7% claiming that they had not received training on the subject during their undergraduate course. Majority of the respondents (216) reported that they would only choose to record vital signs if the medical history of the patient was indicative of an underlying condition.Discussion:Findings from the present study strongly mandate the inclusion of training for BLS and medical emergencies in the existing dental curriculum to equip graduate dental practitioners to handle a medical crisis in their dental practice.

Evaluation of oral-health behavioral attitudes of dental students in Switzerland and Brazil.

This study evaluated the effect of progressive training on the oral health behaviors of dental students from Switzerland and Brazil. Dental students from two dental schools (in Zurich, Switzerland, and Goiania, Brazil) were recruited for this study. Dental behaviors of the students in the final 3 years of their 5-year dental curriculum were assessed with the 20-item Hiroshima University-Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI). Nonparametric tests were used to assess intergroup and intragroup differences (significance level: α = 0.05). 190 students (Zurich: n = 121, mean age ± SD = 25.5 ± 4.5 years; Goiania: n = 69, mean age ± SD = 23.5 ± 2.9 years) of a possible 277 students completed the survey (response rate = 68.6%). The overall mean HU-DBI score was 8.16 ± 1.35 (8.02 ± 1.27 in Switzerland and 8.41 ± 1.47 in Brazil). Age (P = 0.225) and sex (P = 0.145) were not associated with the scores, but the respondent's nationality seemed to play a role (P = 0.024). Progressive training had no effect on the scores (P = 0.766). The present findings show that progressive training has no effect on the oral health behaviors of dental students but the nationality might be a factor.

Learning local anesthetic techniques in dental college of Purvanchal Region, India: A cross-sectional questionnaire study

Introduction: Dentistry deals with teeth and related oral structures. Most of the procedure require anesthesia to make it painless. Objective: The objective of this study was (1) Recording the most frequently used local anesthetic techniques in our dental colleges and (2) satisfaction rate of dental students toward their curriculum of learning local anesthesia. Finally, we also wanted to formulate a research hypothesis, i.e., will artificial models be able to restitute conventional ways of learning local anesthesia in dental colleges. Materials and Methods: Prevalidated questions from published articles were picked and using Google Forms, an online survey platform was prepared, students who were the part of the study were asked to mark their response. Out of 90 students, 74 replied to the questionnaire. Response rate was 82.22%. This study was conducted between April and June 2019. Results: The survey results show that inferior alveolar nerve block and greater palatine were used very frequently (75.7% and 58.1%), respectively. Whereas, papillary (interdental) injection (PI) rarely (43.2%) or never (24.3%) and mental/incisive nerve block rarely (31.1%) or never (10.8%). Fifty-eight percent reported to learn local anesthesia on patient. Two-third (67.6%) of students was satisfied with their routine way of learning local anesthesia. Conclusion: Our study infers that, inferior alveolar nerve block is very frequently used nerve block. PI is rarely or never used block. Maxillary infiltration is marked as easy technique and can be performed without getting additional training. Two-third of students are satisfied with the present dental curriculum while one third wants a change.

The reproduction of gender differences in early career choices and professional identity of young dentist in Finland.

For over the last 20years, approximately 70% of working dentists in Finland have been women. However, there is internal division of the profession along gender lines. Female dentists work more often in the public sector and male dentists in the private sector. The aim of this study was to investigate the gender differences in young dentists' early career choices, specialization plans, values and perceptions of professional identity. The data were taken from a national e-mail questionnaire study called "Young Dentist," which was sent to 458 dentists who had received their licence to practise dentistry in 2014-2016 from all four universities with dental curricula in Finland. A total of 52% young dentists (n=238) answered the questionnaire. The results indicated that whereas female dentists were more likely to perceive themselves as comforters, social workers and health promoters, male dentists tended to perceive themselves as technicians. These professional identities were interrelated with early-stage career choices in which female dentists worked more often in the public than in the private sector when compared to male dentists. There were also clear gender differences in the importance of values and the specialization plans of the young dentists. Young dentists in Finland make career choices and develop professional identity in accordance with the attributes traditionally associated with cultural ideals related to femininity and masculinity.

A multicenter study of dental curricula in Asia/Pacific nations: The views and experiences of final-year dental students.

The objective of this qualitative study was to gain greater understanding of final-year dental students' views on and experience of their dental curricula in 4 universities from different Asia/Pacific countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong (China). A qualitative study approach was used, with semistructured interviews conducted with final-year students from each of the 4 universities. Interviews were conducted with 60 final-year dental students, and 5 main themes were extracted from the interviews: (1) the definition of an "ideal" dental curriculum, (2) theoretical teaching, (3) transitional tools, (4) assessment, and (5) grading. The findings provide insight into final-year students' views of dental curricula and suggestions on possible areas of reform in the dental curriculum. Further investigations are necessary to provide a curriculum that enables students to become competent, future-ready dental practitioners.