Dental School Graduates Research Articles

Ability assessment of the craniofacial structures radiological anatomy on panoramic radiography among dental student during pandemic of Covid-19. Ability assessment on OPG among dental student during pandemic of Covid-19.

Orthopantomography (OPG) is a routine imaging method in dental practice and an essential di- agnostic tool in dentistry. However, OPGs are challenging to interpret due to many overlapping structures. Graduates of dental schools should be aware of image distortions caused by various factors and be able to distinguish them from typical structures to make an accurate diagnosis. The aim was to determine the correlation between the knowledge regarding the location of craniofacial structures of the 1st through 3rd- year dental students and the ability to recognized them on OPGs. The study was conducted in 2021 on 131 dental students using the Microsoft Teams program. Each participant had to determine the location of 4 anthropometric points on 4 OPGs. Using proprietary software, the authors determined the Articular angle between them. The researchers performed the statistical analysis. The Bioethics Committee approved the research. The results of students from particular years of studies did not show statistical significance. There was no statistically significant difference between males and females. Only the answers from third-year male students regarding the one Articular angle showed statistically significant differences compared to the rest of the participants. Recognizing joint structures on OPG is very important from the clinical point of view, although it is often overlooked in diagnostics. Students in the first years of dental school acquire the ability to assess and analyze TMJ on OPGs properly. OPGs have many advantages, including high availability, low cost and low radiation dose. In conclusion we can say that in the first three years of studies, dental students' image assessment skills in the craniofacial radiology field remain the same.

Dental Students' and Dental School Graduates' Practical Skills: An International Survey of Perceptions of National Dental Associations in Europe.

Dental students learn knowledge and practical skills to provide oral health care to the population. Practical skills must be maintained or continuously developed throughout a professional career. This cross-sectional survey aimed to evaluate the perception of practical skills of dental students and dental-school graduates by national dental associations (NDAs) in international comparison in the European Regional Organization of the FDI World Dental Federation (ERO-FDI) zone. A questionnaire of 14 items collected information on pre-/postgraduate areas. A total of 25 countries participated (response rate: 69.4%), with 80.0% having minimum requirements for practical skills acquisition and 64.0% starting practical training in the 3rd year of study. In countries where clinical practical work on patients begins in the 2nd year of study, practical skills of graduates are perceived as average, starting in the 3rd year of study as mainly good, starting in the 4th as varying widely from poor to very good. In total, 76.0% of respondents feel that improvements are needed before entering dental practice. Improvements could be reached by treating more patients in dental school (32.0%), increasing the quantity of clinical training (20.0%), or having more clinical instructors (12.0%). In 56.0% of the countries, it is possible to open one's own dental practice immediately after graduation, and in 16.0%, prior vocational training is mandatory. All participating countries in the ERO-FDI zone reported practical training in dental school, most starting in the 3rd year of study. The perception of practical skills of dental students and dental-school graduates among NDAs is very heterogeneous. Reasons for the perceived deficiencies should be further explored.

Identifying barriers and strategies for achieving competency in removable prosthodontics in undergraduate dental students: a mixed-method study

BackgroundDeveloping competency in removable prosthodontics (RP) is challenging for undergraduate dental students because it involves threshold concepts and tacit knowledge. Understanding this process can enhance learning and professional development in RP. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers hindering knowledge (threshold concept) and skill (tacit knowledge) development, and to propose strategies for achieving RP competency.MethodsAdopting critical theory, quantitative and qualitative approaches were implemented. The participants were third- to sixth-year dental students and recent dental school graduates. An online questionnaire was used to investigate the knowledge and skills required for achieving RP competency and barriers to RP competency development. Four focus groups were conducted to gather in-depth information. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 322 respondents completed the questionnaire (67% response rate), and 26 of them participated in focus group interviews. The four threshold concepts to achieve RP competency were the basic principles of RP, removable partial denture design, occlusion, and dental materials. The two main tacit knowledges were impression making and material handling skills. The curriculum should integrate strategies to assist dental students in overcoming intrinsic barriers such as self-experience, revision, and spatial-temporal relationship, along with extrinsic factors such as clinical correlations of content, discussions, and immediate feedback.ConclusionsThreshold concepts and tacit knowledge in RP for undergraduate dental students have been proposed The strategies to overcome barriers comprise intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include the adoption of experiential learning. This study suggests effective teaching methods and learning strategies to maximize student learning and RP competency development when designing the undergraduate RP curriculum in dental education.

Enhancing interprofessional education readiness in undergraduate dental students: a scenario-based peer learning programme.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an educational approach that brings together students from different healthcare professions to foster collaborative learning and teamwork. Before integrating IPE into the curriculum of health preprofessional students, it is necessary to increase their readiness for IPE. Dentistry increasingly values interprofessional collaboration and teamwork for enhanced patient care and healthcare team competencies, an emphasis also echoed by recent dental education authorities. The aim of this quasi-experimental research was to assess the influence of Scenario Based Learning Peer Learning (SBPL) programme, which involved scenarios necessitating interprofessional communication, on the readiness for IPE among a cohort of undergraduate dental students studying within the framework of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This study investigates undergraduate dental students' readiness for IPE and the influence of SBPL programme on their readiness. Participants (n = 25) from 18 EHEA countries completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale(RIPLS) before and after SBPL programme, held at the 70th European Dental Students' Association (EDSA)meeting. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (p = 0.05). After the SBPT programme, there was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in the mean of the total scale, teamwork and collaboration, roles and responsibilities and professional identity subscale. In general, SBPL programme showed a constructive effect on interprofessional readiness. Although there was no statistically significant increase only in items 9,12,18 of the 19 items of the RIPLS, there was an increase in the averages in all except item 12. Our research emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives and IPE in the realm of dental education. Within the limits of this study, it showcases the efficacy of a brief half-day SBPL programme with interprofessional scenarios in enhancing participants' readiness. The programme notably enhanced dental students' readiness in grasping crucial aspects of IPE: teamwork and collaboration, professional identity, and roles and responsibilities. However, this study does not delve into the potential impact of a comprehensive, long-term curriculum integrating IPE principles. This gap underscores the need for further exploration into the sustained influence of IPE on the interprofessional skills of dental school graduates.

Gender trends in dentistry: Dental faculty and academic leadership.

Gender equality in the healthcare workforce has been a topic of discourse for many decades. In dental academia, women's representation of enrolled students and faculty has risen consistently since the 1980s. However, women in faculty leadership positions may still be lagging when compared to men. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the number of women who occupy the upper echelons of academic rank and title by analyzing cross-referenced data from the American Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association on women dental school graduates in relation to academic appointments. Gender distribution in rank, title, and appointments in the decade from 2011 to 2019, as well as percentage of women graduates over the same period, were collected for descriptive statistics. Multiple linear regression analysis, Cochran Armitage, and chi-square tests were conducted to examine trends over the years and to determine significant differences in overall percentages (p<0.05). The total women faculty percentages ranged from 36% to 40%. While the lower-level rank of instructor retained a higher representation of women (56%-65%), the higher rank of professor had disproportionately lower women percentages (18%-26%). Graduates, full-time faculty, lower-level academic ranks, and higher-level academic ranks for women followed similar upward trends that were statistically significant (p<0.05). When comparing the different groups against each other, the annual increase in women DMD/DDS graduate percentage was higher than women full-time faculty (0.28%), instructor rank (0.92%), professor rank (0.50%), and department chair appointments (0.49%). Our data show that women are still underrepresented at higher academic ranks. However, the upward trends for professors, assistant deans, and program chairs suggest that in recent years, more women faculty may have been encouraged, mentored, or offered higher administrative positions in academic institutions.

Preparedness of Dentists to Manage Anxiety in Developmentally Disabled Patients.

Recently, the National Council on Disability urged the Commission on Dental Accreditation to require more thorough training in the care of developmentally disabled patients. Curricula is early in its development and its' effectiveness is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if special needs dental education has had an impact on providers' professional behavior, practice characteristics, attitudes, and confidence when treating these patients and managing their dental anxiety. A nonrandomized, noninterventional, and anonymous, Qualtrics survey was administered prospectively to members of one local and one national organization. Of the 107 respondents (response rate of 81.06%), 89% treat special needs patients. Positive reinforcement (88.64%), distraction (85.23%), and enhancing control (85.23%) were the modalities most used by these participants. Regarding treating this population, the average response regarding both confidence and wanting to learn more fell between disagree and agree at 2.92, while the average response regarding concern about safety fell between agree and strongly agree at 3.22. Level of specific expertize had the strongest influence on a provider's decision to treat, while reimbursement level had the least influence. Among participants who completed postdoctoral education, the average response for how well their education prepared them to manage patients with special needs was higher for their postdoctoral training compared to their dental school training, with pediatric dentists reporting the highest rate of preparation. No correlation was found between year of dental school graduation and how well they felt their education prepared them for treating this population. Significance level was set at 5%. Dental education can have a significant impact on dentists' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and confidence about treating those with developmental disabilities and managing their dental anxiety. Acknowledging that this relationship exists should encourage educational improvements in this area.

An educational model for special patient care in dentistry.

Dental school graduates often have a basic knowledge in the management of patients with specialized healthcare needs. As of August 2019, CODA amended their accreditation standard 2-25: dental school graduates must be competent in the assessment and management of treatment of patients with specialized healthcare needs and disabilities. While the majority of these patients require modified dental care, many dental schools lack the facilities to provide both the proper care and education. This paper identifies improvements to dental education brought on by the innovations at Penn Dental Medicines' Personalized Care Suite for Persons with Disabilities (PCARE). Patient centered care is the emphasis of the PCARE curriculum. Although the clinic has special rooms and equipment to assist in accommodating the special needs of the patients, the program focuses on teaching dental students how to provide comfortable, safe, and effective care in a typical office setting. Detailed patient assessment, non-pharmacological management techniques, and treatment plans designed to meet the needs and abilities of the patients and caregivers are taught through lecture and direct patient care. Teaching assessment and management of this population is of great importance. Including treatment in Standard 2-25 creates another challenge to dental education. Penn Dental's facility allows multidisciplinary care in a cohesive and timely manner. The experience in PCARE offers unique opportunities to educate dental professionals in developing a patient centered approach in the treatment and maintenance of oral health in those patients who require accommodation.

Preparing learners to ACT as change agents: Early implementation of leadership curricula in dental education.

Graduates of dental schools are expected to become leaders in their practices, communities, and profession. Yet, formal leadership training is underutilized in U.S. dental school curricula to help learners develop these skills. The objective of this study was to understand third- and fourth-year dental students' perceptions of their initial semester of Bell Leadership Institute training as part of the novel Advocate, Clinician, Thinker curriculum at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry. Focus groups of 52 third- and fourth-year dental students were conducted after the completion of the first semester of leadership seminars. Session notes were transcribed, and qualitative analysis was performed to help elucidate student perceptions of the value and pertinence of the leadership seminars. Participants valued the opportunities to self-reflect, develop listening skills, and learn strategies to address and mitigate conflict through the leadership seminars. Perceptions of seminar length, frequency, and structure were varied. Participants also noted that explicit connections and applications of leadership topics to the field of dentistry would improve the quality of the programing. Feedback from 52 focus group participants suggests a general appreciation for curriculum-integrated leadership training. Early implementation of seminar-style leadership training in dental school curricula appears to be a productive avenue for developing critical leadership skills in dental school graduates.

Perception of the clinical endodontic practice of Dentistry graduates in their first years in the job market in southern Brazil

Introduction: Knowledge about the clinical endodontic practices of dental school graduates in the first years of their professional life may contribute to the discussions about Dentistry teaching. Methods: An online questionnaire with seven open and closed questions hosted on the Google forms platform was applied to dentists trained in the first half of 2019 in a School of Dentistry in southern Brazil. The questionnaire is structured to analyze how clinical Endodontics has been practiced in the labor market. The data collected in the questionnaires were transferred to an Excel® spreadsheet and analyzed as absolute and relative frequencies for closed questions and descriptions for open questions. Results: Molars and two-rooted teeth are the dental groups most frequently treated endodontically (64.3% and 35.7%). Both retreatment and conservative treatment of the pulp corresponded to up to 25% of all procedures in the graduates’ clinical practice. The endodontic protocol learned in their dental school was used by 64.3% of the graduates who provided endodontic treatments, and 42.9% reported the occurrence of at least one accident. The difficulty in access reported by the participants suggests that more training should be provided for this operative stage. Conclusions: After two years in the job market and having faced the initial difficulties existing in any profession, more than half of the graduates still performed endodontics in their dental clinical practice and used the same protocols learned in dental school.

Evaluation of pediatric dentists' knowledge and approaches to tooth discoloration.

In recent years, esthetic expectations have come to the fore in pediatric dentistry, as in every field of dentistry. Therefore, to better meet patients' expectations, the steps taken to determine and improve the current level of knowledge of pediatric dentists on tooth discoloration gain importance. This study aims to measure the knowledge levels of pediatric dentists regarding tooth discoloration. A 33-questioned survey created online was emailed to pediatric dentists between March and December 2021. The first part included four multiple-choice and two open-ended questions regarding demographic characteristics. The second part was to measure the participants' knowledge of tooth discoloration. The last part was to evaluate the clinical approaches of the participants. Participants who agreed to answer all of the questions were included in the study (n = 129). The knowledge levels of the participants were scored according to the accuracy of their answers. The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Of the pediatric dentists who participated in this study, 16.3% had high knowledge, 79.8% had medium knowledge, and 3.9% had insufficient understanding of tooth discoloration. There was no correlation between time since dental school graduation and time spent practicing as a pediatric dentist (p > 0.05). The group with the highest average level of knowledge was the group most frequently encountered with tooth discoloration in the clinic (p ≤ 0.05). On average, pediatric dentists had moderate knowledge of tooth discoloration. The group with the highest average expertise in this field was the group that most frequently encountered and treated tooth discoloration. Information on tooth discoloration due to systemic factors was insufficient. To increase the knowledge level of pediatric dentists about the causes and treatments of tooth discoloration, it may be beneficial to establish training programs during and after specialization education.

A closer look at disparities in earnings between white and minoritized dentists.

To examine the factors that account for differences in dentist earnings between White and minoritized dentists. We used data from the American Dental Association's Survey of dental practice, which includes information on 2001-2018 dentist net income, practice ZIP code, patient mix between private and public insurance, and dentist gender, age, and year of dental school graduation. We merged the data on dentist race and ethnicity and school of graduation from the American Dental Association masterfile. Based on practice ZIP code, we also merged the data on local area racial and ethnic composition from the American Community Survey. We used a linear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to assess observable characteristics that explain the gap in earnings between White and minoritized dentists. To assess differences in earnings between White and minoritized dentists at different points of the income distribution, we used a re-centered influence function and estimated an unconditional quantile Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. We extracted data for 22,086 dentists ages 25-85 who worked at least 8 weeks per year and 20 hours per week. Observable characteristics accounted for 58% of the earnings gap between White and Asian dentists, 55% of the gap between White and Hispanic dentists, and 31% of the gap between White and Black dentists. The gap in earnings between White and Asian dentists narrowed at higher quantiles of the income distribution. Compared to other minoritized dentists, Black dentists have the largest earnings disparities relative to White dentists. While the level of the explained component of the disparity for Black dentists is comparable to the explained part of the disparities for other minoritized dentists, the excess percentage of the unexplained component for Black dentists accounts for the additional amount of disparity that Black dentists experienced. Persistent income disparities could discourage minoritized dentists from entering the profession.

"OPERATIVE DENTISTRY: The Vanishing Discipline," a reprint with Foreword.

"OPERATIVE DENTISTRY: The Vanishing Discipline," a reprint with Foreword.

The current dental school admissions: An overview of the admission process and the geographical distribution of dental school enrollees in Taiwan

Background/purposeThere is no specific admission system for dentistry in Taiwan. The aims of this study were to describe and analyze the current admission processes for entry into dental schools through the university admission system and to compare the geographical distribution of dental school enrollees. Materials and methodsAll seven dental schools of general universities in Taiwan were included to analyze the admission protocols in 2019 and 2020. All data of dental enrollment quotas and dental school enrollees presented in this study were collected from information available to the public on the related websites. ResultsThe total dental enrollment quotas via the university admission system were 381 in 2019 and 397 in 2020. Those admitted via the special program for indigenous peoples and offshore island peoples were both 27 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The main dental school admission way was individual application, and the main providers of dental enrollment quotas were northern dental schools and private dental schools. In addition, dental school enrollees were concentrated in the northern region, municipalities, and cities in Taiwan. ConclusionFurther advancement is needed to expand participation and broaden the sociodemographic profile of dental school applicants. The dental schools would benefit from a long-term prospective study about the correlation of admission methods with students’ performance in dental schools. The special program is impacting the equality of admission opportunities. It is necessary to track the practice dynamics of these dental school graduates who were enrolled via the special program as a basis for policy adjustment.

Restorative treatment decisions for carious lesions: Do Russian dentists and dental students apply minimal intervention dentistry?

BackgroundThe concept of minimal intervention dentistry (MID) includes both delayed restorative treatment and conservative caries removal, and is now recognised as an evidence-based approach for dental caries management. In order to determine if dental professionals in Russia are incorporating this concept into their clinical practice, we investigated the restorative treatment decisions of Russian dentists and dental students, and the factors associated with these decisions.MethodsWe included 171 general dental practitioners and dental therapists (collectively referred to here as “dentists”) from North-West Russia, and 76 dental undergraduate students from the Northern State Medical University in Arkhangelsk (response rate of 11.5% and 67.9%, respectively). Participants completed a questionnaire, which collected background information (sex, region of work, place of dental school graduation, practice type, years of working experience, working in an urban or rural area, and specialisation in restorative dentistry) and information on restorative treatment decisions for proximal and occlusal carious lesions of permanent teeth. Treatment options in accordance with MID were defined as intervention at dentin level and minimally invasive cavity preparation. Multinomial logistic regression was used for statistical analysis.ResultsFor the proximal carious lesion, 9.4% of participants said they would employ both MID treatment options; 60.7% said they would choose only one; and 29.9% said they would use neither option. For the occlusal carious lesion, the corresponding figures were 37.2%, 52.1%, and 10.7%. No differences in restorative treatment options were observed among general dental practitioners, dental therapists, and dental students. For the proximal carious lesion, dentists from regions outside Arkhangelsk had 4.15 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–15.27) times higher odds of following one versus both MID treatment options. For the occlusal carious lesion, working experience above 15 years was associated with higher odds of using only one versus both MID treatment options (adjusted odds ratio = 3.04, 95% CI 1.33–6.91). Almost all respondents preferred tooth-coloured materials for restorations; more than 75% chose resin-based composite.ConclusionsThe majority of Russian dentists and dental students do not apply the MID concept when treating dental caries in permanent teeth. Clinical protocols on dental caries treatment and dental school curriculums should be updated to place an enhanced focus on evidence-based practice and preventive strategies. Further studies with larger samples of Russian dentists and dental students and alternative methods of recruitment are needed to validate our results.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers toward Evidence-based Dentistry among Moroccan Dental Professionals

The aim of the study was to assess Moroccan dental professionals’ knowledge and attitudes towards evidence-based practice and investigate their perception toward evidence-based dentistry (EBD) and barriers that compromise its use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire among Moroccan dentists. The questionnaire included questions on demographics data, attitudes, awareness and current practice, resources to guide clinical practice, understanding of terms, clinical situations to assess awareness of EBD and barriers. Quantitative variables were described in terms of numbers and percentages, and qualitative variables were compared using a Chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.005 was considered significant. 208 participants were invited to take part in the study, corresponding to a response rate of 67.53%. 167 participants were general practitioners (GP) (80.3%) and 40 participants (19.7%) were specialist. 86.5% of the participants were graduates of national dental schools, and 13.5% graduated from other countries. Moroccan dental professionals expressed positive attitudes toward EBD, but a relatively a fair understanding of evidence-based practice. 57.7% of dentists indicated they had never heard of EBD. There were no significant differences between age groups or places of graduation. The most reported means of discovering EBD was through lectures (16.3%), a colleague or the internet (6.7%). Poor language and communication skills and lack of knowledge of information technology were the major barriers identified in this study. To overcome existing barriers and the lack of competencies relevant to dental practitioners, it is essential that EBD be incorporated into dental curriculum and in continuing professional education. Such a curriculum will increase the understanding and use of evidence-based dentistry.

Limited, uneven progress in increasing racial and ethnic diversity of dental school graduates.

To assess racial and ethnic diversity of graduates of each dental school compared to the diversity of populations they draw from and to assess changes over time nationally and by school. We calculated diversity of graduates by school and nationally between 2010-2012 and 2017-2019 using the Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and compared the diversity of each state's college age population using data from the American Community Survey. We accounted for differences between in-state and out-of-state students attending public and private schools based on data from the American Dental Association's Survey of Dental Education Series. A diversity index (DI) was calculated for each school. A DI of 0.5 means that the representation of Black or Hispanic individuals among the graduates is half of their representation in the benchmark population. Among the 63 dental schools analyzed, only seven had a DI of greater than 0.5 for Black graduates (two of which were Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in 2017-2019. For Hispanic graduates, 20 schools had a DI above 0.5. Nationally, while the number of Black graduates increased between 2010-2012 and 2017-2019, the percentage decreased from 5.8% to 5.1%. The percentage of Hispanic graduates increased from 6.4% to 8.7%. Black and Hispanic individuals are underrepresented among dental school graduates. Increasing the diversity of the dental workforce could help address significant oral health disparities experienced by Black and Hispanic people. More needs to be done by the dental education community to increase racial and ethnic diversity of dental graduates.

Self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their confidence

Introduction: Dental education quality is reflected by assessing graduating students' professional preparedness. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had many challenges for dentistry some of which may have further long-term impacts on clinical practice, dental education, and dental research. Impact on education can be directly reflected on graduates' preparedness. Aim: The aim of this study is to study self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 on their preparedness. Materials and Methods: An online survey was designed and sent electronically to 5th year students who were graduating in 2020, dentists who graduated in 2019 and were doing their prelicensure training, and dentists who graduated before 2019. The survey was self-designed and validated by an experienced professor in the school then tested by couple of participants. The survey composed of multiple sections. Four-point Likert scale was used to assess participants' perception in all the survey sections. Results and Discussion: A total of 209 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The mean total preparedness score (TPS) for the 209 participants was 97.6 (standard deviation ± 9.7) with a range of 69–120. The mean TPS of the different classes of participants was 99.5 for the class graduated before 2019, 98.1 for the 2020 class, and 95.1 for the 2019 class. Participants felt they are confident and extremely confident doing most of the required competencies. Weakness was mainly reported in surgical extraction for 2020 graduates due to the 8 weeks loss of their training. COVID-19 had considerable impact on 59.7% of the participants and marginal to no impact on 40.3%. The highest prevalence of those who thought it had some to severe impact on their confidence was those who graduated in year 2019 (73.4%). Conclusions: The graduates who participated in the survey felt confident in performing the majority of general dentistry procedures. COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the confidence of all the classes of participants even those graduated before 2019.

Factors influencing international and U.S. dentists\u2019 interest in advanced periodontal education: a pilot study

BackgroundThe enrollment of international periodontal students in U.S. dental schools has been increasing in recent years. Interest in applying to a periodontics specialty program may differ between U.S and international dental school graduates. The purpose of this study is to assess, from the perspective of periodontal residents, (1) factors that interest dental students to apply to periodontics programs and (2) differences in background and interest between U.S and international graduates.MethodsA 20-question survey was sent out electronically to periodontics residents. The survey questions were designed to obtain information on the participants’ backgrounds, factors that influenced them to specialize in periodontics, and their preferred features of graduate periodontics programs. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for socio-demographic variables, a Wilcoxon two sample test to compare mean Likert scale scores, and Fisher’s exact test for associations between comparison groups.ResultsOf the two hundred residents invited to participate, 28% responded. The majority of the respondents stated that interest in implantology, previous exposure to periodontal procedures, interest in improving periodontal surgery skills, a good relationship with periodontics faculty, the residency curriculum, advanced program and faculty reputation as influencing factors in selecting periodontics as specialization. The majority of international graduates have up to $50,000 dollars in student debt; by comparison, half of the domestic graduates have a debt of over $250,000 dollars (p ≤ 0.05). Working experience as a dentist was significantly greater among international residents (73%) in comparison to U.S graduates (32%). In contrast with international graduates, U.S graduates more frequent reported that good relationships with the periodontics predoctoral faculty contributed to their interest in periodontics (p ≤ 0.05). Program cost and location had a greater impact on the decision of U.S. graduates than international graduates (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionsOverall, factors associated with personal finance and predoctoral education have a greater impact on the decision of American graduates than international graduates to pursue an advanced education in periodontics, which may influence the increased enrollment of international students.

Influence of operator experience on vertical force during instrumentation using Neoniti rotary files

Aim: This study aimed to measure the vertical force developed during canal instrumentation with Neoniti rotary files at predetermined torque in relation to the operator’s experience. Methodology: The research was performed on 60 human maxillary and mandibular incisors extracted for periodontal reasons. Each group of 20 teeth (10 maxillary and 10 mandibular incisors) was prepared by three different operators with different levels of experience in endodontics: a fresh dental school graduate, a postgraduate student training in endodontics and an endodontic specialist. Maxillary incisors represented the experimental model of wide root canals while mandibular incisors represented a model of narrow root canals. Root canals were prepared employing Neoniti files and TCM Endo unit at speed and torque recommended by the manufacturer. Vertical force measurement was performed utilizing device constructed for this purpose. Statistical analysis was accomplished using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: The amount of vertical force was significantly higher in narrow than in wide root canals (P=0.001). Comparison of vertical forces developed by three different operators demonstrated significant differences (P<0.001). Median vertical force developed by postgraduate student was significantly lower than in other two operators (both P<0.01). In postgraduate student, a significant positive correlation between number of shaped root canals and vertical force was demonstrated (ρ=.490; P=0.003). Conclusions: The postgraduate with limited experience in rotary instrumentation had on average lowest values of vertical force as opposed to other two operators. However, these values increased with the number of shaped root canals.

Association between predoctoral evidence-based practice training and later use of peer-reviewed journals: National dental PBRN.

We examined whether evidence-based practice (EBP) during dental school was associated with the increased use of peer-reviewed literature during subsequent clinical practice for National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) dentists. We also sought to understand whether this association was moderated by being a dental specialist. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1228 dentists participating in the PBRN. We used logistic regression to examine the association between self-reported EBP training during dental school and the use of peer-reviewed journals in clinical practice, controlling for the number of years since dental school graduation and dental practice type. We stratified the data by dental specialists and examined effect modification using the Breslow-Day test for homogeneity of the odds ratio. The prevalence of peer-reviewed journal use by PBRN dentists in clinical practice was 87% (n=1070) with no statistical evidence of effect modification by dental specialists on the EBP peer-reviewed journal use relationship (p>0.05). After controlling for years since dental school graduation and dental practice type, dentists who self-reported EBP training during dental school had greater odds of using peer-reviewed journals in clinical practice than dentists who did not self-report EBP training during dental school (OR, 1.47; 95%CI=1.01, 2.15). The use of peer-reviewed published literature by PBRN dentists who had EBP predoctoral training is one important step in the EBP process by which practicing dentists can implement evidence-based findings, interventions, and policies into routine health care and public health settings. These findings add to the body of support for EBP curricula in dental education.