Experiences Of Dental Students Research Articles

Cultural competency and communication skills of dental students: clinical supervisors' perceptions.

This study explored clinical supervisor's (CS) views and experiences of dental students' cultural competence (CC) at the Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, this study explored CS insights into how CC could be taught. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were organised with consenting CS. Interview topics included the following: the importance of CC, communication and rapport, the role of culture in oral health and the need for curriculum enhancement. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed to identify key areas using NVivo software. A total of 12 CS participated in this study. CS acknowledged the importance of CC and felt that it was important for good patient management. CS's definition of CC focused primarily on language and communication skills. CS felt that dental students were generally able to manage culturally diverse patients. However, CS indicated that additional training in this area would be beneficial. Concerns were raised about the students' ability to establish good rapport and communication, with CS highlighting areas such as misuse of interpreters and use of jargon. CS felt that clinical experience, confidence and a positive attitude are effective tools for overcoming cultural barriers. Furthermore, some CS also felt that cultural competency was a skill that is learnt through experience. For most CS, cultural competence was an important part of the clinician-patient exchange which would benefit from enhanced curriculum. They also highlighted areas where transcultural education could be improved. The majority of CS believed dental students managed culturally diverse patients well.

Dental Students’ Clinical Expectations and Experiences Treating Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) have a disproportionate level of dental disease relative to the general population. Access to care is a cause along with dentists' willingness to treat PWDs. The aim of this study was to investigate the expectations and experiences of dental students in providing treatment to these patients in a hospital-based dental clinic for PWDs. Senior dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto (n=92) were surveyed prior to (Phase I) and at the end of (Phase II) mandatory clinical rotations at the Mount Sinai Hospital's Dentistry Clinic for Persons with Special Needs. Response rates were 88% for Phase I and 58% for Phase II. Before the rotations, 70% of the respondents reported little or no experience with PWDs, and 46% said they did not feel comfortable providing basic dental treatment to PWDs. However, in Phase II, significantly more students reported being comfortable than in Phase I (p=0.001). Overall, the majority of respondents (Phase I 95%; Phase II 98%) indicated they would at least attempt to provide basic dental care to PWDs after graduation. The majority also identified the opportunity to provide care and interact with PWDs as the most enjoyable aspect of their experience at the clinic. They reported that the experience helped reduce their concerns about treating PWDs including being more realistic about the time required and ideal quality of the treatment they could provide. These results suggest that their experience in the clinic significantly increased students' comfort in treating PWDs. The respondents expressed a willingness to treat PWDs once graduated and generally identified their experience as being more positive than their expectations.

Dental students' experiences of treating orthodontic emergencies - a qualitative assessment of student reflections.

IntroductionProfessional regulatory bodies in the UK and Europe state that dental graduates should be able to manage orthodontic emergency patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore dental student experiences of treating orthodontic emergencies within a teaching institution.Materials and methodThis study was designed as a single‐centre evaluation of teaching based in a UK university orthodontic department. The participants were fourth‐year dental students who treated orthodontic emergency patients under clinical supervision as part of the undergraduate curriculum. Student logbook entries for one academic year detailing the types of emergencies treated and structured, reflective commentaries for each procedure were analysed using thematic analysis methods. The total numbers and types of orthodontic emergencies treated by students were presented. Overall, self‐reported student confidence in managing orthodontic emergencies was calculated. Themes, which represented student reflections, were identified.ResultsSeventy‐two students participated in the study. Overall, 69% of students stated they were confident in managing orthodontic emergencies. Students treated a range of emergencies, of which the most frequent was debonded brackets (38%). Reflections from student commentaries were housed under a primary theme of building procedural confidence. Three subthemes were identified: (i) theory‐practice integration; (ii) expanding clinical experience; and (iii) importance of a supportive clinical learning environment.ConclusionThe majority of dental students were confident in managing orthodontic emergencies. Theoretical knowledge supplemented by exposure to a range of clinical problems within a supported learning environment made students feel more confident.

Evaluation of undergraduate clinical learning experiences in the subject of pediatric dentistry using critical incident technique

In pediatric dentistry, the experiences of dental students may help dental educators better prepare graduates to treat the children. Research suggests that student's perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education, but there has been no systematic examination of India's undergraduate dental students learning experiences. This qualitative investigation aimed to gather and analyze information about experiences in pediatric dentistry from the students' viewpoint using critical incident technique (CIT). The sample group for this investigation came from all 240 3rd and 4th year dental students from all the four dental colleges in Indore. Using CIT, participants were asked to describe at least one positive and one negative experience in detail. They described 308 positive and 359 negative experiences related to the pediatric dentistry clinic. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four key factors related to their experiences: 1) The instructor; 2) the patient; 3) the learning process; and 4) the learning environment. The CIT is a useful data collection and analysis technique that provides rich, useful data and has many potential uses in dental education.

SAÚDE BUCAL NA COMUNIDADE MARIA DE NAZARÉ: REFLEXÕES A PARTIR DE UMA EXPERIÊNCIA DE EXTENSÃO POPULAR

This article aimed to report the emergence of the extension project SaBuComu, approaching since activities in a school on the outskirts until the adoption of Freire´s popular education methodology, by means of the inclusion in the project “Educacao Popular e Atencao a Saude da Familia“ PEPASF) developed in the Maria de Nazare community in Joao Pessoa/ PB. The project was created by a group of dental students that sought the coordination of a teacher to support that idea. Initially, the group performed actions only with PESPASF, however, throughout the time, were systematized independent actions, as follows: educational and preventive activities (ART) in the children day care center and in the elderly group, maintenance visits at homes of families that concluded their dental treatment and epidemiological survey on dental caries in students aged 3 to 12 years old. The SaBuComu offers a rare experience for dental students by exercising humanization and autonomy, besides mixing popular knowledge and academic training, thus contributing to the insertion of differentiated professionals in the society. DESCRIPTORS Community-Institutional Relations. Education. Oral Health.

Organization and Management of Community‐Based Dental Education Programs: An Overview from the Dental Pipeline Program

Disparities in access to dental care are a major problem in the United States. Effectively run community-based dental education programs can make a significant contribution to reducing access disparities and at the same time enrich the educational experiences of dental students and residents. For complex historical reasons, dental schools did not base their clinical training programs in community hospitals and clinics like the other health professions. Now, because of trends in school finances, changes in societal values, and limitations in current educational experiences, schools are increasing the time students spend in community clinics. This is likely to continue. The chapters in the first section of the report on the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community-Based Dental Education program--for which this chapter serves as an introduction-provide detailed information on the operation of community-based education programs.

Using innovative group‐work activities to enhance the problem‐based learning experience for dental students

Problem-based learning (PBL) in medical and dental curricula is now well established, as such courses are seen to equip students with valuable transferable skills (e.g. problem-solving or team-working abilities), in addition to knowledge acquisition. However, it is often assumed that students improve in such skills without actually providing direct opportunity for practice, and without giving students feedback on their performance. 'The Manchester Dental Programme' (TMDP) was developed at The University of Manchester, UK as a 5-year, integrated enquiry-led curriculum. The existing PBL course was redesigned to include a unique, additional PBL session ('Session 4') that incorporated an activity for the group to complete, based on the subject material covered during student self-study. A summative mark was awarded for each activity that reflected the teamwork, organisational and overall capabilities of the groups. This paper describes the different types of activities developed for the Session 4 and presents an analysis of the perceptions of the students and staff involved. The student response to the Session 4 activities, obtained via questionnaires, was extremely positive, with the majority finding them fun, yet challenging, and 'worthwhile'. The activities were perceived to enhance subject understanding; develop students' problem-solving skills; allow the application of knowledge to new situations, and helped to identify gaps in knowledge to direct further study. Staff found the activities innovative and exciting learning tools for the students. The Session 4 activities described here are useful educational resources that could be adapted for other PBL courses in a wide variety of subject areas.

Dental Student Experiences with Gambling: A Survey of Attitudes, Exposure, and Impact

The aim of this study is to assess the extent and characteristics of gambling among dental students. Three hundred sixteen dental students enrolled at a private midwestern dental school accessed the twenty-six-item modified South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) as an online survey. Students were advised of the anonymity and confidentiality of the survey results. Student characteristics are presented as descriptive data. One hundred eighty-six students (58.9 percent) responded. Nearly two-thirds (61.3 percent) of the respondents reported having gambled at least once during the past twelve months. Using the SOGS score, six students can be considered problem gamblers with a value of 3 but <5, and three students can be considered as pathological gamblers with a score of >or=5. Gambling is a common activity among dental students and should be considered a possible factor for students who develop academic or social difficulties. Students do not appear to have a realistic perception of what constitutes problem or pathological gambling and may benefit from programs that address this issue.

Utilizing Debates as an Instructional Tool for Dental Students

Debates have been used as an instructional tool since 1999 in the Program in Dental Hygiene and are currently used by the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. The debate format is designed to present a thought-provoking and uncomplicated teaching tool that uses key elements of adult education, such as emphasis on self-learning and its process. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the use of debates as an instructional tool for dental hygiene and dental students. A debate format is presented in detail. Post-debate small discussion groups and a questionnaire were used to explore dental student experiences with using debates as an instructional tool. Dental students indicated that their experiences with the debate format had positive pedagogical benefits. Students reported that their interest in the given topic was heightened and knowledge was improved or reinforced. The debates also appeared to help students organize their thoughts on the presented topics. The debates were reported to be engaging and were received with enthusiasm by the students. Students reported that the debates enhanced their ability to organize and reinforce their thoughts on issues they may confront as dental professionals.

Dental Students' Reflections on Their Community‐Based Experiences: The Use of Critical Incidents

Dental schools are challenged to develop new learning methodologies and experiences to better prepare future dental practitioners. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the community-based experiences of dental students as documented in their critical incident essays and explore what learning outcomes and benefits students reported. Following two required community-based clinical rotations, each student wrote a reflection essay on a self-defined critical incident that occurred during the rotations. Rotations took place in settings such as a public health clinic, special needs facility, hospital, or correctional institution. Essays for two classes of students were content-analyzed for recurring themes and categories. Students were confronted in their rotations with a wide range of situations not typically encountered in dental academic settings. Their essays showed that, as a result of these rotations, students developed increased self-awareness, empathy, communications skills, and self-confidence. Critical incidents challenged assumptions and stereotypes, enhanced awareness of the complexities of dental care, and raised complex ethical dilemmas. The essays also illustrated a heightened sense of professional identity and enabled students to appreciate the role dentistry can play in impacting patients' lives. We concluded from the study that community-based dental education that includes a process for reflection holds promise as an educational strategy to facilitate the personal and professional development of future dentists.

Undergraduate student experience in dental service delivery in rural South Australia: an analysis of costs and benefits.

Rural experience for dental students can provide valuable clinical education, change attitudes to rural practice, and make a valuable contribution to clinical service provision. The aim of this paper is to assess the costs and benefits of service delivery by students through rural training programmes. Groups of two students worked in the public dental clinics in adjacent rural centres where there had been long-term difficulties in recruiting staff. The costs and benefits of the programme were assessed by the impact on waiting lists, the total cost per patient of a course of care and by the marginal cost of adding service provision by students to existing arrangements. The total costs of emergency and complete treatment provided by students were greater than the costs of treatment provided by public-sector dentists but less than the costs of private providers treating public patients. However, the value of services were greater when care was provided by students or private providers and the marginal cost of students providing services was 50-70 per cent of the cost of care provided by public dentists. This assessment suggests that the service benefits achieved compliment the primary objective of influencing the attitude of students to rural practice.

Opinions and experiences of dental students and faculty concerning computer‐assisted learning

This study assessed the opinions and attitudes of faculty and students concerning the use of computer-assisted learning (CAL) at three different dental schools on two continents (Manchester, U.K.; Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A.). In each school students and faculty received a questionnaire; faculty by internal mail, students at the end of a lecture. Response rates for students were 76 percent in Manchester, 64 percent in Nijmegen, and 91 percent in Lexington. The respective figures for faculty were: 42 percent, 47 percent, and 39 percent. In all three schools approximately 50 percent of students had a computer at home. Students in Lexington and Manchester seemed to be more advanced in the use of computers for self-instructional learning. Students and faculty in Lexington had more experience with interactive multimedia than did those in Manchester and Nijmegen. In general, Lexington students were somewhat more familiar with computers and CAL than Manchester students, with Nijmegen showing the lowest percentages. Few CAL programs were available at any school, with small numbers of dental students having been exposed to programs involving animation (vision, sound). The majority of students are of the opinion that the use of computers for learning is not impersonal, nor difficult, but challenging and motivating. There is good agreement that if a program is to be bought or developed, it should be a combination of text, images, and sound. It is postulated that concerted action by dental schools is required to realize the potential of CAL in dental education, and that international organizations should give consideration to coordinating this action.

Mounting natural teeth for preclinical exercises

Plastic teeth are commonly used to help teach students who are taking preclinical courses in restorative dentistry. Unfortunately, plastic teeth do not have the texture, anatomy, and other characteristics of natural teeth. To provide more realistic clinical experience for dental students, a technique is described for mounting natural teeth in a dentoform.

A psychosocial perspective on the dental educational experience and student performance

Studies describing the educational experience of dental students traditionally have focused on characteristics of the learner or the environment. Little work has been done to describe the processes that enhance or detract from performance in dental school. Social learning theory, attribution theory, and the stress-distress paradigm are used to develop a theoretical model for the psychological and social processes that affect dental student well-being and performance. Data from preliminary investigations are used to present a logical argument for the model components. Results from future investigations to test the proposed model may provide dental educators with information that will facilitate both teaching and learning.

A survey of the removable prosthodontic clinical experience of dental students

A survey was sent to every dental school in the contiguous United States and Puerto Rico to solicit answers to 15 questions concerning various aspects of the prosthodontic education of the dental student. It was found that student clinical experiences differed significantly among the regions in terms of the total number of prosthodontic patients treated per student. Fees also differed significantly among the regions. No comment was made on the possible effects of denturism on either the type of patient or the number of removable prosthodontic patients available for treatment by dental students. Concerning the difficulty in securing the various types of patients, all categories were mentioned as being somewhat in short supply, although the greatest shortage was complete denture patients. There was no universally recognized solution to the shortage of patients, although lowering of fees and substitution of requirements were mentioned most frequently. Pertaining to the presence or absence of a strict requirement system, the vast majority of schools reported use of at least some type of requirement system, though not necessarily a strict one.

Lidocaine metabolism and toxicity: a laboratory experiment for dental students

A laboratory exercise for dental students based on a modification of the classical pentobarbital sleeping-time experiment is presented. The substitution of a toxic dose of lidocaine in place of an anesthetic dose of pentobarbital allows demonstration of the same general principles of drug metabolism, i.e., induction of the hepatic drug metabolizing systems by phenobarbital, reduction of hepatic drug metabolism by liver damage or disease, or both, and the relationship between the rate of drug detoxification and the duration and intensity of drug effects. However, the use of lidocaine demonstrates its toxic and lethal actions and increases the relevance of the experience for dental students.

Caring for nursing home patients–learning experience for dental students

Caring for nursing home patients–learning experience for dental students

Community laboratory experience for dental students

Journal of Dental EducationVolume 31, Issue 1 p. 77-83 Article Community laboratory experience for dental students RJ Lucas, RJ LucasSearch for more papers by this authorWO Young, WO YoungSearch for more papers by this author RJ Lucas, RJ LucasSearch for more papers by this authorWO Young, WO YoungSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 March 1967 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.1967.31.1.tb00074.xCitations: 4About ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume31, Issue1March 1967Pages 77-83 RelatedInformation