Faculty Of Odontology Research Articles

Estudio de la maduración ósea en pacientes niños de la clínica odontológica de la UNMSM

El objetivo del estudio consitió en determinar los estadíos de maduración ósea según la clasificación de Helm y Björk. Para este fin, se tomaron radiografías de la mano como parte del procedimiento de diagnóstico ortodóncico al igual que las radiografías cefalométricas y panorámicas, en 80 pacientes niños que acudieron por tratamiento ortodóncico a la clínica de la Facultad de Odontología de la UNMSM, de los cuales 38 fueron mujeres y 42 varones. Las edades oscilaron entre los 7 y los 13 años de edad. Los resultados indicaron que las niñas alcanzaron el pico de crecimiento 2 años antes que los varones correspondientes al estadío MP3 cap. a los 10.29 años mientras que los varones lo hicieron a los 12.12 años. Estos resultados demuestran que los niños peruanos maduran precozmente en relación a otras poblaciones.

Teaching information literacy- for the benefit of the future profession and lifelong learning?

What opportunities do dental hygienists have to search for information in his or her daily professional life? Do dental technicians continue to update their skills after graduation? Do private dental practitioners have access to databases? Are graduating students experiencing that training in information literacy is relevant in their professional life?These questions gave birth to the idea to study if and in what ways dental hygienists, dental technicians and dentists are searching for information in their professional life, and which information resources they have access to. Through a study of this kind we were hoping to evaluate our work with teaching information literacy. We sent a survey to 164 students that had graduated from the Faculty of Odontology during the years 2005-2009, and got 97 responses. From the responses we have seen that the most frequently used resources were Google, books, colleagues and journals. A far larger percentage of those who work within the public sector and universities have access to a library than those within the private sector. We have observed differences between the three professional groups in terms of search patterns and choice of sources. 79 % of the respondents answered that they benefit from what they learned through the library's instruction and guidance in their work. Thus, the lack of time often determines how often, and where, the information searching is done. Many expressed that they have forgotten what they learned during their studies and comment that refreshing these skills would be beneficial. The results made us think about how we could adjust our teaching in order to prepare the students for their professional life, without cutting down on the regular teaching which the students need in order to manage their studies. How do we highlight the future usefulness of information literacy? The students who graduate from Malmo University will be a part of the surrounding society with which the library should interact. Do we inform students of the services the library can offer them as professionals? Disposition Round table discussion A 10 minute presentation of our study, then a 25 minute discussion in smaller groups based on the questions below and finally 5 minutes to summarize. Learning for school or learning for life? What is important to you - the education or the future professional life or both? In what way can we better prepare students for professional life? What services have we to offer professionals today? Should we offer them other services in addition to the ones we currently offer? Should we evaluate the education based on the perspective of "lifelong learning"? Is it relevant?

English

Introduction The aim of the present study was to highlight the incidence and patients’ subjective perception of neurosensory disturbance and the degree of satisfaction after bilateral sagittal split osteotomies, at least 3 years after surgery. Materials and Methods The sample population consisted of all 52 consecutively operated subjects who had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomies between the years 2003 and 2008 at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at Orebro University Hospital. Patients were contacted by a letter and asked to complete a questionnaire about perceived sensory changes after the operation and their satisfaction with the result of the operation. Discussion The lack of standard methods for evaluating neurosensory disturbance is evident. Thus, the evaluation methods in the literature vary from strictly subjective to strictly objective. However, the most important factor, from the patient’s point of view, must be the patient’s own perception of the nerve impairment, not what the objective results indicate. Conclusion Half of the operated subjects had longlasting neurosensory disturbance. However, the majority of the patients (89%) were satisfied with the result of the operation despite sensory disturbances of some degree. It appears that neurosensory disturbance is not the main determining factor of patient satisfaction and seems outbalanced by preoperative information and results of function and aesthetics. Introduction The bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO), described as early as in 19571, is the most frequently used procedure to correct mandibular skeletal discrepancies by lengthening or shortening the mandible. Neurosensory disturbances (NSDs) of the lower lip and chin following this procedure are commonly due to lesions of the inferior alveolar nerve and its terminal branch, the mental nerve. This can be caused by surgical oedema, stretching, pressure, the split itself and the possible compression of the nerve during fixation2,3. The symptoms of a nerve lesion are usually varying degrees of numbness of the lower lip and chin4. Although the nerve impairment is of purely sensory nature, and consequently no motor deficit occurs, the problem concerns the patient, as anyone who has had an inferior alveolar nerve block for dental anaesthesia can well understand. This sensory deficit is not only an unpleasant sensation, but may also affect the patient’s ability to talk and masticate efficiently without traumatising the involved area2. There are many published studies of NSD in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, but there are few studies evaluating the patients’ own perception, which could differ from the surgeon’s judgement, and often is underestimated by clinicians when compared to the patients’ subjective symptoms5,6. Most studies on the outcome of sensory function after BSSO have used the final follow-up for evaluation (2–2.5 years)3. The aim of the present study was to descriptively highlight the incidence and patients’ subjective perception of sensory impairment in the lower lip and chin and the degree of satisfaction after mandibular orthognathic surgery with BSSO at least 3 years after surgery. Materials and Methods The study protocol was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Uppsala, Sweden, which follows the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. All the patients (n = 52; 23 men and 29 women) who had an up-to-date address and had undergone BSSO, between the years 2003 and 2008, at the Department for Maxillofacial Surgery at Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, were contacted by a letter and were asked to participate in this study. The records of these patients were reviewed at the Department of Orthodontics in Orebro County. Subjects with craniofacial syndromes, facial trauma, pre-existing NSD and out-of-date home addresses were not considered eligible for the study. Seven subjects fulfilled the exclusion criteria. The youngest patient in this study was 21 years old. The observation period between the years 2003 and 2008 indicates a follow-up from 3 up to 8 years post-operation in this study. The operation technique used for BSSO at the Department for Maxillofacial Surgery was standardised, * Corresponding author Email: farhan.bazargani@orebroll.se 1 Public Dental Clinic, Folktandvarden Drottninggatan, Helsingborg, Sweden 2 Postgraduate Dental Education Center, Orebro, Sweden 3 Department of Social Dentistry, Faculty of Odontology, Malmo University, Malmo, Sweden 4 Department of Orthodontics, Postgraduate Dental Education Center, P.O. Box 1126, SE-701 11, Orebro, Sweden

PP023: High rate of initial oral cancer (stage I, T1N0) in a Brazilian oral medicine service

Background the diagnosis of primary oral cancer in initial stages is relevant to improve the prognosis. The 5-years survival for patients with T1 oral cancer can reach 88% in opposition to 75% for patients with T4 tumors. T (TNM) component is a critical indicator of the early lesions of the oral cavity that can be detected visually. Purpose the aim of this study is to present the rate of the stage I (T1N0) oral cancer in an Brazilian Oral Medicine Service. Material and methods The clinical files of patients with oral cancer diagnosed at the Oral Medicine Service of the Department of oral Diagnosis and Surgery of Faculty of Odontology of Araraquara, UNESP in the period of 2009 to 2012 were evaluated. Results from a total of 30 squamous cell carcinomas, 19 were T1N0. These 19 T1N0 tumors were 63.3% of the total amount of oral squamous cells diagnosed in that period. The 19 patients were predominantly men (15; 78.9%), with the mean age of 59.5 years old. The most frequent anatomic site were lower lip (9; 47.3%), tongue (4; 21%), and floor of mouth (3; 15.7%). From 19 T1N0 tumors, 42.3% of the oral carcinomas were symptomatic and frequently related to risk factors as tobacco (10; 52.6%) and alcohol (8; 42.1%). All cases were referred, mainly from dentists (15; 78.9%). The main risk group remains the male smoking and/or drinking older than 45 years. Conclusions The rate of early diagnosis of the Oral Medicine Service is higher than the figures of the developed countries institutions. These data reflect the importance of continuing education in oral cancer prevention, while the majority of the patients were asymptomatic and all of them were referred to our service, mainly from dentists who improved the prognosis and avoided mutilating treatment.

Dental profile of a community of recovering drug addicts: Biomedical aspects. Retrospective cohort study

Objectives: to obtain a biomedical oral profile of a community of adult drug addicts in treatment by analysing their dental health, with a view to determining whether the state of their oral health could be attributed primarily to their lifestyle and the direct consequences of drug abuse on their overall condition, rather than to the effects of the drugs used. Experimental Design: the study was conducted under the terms of an agreement between the Complutense University of Madrid’s (UCM) Odontology Faculty and the City of Madrid’s Substance Abuse Institute. Seventy drug addicts and 34 control group subjects were examined. The study assessed oral hygiene habits, systemic pathology, type of drugs used and the duration of use, oral pathology, oral health indices, risk of caries based on saliva tests, oral candidiasis and periodontal microbiology. Results: statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the test and control groups for practically all the variables analysed. In the drug users group, dental hygiene was wanting, systemic and oral pathology prevailed and the decayed/missing/filled teeth or surface (DMFT/S) indices denoted very poor buccodental health. The saliva tests showed a substantial risk of caries and candidiasis rates were high. By contrast, with a single exception, the microbiological studies detected no statistically significant difference between drug users and control groups periodontal flora. Conclusions: drug-dependent patients had poor oral health and a significant increase in oral pathology, essentially caries and periodontal disease. Their risk of caries was high and the presence of candidiasis was representative of their poor general and oral health. Drug users’ poor buccodental condition was more closely related to lifestyle than to drug abuse itself. Key words:Buccal, dental, drug addicts.

A 40 years follow-up of dental arch dimensions and incisor irregularity in adults

Dentoalveolar changes in adulthood have not been extensively documented. Such changes may have important implications for the long-term stability of orthodontic treatment. To analyse occlusal and dentoalveolar changes in adults from the age of 20 years to the age of 60 years. The material comprised 18 Swedish dentists, 16 men and 2 women, with no missing teeth and no prosthodontic or orthodontic treatment. Measurements were recorded on study casts made between 1949 and 1989 at the Department of Stomatognathic Physiology at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö, thus documenting changes over an average period of 38.4 years. Malocclusion traits, overbite, overjet, dental arch length and width, and Little's irregularity index were registered. There was a significant increase in Little's irregularity index in the mandible (1.0 mm, P < 0.01) and a decrease in arch length in both jaws (0.5-0.9 mm, P < 0.05). The maxillary and mandibular intercanine widths decreased by 0.8 and 1.0 mm, respectively (P < 0.001). The malocclusion traits, overbite, and overjet remained unchanged during the observation period. The results confirm that dentoalveolar changes occur as a continuous process throughout adult life. The findings of potential clinical importance are decreases in arch length and depth, resulting in a decrease in intercanine width and an increase in anterior crowding. In clinical orthodontic practice, these findings have important implications for treatment planning and long-term stability after orthodontic treatment.

Diagnostic yield of conventional radiographic and cone‐beam computed tomographic images in patients with atypical odontalgia

To investigate whether the additional diagnostic yield of a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination over conventional radiographs in patients primarily suspected of having atypical odontalgia (AO) improves differentiation between AO and symptomatic apical periodontitis (SAP) in patients with severe chronic intraoral pain. In this clinical study, 25 patients (mean age 54 ± 11 years, range 34-72) participated; 20 were diagnosed with AO and 5 with SAP. All patients were recruited from the clinics of the Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University. AO inclusion criteria were chronic pain (>6 months) in a region where a tooth had been endodontically or surgically treated, with no pathological cause detectable in clinical or radiologic examinations. SAP inclusion criteria were recurrent pain from a tooth diagnosed with apical periodontitis in clinical and radiographic examinations. Assessments comprised a self-report questionnaire on pain characteristics, a comprehensive clinical examination and a radiographic examination including panoramic and intraoral radiographs and CBCT images. The main outcome measure was periapical bone destruction. Sixty per cent of patients with AO had no periapical bone destructions detectable with any radiographic method. Overall, CBCT rendered 17% more periapical bone destructions than conventional radiography. Average pain intensity in patients with AO was 5.6 (± 1.8) on a 0-10 numerical rating scale, and average pain duration was 4.3 (± 5.2) years. Cone-beam computed tomography improves identification of patients without periapical bone destruction, which may facilitate differentiation between AO and SAP.

Carcinoma Verrucoso Oral: Reporte de un Caso Clínico y Revisión de 20 Casos del Instituto de Referencia en Patología Oral (IREPO), Chile

Verrucous carcinoma (VC), a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma is an established entity with distinctive morphology and specific clinical behavior. The present study describe a case report of a 68-year-old women who presented a tongue verrucous carcinoma, asymptomatic, that had about 8 months of evolution. A brief review of VC cases diagnosed in Oral Pathology Referral Institute (IREPO), Faculty of Odontology, University of Chile, between 1984 and 2010. It was found 20 cases of verrucous carcinoma with a median age of 70-years-old, the most common places were lower gingiva and tongue.

The structure of observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy: a model to promote dental students’ learning

Selective memorising of isolated facts or reproducing what is thought to be required - the surface approach to learning - is not the desired outcome for a dental student or a dentist in practice. The preferred outcome is a deep approach as defined by an intention to seek understanding, develop expertise and relate information and knowledge into a coherent whole. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the structure of observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy could be used as a model to assist and promote the dental students to develop a deep approach to learning assessed as learning outcomes in a summative assessment. Thirty-two students, participating in course eight in 2007 at the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University, were introduced to the SOLO taxonomy and constituted the test group. The control group consisted of 35 students participating in course eight in 2006. The effect of the introduction was measured by evaluating responses to a question in the summative assessment by using the SOLO taxonomy. The evaluators consisted of two teachers who performed the assessment of learning outcomes independently and separately on the coded material. The SOLO taxonomy as a model for learning was found to improve the quality of learning. Compared to the control group significantly more strings and structured relations between these strings were present in the test group after the SOLO taxonomy had been introduced (P < 0.01, one tailed test for both results). The SOLO taxonomy is recommended as a model for promoting and developing a deeper approach to learning in dentistry.

Multimodal learning styles are preferred by students of dental physiology

There are several ways of analyze the ways of learning, one of the most accepted is the VARK questionnaire. In this work we investigated the preferred way of learning of students of the course of physiology of the faculty of odontology of the UANL of Monterrey, Mexico. The VARK questionnaire was apply to students of the course of physiology (n= 323). The importance of differences in gender (63% female), age (71% 16–19 years old, 29% 20&lt;23 years old) and standard of living (low, medium, high) with respect to learning style preference was also investigated. The preferred learning styles were multimodal (MM: 39.8%), kinesthetic (K: 28.2%), visual (V: 22%), aural (A: 8.6%), and read/write (RW: 1.4%). Each group (gender, age, standard of living) displayed similar learning preferences as the above reported, with the mayor differences observed in the less preferred learning styles. Males preferred RW above A (14.18 and 9.66%, respectively), while the opposite was observed in female (9.75% and 14.7, respectively). Students of odontology, in the course of physiology of the north of Mexico have multimodal preference of learning followed by the kinesthetic style. Courses should be prepared according these preferences to improve student performance.

Association of Perceived Quality of Life and Oral Health Among Psychiatric Outpatients

The relationship between oral health and various aspects of quality of life has gone uninvestigated in psychiatric populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 and subjective quality of life, perceptions about general health, and self-related variables. A structured interview constructed from validated instruments was administered to 113 consumers attending outpatient psychiatric care. A lower perceived oral health-related quality of life had a correlation with decreased ratings of subjective quality of life, general health disabilities, and chance and internal locus of control. Correlations between subjective and general health-related quality of life and oral health-related quality of life had not been detected in this group before. In order to improve mental health consumers' total perceived quality of life, oral health problems should be regularly addressed in the course of psychiatric care.

TMD in Consecutive Patients Referred for Orthognathic Surgery

To answer the question whether temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were more common in a group of individuals referred for orthognathic surgery than in a control group. The null hypothesis was that neither the frequency of signs and symptoms of TMD or diagnosed TMD would differ between the patient group and a control group. A sample of 121 consecutive patients referred for orthognathic surgery at the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden, was interviewed and examined regarding signs and symptoms of TMD and headaches. A control group was formed by 56 age- and gender-matched individuals attending the Department of Oral Diagnosis, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Sweden, and Public Dental Health Clinic in Oxie, County of Skane, Sweden. TMD diagnoses were used according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). The patient group showed more myofascial pain without limited opening, disc displacement with reduction, and arthralgia according to RDC/TMD than the control group. The patient group also had more symptoms and signs of TMD in general. The null hypothesis was rejected because patients who were to be treated with orthognathic surgery had more signs and symptoms of TMD and higher frequency of diagnosed TMD compared with the matched control group.

70 years of development of Pharmaceutical Sciences: a lot to celebrate!

When announcing the celebrations of our 70 years of publication, we immediately questioned ourselves about the motive of such celebrations. After all, what and why were we celebrating?! Was it just for protocol? Political reasons? To attend our own interests? NO! We were celebrating the evolution!Not only the simple evolution of our Journal as such, or the evolution of its respective trajectory; but mainly, what it has represented, and currently represents, for teaching and research activities, for technologi-cal development and, ultimately, for the Pharmaceutical Sciences in our country.When looking for information respecting the beginning of our publication, we found in the words from Prof. Lineu Prestes, at that time director of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Odontology of the University of Sao Paulo, the enthusiasm that marked an epoch of great advancement: “…the pharmaceutical teaching reaches its aspiration to possess a laboratory of industrial assays, where Brazilian raw materials will be studied and utilized, enriching our economy; laboratories such as the one of Botany and Pharmacognosy had their facilities very improved, enriching the teaching material with expensive apparatuses that will develop, from now on, studies related to our rich and exuberating medicinal flora; the laboratory of Galenic Pharmacy, which constitutes the better national teaching organization of this important discipline, is ready to develop researches and works that will fatefully result in scientific and technical amelioration of Brazilian pharma-ceutical specialties; the laboratory of Chemical Pharmacy, which is well installed now, will induce in the students the investigative spirit and provide them with the necessary resources for the study of drugs under this pharmacologic aspect…, the laboratories of Analytical, Toxicological, and Bromatological Chemistry have suffered a deep renovation and are apt to form scientists who will attend the social feature of great in-dustries concerning to intoxications of professional origin, besides to shape men of science able to face the serious problem of modern chemical warfare; the Parasitology laboratory, which is currently provided with ample facilities, could concur for the solution of serious medical problems.” (Prestes, 1939). It was under this perspective and with a spirit of great enthusiasm the previously called Faculty of Pharmacy and Odontology of the University of Sao Paulo started the publication of the

A Brazilian study of the sustainability of telemedicine centres

We have investigated the factors which make telemedicine centres sustainable. A pilot study was carried out at two university telemedicine centres in Brazil: the Faculty of Odontology and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo. Both centres were supported by long-term government grants. One centre delivered clinical telemedicine services in audiology and odontology, and the other centre delivered clinical services in dermatology, surgery, cardiology, medicine and second-opinions for primary care. A semi-structured interview script was drawn up and after consensus among four referees, interviews were carried out with one telemedicine coordinator from each centre. Analysis of the results showed that telemedicine sustainability is a multidimensional matter, not simply a financial one. The results of the interviews led us to refine our construct of telemedicine sustainability into seven different macro-group perspectives. These were: Institutional, Functional, Scientific, Financial, Renovation, Relational and Social. This construct allowed us to convert strategic and logical factors into a graphical representation. This graphical representation provides a snapshot of the performance of a telemedicine centre at a particular moment. The next step is to create a theoretical model of sustainability for testing in ten other centres in different regions of Brazil, including Amazonia.

PERCEPCIÓN DEL CIRUJANO-DENTISTA RESPECTO DEL USO DEL CONSENTIMIENTO INFORMADO EN EL TRATAMIENTO ODONTOLÓGICO

The objective of this study was to evaluate: the profile of the surgeon-dentist that undergoes a course in specialization at the Odontology Faculty of Aracatuba/UNESP, Brazil; if they requested informed consent from the patient and/or their legal representative before the realization of procedures, and if the treatment was decided upon with the patient. It was elaborated, validated and applied in questionnaire form, and the data obtained was analyzed by the program EPI-INFO 3.3 The conclusion was, given that surgeon-dentists still do not obtain any type of document before beginning treatment, a large percentage of them are totally vulnerable if submitted to ethical or legal prosecution and that it is necessary to be aware of this aspect.

Retained lips stud: complication of labial piercing

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and VenereologyVolume 22, Issue 6 p. 770-771 Retained lips stud: complication of labial piercing P López-Jornet, P López-Jornet Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, Corresponding author, Clínica Odontológica Universitaria, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Avda. Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain, tel. +34 968 398588; fax +34 968 388576; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorF Gomez Garcia, F Gomez Garcia Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, Corresponding author, Clínica Odontológica Universitaria, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Avda. Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain, tel. +34 968 398588; fax +34 968 388576; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author P López-Jornet, P López-Jornet Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, Corresponding author, Clínica Odontológica Universitaria, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Avda. Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain, tel. +34 968 398588; fax +34 968 388576; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorF Gomez Garcia, F Gomez Garcia Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, Corresponding author, Clínica Odontológica Universitaria, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Avda. Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain, tel. +34 968 398588; fax +34 968 388576; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 09 October 2007 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02451.xCitations: 3 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02451.x Read the full textAboutPDF 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 No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume22, Issue6June 2008Pages 770-771 RelatedInformation

Evaluation of student and faculty perceptions of the PBL curriculum at two dental schools from a student perspective: a cross‐sectional survey

Problem-based learning (PBL) research has primarily highlighted issues related to medical education and less evaluation has been reported from the field of dental education. Furthermore, literature reports tend to focus mainly on PBL from a pedagogic and curriculum constructional view and up to this date, studies from a student perspective are lacking. The aim of this study was to approach the evaluation of student and staff perceptions of PBL curricula from a student perspective at two separate schools: the Faculty of Odontology at the University of Malmö, Sweden and the dental school of the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry (USCSD), Los Angeles, CA, USA. The study was initiated and conducted by two of the authors, at the time senior students at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö, Sweden. The study was comprised of a literature search, a 2 week field trip to USCSD, USA, survey distribution to students and faculty in both schools, analysis of the data and a written report for oral defence. The results from the survey were intended to provide feedback on student and faculty perceptions regarding the PBL curriculum. The results indicate a general student and faculty satisfaction with the PBL curriculum. Perhaps, surprisingly their perceptions did not differ significantly despite differences in geography, culture and implementation of PBL pedagogy.

Metacognitive Awareness in Problem-Based Learning

This project focuses on students’ proficiency to learn in a problem-based curriculum at the Faculty of Odontology at Malmo University. We have developed a series of metacognitive workshops designed ...

The oral ecosystem: implications for education

We propose a model that is applicable to oral health education. The model describes the oral cavity in a complexity-based ecological context. This concept includes the premise that factors from different organisational levels (biological, individual, community, society) interact in a complex way with the potential to 'stress' the ecosystem and thereby provoke changes. This mode of action complies with the understanding of the oral cavity as a complex adaptive system. An ecological model is actively used in the undergraduate problem-based curriculum at the Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Sweden and has recently been applied as a conceptual basis for the new dental curriculum being established at the University of Tromsø in Northern Norway. The purpose is to encourage and promote an ecological, health-oriented view and to stimulate reflections on premises for oral health and diseases in an integrated context.

Specialist Training at the Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University

Aim To describe the specialist training at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö for eight specialities that are certified in Sweden and report the results of a questionnaire among former specialist trainees.Material and Method The objectives of the specialist training are set on three levels: the national level according to the Swedish National Board for Health and Welfare, the faculty level, the so called Malmö model, and finally the specialist subject level. The specialist training in Malmö is implemented in collaboration with the Public Dental Health Care in southern Sweden. The Postgraduate Education Board of the faculty scrutinizes and approves each trainee's individualized specialist training programme. The clinical part of the training is to be shared between the collaborating units and the theoretical part is the prime responsibility of the faculty. During the three‐year‐programme, seven core courses are held for all trainees irrespective of specialist subject parallel to the clinical training. Every semester there are two joint seminars: one seminar on a current odontological theme and one on the following subjects; epidemiology, ethics, migration and ethnic relations, environment, gender, leadership. A written and oral programme evaluation is performed yearly by the Chair of the Postgraduate Education Board together with a representative of the Public Dental Health Care. As part of the 2003 evaluation a questionnaire was sent to 31 specialist graduates trained between 2000 and 2003. Twenty‐four specialists responded, 13 graduates from Malmö and 11 from other Swedish specialist institutions.Results and Conclusion A majority of the 24 responding graduates express that the work as specialists suit them very well and that the education well serve the purpose to work as a specialist. A majority of the graduates from Malmö were positive to the joint courses during their training. Some thought that there should be more joint activities among trainees of different subject specialities.