Perceptions Of Dental Students Research Articles

Attitude and perception of dental students towards computer-mediated learning during COVID-19 pandemic in Central India

Context: Due to emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were ordered to be closed to protect students from viral exposure. The mode of teaching had to be shifted from face-to-face to digital learning to complete the prescribed syllabi in a stipulated time period. Aim: This study aimed to assess the attitude and perception of undergraduate dental students towards computer-mediated teaching during COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: After obtaining informed consent, a questionnaire study was conducted online using Google Forms among undergraduate students of dental colleges in Central India. Methods and Material: A standard pre-tested questionnaire in English was used, which consisted of 3 parts. The first part recorded demographic data, second part evaluated learning and third part assessed the attitude of the students to computer-mediated learning. Statistical analysis used: 1045 students participated in the study. Learning and Attitude Score was calculated and mean score was compared between groups using ANOVA. Results: Most of the students (above 80%) believed the modern education is inconceivable without computer technology. However, only about 30% believed that such teaching can substitute traditional way of learning. Those with advanced skills in computers reported to have better experience with computer-mediated learning (p<0.05).

Incivility in online learning environment: Perception of dental students and faculty.

The objectives of this study were to assess the extent of incivility and perception of dental students and faculty regarding uncivil behaviors in the online learning environment. Incivility in online environment (IOLE) survey was used to collect data from dental students (n=232) and faculty (n=35) at Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from September to December 2021. A 4- point Likert scale was used for respondents to indicate their perceptions regarding incivility in IOLE, and a list of students' and faculty's uncivil behaviors. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The level of significance was kept at ≤0.05. The majority of the students reported online incivility as either "a moderate or serious problem" (n=103, 72.0%), and the majority of faculty (n=12, 56%) reported incivility as "no to a mild problem" (p=0.018). Both students and faculty agreed that students are more likely to engage in uncivil behavior in OLE as compared to faculty. Various forms of rude/threatening comments and posting ambiguous or vague responses that do not add meaning to the online discussion were considered uncivil student behaviors by both students and faculty (p ≤ 0.05). Assigning grades without providing useful feedback and threatening to fail students for not complying with faculty's demands were perceived as uncivil faculty behaviors (p ≤ 0.05). Female students and students with less self-reported expertise in online learning had greater mean scores for faculty uncivil behaviors (p ≤ 0.05). Incivility exists in OLE in dentistry with the more likely engagement of students in uncivil behaviors. With the increasing use of online platforms for education in dentistry, there is a need for further research and training courses for both students and faculty to reduce the extent of incivility and create a healthy and conducive learning environment.

Dentistry students' opinion toward Biochemistry course and its relevance in clinical practice in Chennai, India.

Biochemistry is a subject that is essential to understand the molecular basis of a disease, its diagnosis, and prognosis. However, study of biochemistry in dentistry at the undergraduate level is considered to be much teacher-oriented and the students show a lackluster attitude toward the subject. This questionnaire study is carried out to understand the perception of dental students in studying biochemistry and its relevance in dental practice. A pre-set questionnaire was sent to Bachelor of Dental Surgery students from first to final year and the responses were recorded. Although students are positive about liking biochemistry as a theory subject, still many are wary of the detailed study of complex reactions and metabolic pathways, which hampers the extensive study of the subject and its application in clinical practice.

Faktor Motivasi Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Gigi Universitas Andalas Berkarir Sebagai Dokter Gigi (Studi Deskriptif)

Background: The motivation for selecting a dentist career is the complex consideration. Knowing and understanding dental students' motivation is important for institutions to manage learning systems to create dentists that can fulfill the needs of the community. Purpose: to describe the motives and perceptions of undergraduate and postgraduate dental students attending Faculty of Dentistry, Andalas University. This study was conducted to 120 academic and clinical students in this institution. The students were instructed to fill a questionnaire consisting of 25 questions. Eight questions were scored from 1 to 2 , 1 question was a multiple choice question and the rest were scored from 1 to 4. The data were tabulated by Microsoft Excel, factor analysis was tested by SPSS software. Results: Fifty three percent of students chose dentistry in the first place. The most common factors choosing dentistry are internal or external motivation, profession, and remuneration. Dental students showed a strong tendency to pursue higher study and managing private dental clinics. Conclusion: humanity, flexibility, and financial status were found to be important motivating factors. Hence, it may be a good idea to establish educational programs in the faculty to educate students based on their career choices.

Molar-incisor hypomineralisation: Knowledge and perception of Syrian undergraduate and postgraduate dental students.

Dentists' knowledge and expertise, especially in their early career, are primarily shaped during undergraduate studies. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception of Syrian under- and postgraduate students regarding diagnosing and managing molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH)-affected teeth. Final-year dental students (FY-students), postgraduates in paediatric dentistry (PD-postgraduates) and postgraduates in other lines of specialty (OS-postgraduates) in all Syrian dental schools were invited to participate in an established web-based survey covering the knowledge and attitudes regarding the prevalence, aetiology, diagnosis and management of MIH. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact/chi-squared tests at 5%. In total, 1142 post- and undergraduate students from six public and five private dental schools in Syria participated in this study (867 FY-students, 74 PD-postgraduates and 201 OS-postgraduates). PD-postgraduates were found to present statistically significantly better knowledge regarding MIH compared with the two other groups. Only 19% of FY-students and 54% of OS-postgraduates reported themselves familiar with MIH (compared with 97% of PD-postgraduates). Similarly, 18% of FY-students and 27% of OS-postgraduates were capable of diagnosing MIH (compared with 81% of PD-postgraduates). Stainless-steel crowns and direct composite fillings were chosen as most suitable for treating MIH-affected molars from all responders. FY-students and even OS-postgraduates in Syria lack knowledge and confidence when confronted with MIH. The university curricula need to include more educational materials to equip the students with the necessary tools to manage MIH clinically.

ECHO: An Information System for the Monitoring and Evaluation of Dental Student Activity in a Pre-Doctoral Clinic.

The main goal of dental education is to develop health professionals who will maintain and improve the oral health of patients. This requires the quantitative and qualitative assessment of dental student activity. The aim of this work is to describe the ECHO information system that was developed at Timone Hospital (France) for the monitoring and evaluation of dental student activity and to present the results of a qualitative evaluation of student perceptions of this system. According to the analysis of the UML model of care-related procedures and data, the pre-existing process of student evaluation was characterized by redundancy between administrative and educational data. ECHO was developed in PHP/MySQL and designed to centralize the two types of data in a unified computerized process. The qualitative evaluation of dental student perceptions of ECHO was performed using an anonymous online Google Form questionnaire. Among the respondents (102/254 students), 96% stated that ECHO is easy to use, 86% that it saves time, and 81% that it gives them a better overview of their activity. After several years of use, ECHO has solved many of the difficulties related to the use of internship paper booklets, while also providing a documentary database of the activities of our dental department. The student activity data stored in ECHO are directly accessible by faculty members and can be reused to facilitate departmental management and research and to improve patient follow-up.

Perceptions of dental students’ regarding anatomy learning and assessment in integrated curriculum adopted by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Pakistan

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The integrated curriculum adopted by the university effects the learning process of dental students. They prefer selective study of specific objectives rather than developing a deeper understanding of anatomy. Thus, students’ perceptions would be helpful in improving curriculum delivery, at university level, for beneficial future clinical roles.
 METHODOLOGY: A qualitative exploratory study in a dental college affiliated with regional medical university spread over three months. Second year BDS class (50 students) was purposively chosen excluding first year students. Fifteen item questionnaire was developed and distributed via Google form followed by inductive analysis.
 RESULTS: Forty-eight students (96%) responded. Seven themes and eighteen subthemes emerged. Three themes expressed students’ preference for group study, small group discussion and visual learning style. Content of anatomy was suggested to be divided in two years by few. In theme “Anatomy assessment weightage” majority consented on same number of multiple-choice questions of anatomy as other subjects as all found it difficult to prepare it in one day with other subjects. Most of them considered such anatomy assessment weightage to have a positive impact on their future practitioner role.
 CONCLUSION: Dental students are satisfied with the content of anatomy in each block. Main concern raised is misalignment between anatomy assessment weightage and its delivered content. This drives students to do selective anatomy study in each block. This concern should be considered by university in redesigning future curriculum to equip students with necessary knowledge of anatomy required by dentists in their future roles.

Examination Anxiety in Integrated Modular Curriculum: Perceptions of Dental Students

Introduction:The universal driving force for learning is assessment, however, it accompanies anxiety, commonly known as exam
 or test anxiety. There is increasing evidence that exam modality and gender play a significant role in generating anxiety in medical students. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of exam anxiety in different assessment modalities with same examination standards and criteria among dental students at University College of Dentistry (UCD), The University of Lahore (UOL).
 Method:We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of over 250 dental students from years 1 to 4, at UCD to assess the test anxiety in dental students with different exam modalities. Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the variations of perceptions among male and female students of UCD. Chi-square was used to test for analysis of academic years with different modalities of exams.
 Results:The analysis suggested that “extensive course load” with highest anxiety mean score of 4 was most anxiety provoking followed by “studying all night” (mean score=3) in all assessment modalities. The single most test-anxiety provoking modality was “OSCE station with examiner”, with an average combined mean score of 57, followed by “Long-case” (mean score=56). The data revealed that “psychological issues” (p=0.05), “OSCE station with the examiner” (p=0.02) and “exam taking strategy” (p=0.00) were found statistically significant with respect to genders. The combined score of all exam modalities under the domain of “information needs” was highly significant (p=0.02) with highest mean rank observed in final year dental students followed by 2nd-year students.
 Conclusion:We conclude that face-to-face assessments evoke anxiety in students, especially in females. This may be because it also involves confidence and presentation other than theoretical knowledge as in short answer questions (SAQ). The mock assessments shall be made part of the syllabus as this will increase students’ preparedness and will also be helpful for examiners.
 
 KEYWORDS
 Exam, Anxiety, Assessment, Modalities, Dental students

Dental students’ perception and knowledge regarding the importance of professionalism in dentistry: A cross sectional study

Background: Professionalism has been recognised as an essential component of dental practise since the twenty-first century. Various researchers have published definitions of professionalism, but the perception of dental students and graduates regarding professionalism in Pakistan has been limited. Objective: The main objective was to explore the awareness and importance of professionalism among the undergraduate dental students in Pakistan. Method: This cross-sectional research was carried out among the third and final year dental students from August to December 2021. Written consent was attained from all the study participants. Data was collected and statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 21. The Chi-square test is conducted to assess the association between the variables. Results: From a total of 201 participants, 95 males (47.3%) and 106 females (52.7%) were involved. Among these, there were 93 (46.3%) 3rd year and 108 (53.6%) 4th year dental students. In response to being asked to listen actively to patients, the majority of the males (72/6%) and females (91.5%) agreed. Similarly, for recognising the needs of patients, 84% of males and 91.5% of females agreed (p value 0.000). Regarding finding it difficult to meet patient requirements, 84% of males agreed while 43.2% of females disagreed (p value 0.000). The majority of the participants who kept records were males (73.6%) and females (90.4%). Conclusion: The study concluded that dental students had adequate knowledge and attitude regarding dental professionalism. The students not only listened attentively to the patients but were also punctual and showed compassion and care towards the patients. Keywords: Dental students. Professionalism, Pakistan, Cross sectional study, Ethics

Perception of Undergraduate Dental Students to Team Based Learning in one of the Oral Radiology Courses

Perception of Undergraduate Dental Students to Team Based Learning in one of the Oral Radiology Courses

Dental student's perceptions and experience treating adults with developmental disabilities.

The objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of dental students with regards to treating adults with developmental disabilities (AWDDs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three groups of participants: experts who extensively work with AWDDs (n=3), students who had no clinical training to treat AWDDs (n=3), and students who had completed their clinical training to treat AWDDs (n=8). One-on-one interviews were conducted in-person or via video call with each participant. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes. Experts described their motivations for working with AWDDs. Students in both groups identified the challenges of working with AWDDs and highlighted the impact of the informal curriculum as well as the increased importance of clinical training. Students who had received clinical training described the clinical rotation as a transformative learning experience that instilled a sense of health advocacy. There was alignment of themes between all three groups in terms of skills desired, acquired, and required to work with AWDDs; however, the students who had received clinical training and the experts differed on their opinion of the relative importance of the skills they developed. The alignment of perceptions between students and experts is promising and demonstrates the successes of the existing curriculum. The misalignment between students and experts highlights areas in the curriculum that can be improved through adjustments and augmentation.

E-Professionalism among Dental Students from Malaysia and Finland.

The increased use of social media in dentistry is associated with both advantages and disadvantages. A new form of professionalism, “e-professionalism,” has emerged. It includes an online persona and online information in any format that displays cues to professional identity, attitudes, and behaviors. The objective was to explore the perceptions of Malaysian and Finnish dental students on e-professionalism. A survey of 613 Malaysian and Finnish students was performed. The main variables assessed were posting of objectionable or inappropriate content among students, attitudes towards unprofessional online content, perceived online presence, contacts with patients and faculty members on social media, and concerns about social media use. The prevalence of posting clearly unprofessional content was not high among dental students. Revealing information of patients was most common content of clear unprofessionalism. Students from Malaysia contacted patients and faculty members more actively in social media than students in Finland (73.6% of students in Malaysia and 11.8% in Finland had invited faculty members to be “friends”). Malaysian students were more concerned and more likely to react to inappropriate content on social media. Attitude of dental students towards social media use in dentistry were very positive in both countries. Students agreed that guiding patients online is a new responsibility for dentists in the digital age (86.4% of students in Malaysia and 73.4% in Finland). The findings indicate the existence of both benefits and dangers of social media on e-professionalism among students. There is a need to include robust digital professionalism awareness training for students.

Students' and tutors' perceptions of a deliberate simulated practice using patient-specific virtual and three-dimensional printed teeth models: A pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to investigate the perceptions of dental students and their tutors of a deliberate simulated practice using patient-specific virtual and three-dimensional (3D) printed teeth models. This is before they perform their first indirect posterior tooth restoration on their patients. Seventy-eight fourth-year dental students from the 2021 Comprehensive Clinic I course at the University of the Andes, Chile, were invited to participate in a deliberate practice protocol. This consisted of digitally scanning their patients' teeth, printing the files three-dimensionally, and loading them into a virtual reality (VR) dental simulator to create patient-specific models. Subsequently, they practiced the same indirect posterior restorations on these models before performing them on their actual patients. Perceptions about students' preparedness to perform tooth preparations before and after the protocol were collected from students and their tutors through surveys. Sixty-three students (43 female) and six clinical tutors (all male) participated in the study. Before practicing with their patient-specific models, most students believed they had the knowledge, practical skills, and self-confidence to perform indirect restorations on their patients. However, after the protocol, most students thought their self-confidence increased and felt better prepared to treat their patients. Most students preferred the 3D-printed models over the VR models to practice but mentioned that it did not feel like drilling dental enamel. Tutors believed that participating students had higher self-confidence when treating their patients and were more autonomous. This study demonstrated that students and clinical tutors had positive perceptions of practicing with patient-specific virtual and 3D-printed teeth models before students performed their first indirect restorations on their patients.

Evaluation on the perception of final year dental students on their confidence level regarding endodontic treatments: a cross sectional analysis

Endodontics procedures are difficult and complicated that most of the practitioners would encounter. Therefore, dental students should gain their confidence and competent during their training. This research aimed to study the perception of final year students on confidence level regarding endodontic treatments from all public universities and their opinions on the quality of endodontic education. A Google Form was used to disseminate an online questionnaire to all dental students from public universities across Malaysia. The survey included both scaled answer and open-ended questions. 184 responses out of 235 students, were obtained (response rate = 78%). Perception of competence and confidence were significantly greater amongst the students from research-based universities group (P < 0.05). 93.5% (n=179) of participants agree that they were confident to do endodontic procedure on anterior tooth, whilst on posterior tooth, only 75.5% (n=139) were confident. Only 6.5 percent of participants (n = 12) did not feel confident doing root canal treatment on single-rooted teeth, but 76.1 percent (n = 140) did not feel competent performing root canal treatment on multirooted teeth. Over 90% of the students rated the quality and the amount of time spent on endodontic education were adequate at their respective university as ?5 on a Likert scale (1 = inadequate to 10 = adequate). In addition, when they were asked to give the suggestion on how to improve the quality of endodontic education, 10.9% of the students suggested to increase the number of practical session and to do regular discussion regarding endodontic cases. It is vital to improve undergraduate endodontic education in order to raise students' perceptions of their confidence and competence when doing root canal therapy.

Greek dental students' perceptions of treating older patients.

The oral problems of the older population are largely undertreated because of various barriers, including negative perceptions and ageist stereotypes, among care providers. The aim of this study was to record the perceptions of Greek dental students of treating older patients. An anonymous written questionnaire including two open-ended questions about the positive and negative issues when treating older patients was administered to clinical dental students. A content analysis was conducted to identify the main themes. A total of 135 students responded to the questionnaire (response rate 88.23%). Five key themes were identified for the facilitating factors and six for the barriers/challenging factors. The facilitating factors of treating older people were the promotion of the patients' health and quality of life, the good interaction and communication with older patients, the dentist's intrinsic reward treating older people, the positive feedback from the patients and the improvement of professional dental competences when treating complex cases. The barriers included communication and cooperation problems, treatment challenges related to disease and disability, patients' negative beliefs about oral health, barriers to accessing dental care, complex and time-consuming treatment plans, and communication and cooperation problems with the patients' carers. A range of facilitating and challenging factors influence dental students' perceptions of treating older patients. More research is necessary on the methods that will enhance their geriatric knowledge and skills, help them overcome the challenges they detected and improve their attitudes and behaviours towards treating older patients.

Perception of dental students towards the online method of dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education system drastically. The shift from traditional learning to online mode during the quarantine period affected dental education substantially. The present study aimed to determine the impact of online learning on dental education and the potential challenges being faced by the dental students. MethodsAn online survey-based questionnaire was distributed to 103 BDS students and feedback was recorded. ResultsThe study yielded a response rate of 57% comprising of female(56%)and male(44%) respondents. The participants were categorized into two groups with age brackets of 22 years& above. Majority of the female students (86.2%) were more inclined towards offline learning than male students (57.8%) (p = 0.001). More predilection for offline mode was observed in 83% of the students (>22 years of age) than 66.1%students (<22 years) (p = 0.05).BDS 1st (59.6%),2nd (74.1%) 3rd (93.8%)& 4th year (100%) students preferred offline mode for exams (p = 0.005). Most of the students (77.7%) including male (86.7%) and female (70.6%) (p = 0.05) strongly disagreed to continue E-learning in future. The students (<22 years) (98.2%) were more accessible to the internet than students (>22 years) (93.2%) (p = 0.02). The students (>22 years) found more difficulty in using different online platforms (87.2%) than students (<22 years) i.e., 69.6% (p = 0.03).BDS 3rd and 4th year (100%) appeared for the exams in greater numbers than BDS 1st year (76.6%) and 2nd year (92.6%) (p = 0.02). ConclusionOnline learning had a detrimental impact on dental education. The students agreed that online mode cannot substitute conventional face-to-face learning.

Perceptions Of Medical And Dental Students On Online Examinations From Home Setup During 2020-Lockdowns Due To Covid-19 Outbreak In India.

Perceptions Of Medical And Dental Students On Online Examinations From Home Setup During 2020-Lockdowns Due To Covid-19 Outbreak In India.

Short-term international dental experiences in undergraduate dental students at an Australian university.

Learning through international experience has been well documented in USA literature, yet not well explored in Australia. The aim of this study is to understand Australian dental students' experiences and perceptions of international dental experience by: (i) capturing past participation; (ii) identifying potential interests for participants who have not been on a trip and (iii) ascertaining perceived benefits of the trip/s. A 19 question paper survey was distributed to 310 eligible undergraduate dental students of The University of Queensland (UQ). An online counterpart survey was created via Google Forms and promoted on relevant Facebook groups targeted at current dental students of UQ. A total of 203 of the 310 eligible UQ undergraduate dental students responded to the distributed paper and electronic surveys making the response rate 65.5%. A total of 13 undergraduate respondents participated in an international experience trip. The majority of respondents who had not participated in an international dental experience trip were interested in participating in one. Education (84.6%) and improved dental skills (84.6%) were the most reported perceived benefits by the students who had participated in an international dental experience. A majority of respondents were interested in participating in international dental experiences. Despite this, only 1 in 15 respondents had participated in an international dental experience. Further exploration of this concept is needed; however, dental schools within Australia could potentially explore integration of international short-term dental experiences into formal curricula in the future.

Perceptions of Clinical Dental Students Toward Online Education During the COVID-19 Crisis: An Egyptian Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objectives: To evaluate the perceptions of clinical dental students on the role of online education in providing dental education during the COVID-19 crisis.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to four Egyptian dental schools from the 20th of January 2021 to the 3rd of February 2021. Survey questions included the demographics, uses, experiences, perceived benefits, and barriers of distance learning in dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were collected from the clinical dental school students. Categorical data were presented as frequencies (n) and percentages (%) and were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test.Results: Three hundred thirty-seven clinical dental students across four Egyptian dental schools responded. Most students used either Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams to access the online content. The data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the academic performance of most participants (97.4%) with varying degrees. On average, students were neutral when asked to rate the online lectures, but did not find online practical education as effective (81.3%) as online theoretical teaching. The commonly described barriers to online teaching included loss of interaction with educators, inappropriateness in gaining clinical skills, and the instability of the internet connection.Conclusion: Despite the reported benefits, clinical dental students in Egypt preferred the hybrid approach in dental education as distance learning represented a prime challenge to gain adequate clinical dental skills.

Perception of Undergraduate Dental Students about Use of Smartphones in Dentistry: An Efficient Teaching-Learning Tool During Covid – 19 Pandemic

Health care has transformed intensely with the Digital Era. Smartphone is one of the digital tools which change the traditional way of teaching-learning nowadays. There is the widespread use of Smartphones as a part of the ‘Learning Management System’ in dental healthcare. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, regular classroom and clinical educational activities for dental students were almost disturbed globally. ‘WHO Guidelines’, appeal to everyone to stop the spread of pandemic by maintaining social distancing. As per the Government and University guidelines, colleges must continue education through an online platform so that students should not be deprived of education. As this current situation is unpredictable, Smartphones are routinely used by many students to continue digital education. Therefore the perception of students on the usage of Smartphones as an easily available efficient teaching-learning tool in dentistry is the need of the hour. So, the aim of the study was to assess the perception of undergraduate dental students about the use of Smartphones in dentistry as an efficient teaching-learning tool during COVID – 19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was carried out at VSPM Dental College and Research Centre, Nagpur. Pre-validated questionnaires were provided to the dental undergraduate students containing 14 closed-ended questions and one open-ended question among approximately 500 students through Google Form. 99% of students used smartphones for e-learning. Smartphones are convenient and easily accessible devices during this pandemic situation to continue teaching and learning. Smartphones in dentistry are really an efficient digital teaching-learning tool during COVID – 19 pandemic situations.