Perceptions Of Dental Students Research Articles

Perceptions of dental students, dental faculty, practicing dentists and industry dental professionals on the acquisition of dental competencies and clinical skills in the Dominican Republic.

This study gathered perceptions from four stakeholder groups in the Dominican Republic (DR) regarding acquiring professional dental competencies and clinical skills. Researcher-created surveys covering core dental competencies and clinical skills were distributed to stakeholder groups associated with nine different DR dental programs. Respondents included 153 undergraduate dental students, 153 dental faculty members, 108 practicing dentists (who had graduated in the past 5 years) and 42 industry professionals (who hire and supervise dentists). Data were examined using descriptive statistics, univariate ANOVA and multiple linear regressions. Dental school students and recent graduates now practicing dentists in the DR reflected moderate to solid confidence that they had learned most of the dental skills and competencies covered in the survey. Industry professionals were a bit less confident overall, while dental faculty offered the lowest scores, although those were often still in the moderately confident range. ANOVAs revealed significant differences when broken down by individual university dental programs. Regressions also revealed that individual university dental programs significantly predict confidence that dental skills and competencies were achieved. Data show that DR's dental stakeholder groups generally felt optimistic about the learning occurring. However, the lower mean scores and higher standard deviations from faculty responses raise concern, as do the significant differences between individual dental programs and the dental program itself a significant predictor. Further review of programs is needed, and a national set of dental competencies should be considered in this country.

Online vs. traditional learning: A comparative analysis of student's responses during COVID-19.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a major impact on the educational institutes globally and resulted in the transition from traditional educational systems to online electronic learning methods. This study endeavored to address and compare the dental student's understanding regarding the Oral Biology course by assessing their knowledge and skills between the students enrolled during 2020 (online teaching) and 2021 (face-to-face teaching). This study also aimed to assess the perception of dental students regarding the virtual mode of teaching. This quasi-experimental study evaluated students from two years, in which a retrospective group of dental students enrolled during the academic year 2020 were compared with a prospective experimental group enrolled during the academic year 2021. Knowledge and skills for both years were compared. This comprised of theoretical and practical component. Students also completed a questionnaire that assessed student's perception regarding online teaching. A total of 98 students of Bahria University Dental College participated. A comparison between grade scores of online and traditional learning groups reported statistically significant differences (p = 0.05*) with regards to short answer question types, viva or verbal questions (p = 0.016*). Strong correlations were observed via the multivariable analysis. All correlations were statistically significant at p < 0.01 level. Learning satisfaction was not satisfactorily observed by the online learning group. It can be concluded that despite the disruption that the educational sector had to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the differences in the subjective domain scores, students appeared to like on-campus teaching more than the online teaching, as most students found online learning to be stressful and were quite unsatisfied. However, the difference in mode of teaching did not affect the knowledge and skills of the dental students.

Evaluation of the Perception of Smile Aesthetics by Laypersons, Dental Students and Dental Practitioners

Background and Objectives: Various factors make a Smile attractive. Perception of smile esthetics varies among individuals aswell as dental professionals; this can create a barrier of communication between the patient and the dentist. Thus, a database isrequired to gauge this difference among our local population. This study aims to assess the perception of smile estheticsamong laypeople,dental students and dental practitioners.Methodology: After taking informed consent 261 participants (Male, Female), took participation in this study. Theseparticipants were from different groups, Group A (Dental students n=128), Group B (House Officers n=42), Group C (PG’sn=30), Group D (lay persons n=61).The study included both genders, students of clinical years, House officers and Laypersons.Students of non-clinical year as well as dentists ofbasic sciences were excluded.Results: For subject 1 and 6, the most selected options are C and C (60% and 73.3% respectively) in male lay persons. In femalelaypersons the subject 2 and 6,the selected options areA and C (73.9% and 60.8% respectively).Conclusion: The perception of smile esthetics differs hugely for layperson and dental professionals. The dentists must probethetype of esthetic features the patient prefers.

Perceptions of Dental Students towards Online Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: With the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19, massive impact on our health structure and economics was noticed. Above all, the education system suffered a significant setback. Most of schools and colleges were forced to shut, for almost two years. In this study we investigate the perceptions of dental students towards the online mode of teaching by close ended questionnaire survey in dental colleges. Aim: To study the perception of dental students towards online teaching and to give recommendation based on our study findings. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based Cross sectional study was conducted in dental undergraduates from 2016 to 2020 batch in Dental Colleges &amp; hospital of Chhattisgarh for period of one month using convenience sampling in order to evaluate perceptions of dental students towards online mode of teaching. Results: Student’s perception was evaluated using a close ended questionnaire. Majority agreed on grounds like online teaching is more interactive (50.2%), more comfortable (37.8%), enhanced their technological skill (41.5%) and received support and resources from respective teachers (53.2%). On the other hand, students were having trouble to concentrate for longer time (63.6%), learning practical’s online (60.8%), poor internet connection (70.5%) and family distraction (44.2%). Conclusion: We need to accentuate ways to integrate this online teaching with traditional method of teaching, this can open new vistas for better teaching opportunities worldwide.

Knowledge and Perception of dental students towards Hepatitis B and C infection in South Indian dental college

Context: Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are known threats to health-care professionals. Optimum knowledge and healthy perception are essential armor that can help dental professionals in treating these patients ethically and safely. Aims: The aim of the study is to assess knowledge and perception of dental students toward hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection. Settings and Designs: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of 100 dental undergraduates toward hepatitis B and C infections in a dental college. Subjects and Methods: A self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive analysis was done, frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Chi-square test was done. Results: The knowledge of dental students regarding hepatitis C was found to be lacking in comparison to hepatitis B. There was found to be some negativity in the perception of dental students toward treating hepatitis B and C patients; however, it was higher toward hepatitis C. Conclusions: Improvising awareness and knowledge toward hepatitis C can be stressed in dental institutions to equip dental students to treat patients ideally. Counseling can be introduced to improvise attitude toward treatment HBV- and HCV-positive patients.

Knowledge, attitude, and perception of dentists regarding the role of Artificial Intelligence and its applications in Oral Medicine and Radiology: a cross sectional study

Background and objective: There is a paradigm shift in the medical and dental fields due to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). Since AI has a potential impact on current and future practitioners, understanding the basic concept, working principle, and likely applications of AI as a diagnostic tool in Oral Medicine and Radiology is necessary for its widespread use. Therefore, this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students and dentists regarding the possible applications of AI in the field of Oral Medicine and Radiology. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study comprising 15 questions circulated through Google Forms® to 460 dental students and professionals. The questionnaire collected demographic data of participants and assessed their knowledge, perception, and attitude about AI in Oral Medicine and Radiology answered using a 5-point Likert scale. Responses obtained were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test. Results: Out of 460 participants, majority had an idea about AI (94.13%) and its working principle (73.30%). Participants agreed that AI can be used in the diagnosis and formulating of treatment plans (88.47%), early detection of cancer (77.82%), forensic dentistry (74.13%), and as a prognostic (80.65%) and quality control tool (81.30%). A majority felt that AI should be incorporated into the dental curriculum (92.39%) and most of them were against suggesting AI in clinical incorporation (35.87%) with a fear that AI might replace the clinician in the future (76.52%). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, we strongly recommend that further research and insights into AI should be delivered through lectures, curricular courses, and scientific meetings to explore and increase awareness about this fascinating technology.

Knowledge and perception of dental students, interns, and newly graduated dentists towards oral surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery as specialties and their scope

Objective: This study aimed to determine if dental students, interns, and newly graduated dentists&amp;apos; perception of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon&amp;apos;s (OMS) surgical scope would change when OMS was used instead of an oral surgeon (OS). Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed dental students, interns, and newly graduated dentists&amp;apos; choice of specialist to treat 20 different conditions. The independent variable was the term of the specialty (OMS vs.OS). The dependent variables were specialists chosen for the procedure (ENT surgeon; plastic surgeon; OMS or OS; periodontist; other). Results: Dental students&amp;apos; perception of the OMS&amp;apos;s surgical scope increased significantly from 35.7% to 49.8% when OMS was used instead of OS. Interns&amp;apos; perception of the OMS&amp;apos;s surgical scope increased significantly from 36.4% to 52.4% when OMS was used as an option instead of OS. Dentists&amp;apos; perception of the OMS&amp;apos;s surgical scope increased but was not significant from 39.1% to 45.1% when OMS was used instead of OS. Conclusion: The use of OMS increased students, intern, and newly graduated dentists&amp;apos; perception of the OMS&amp;apos;s surgical scope.

Perception of dental students regarding possible career challenges and associated factors towards working in rural areas: A questionnaire based survey.

The shortage of health care professionals in rural areas contributes toward discriminatory health care delivery. The present study was planned with a similar intent and aimed to evaluate the perception of dental students regarding their future in rural areas. The present study was designed as a cross-sectional study comprising of a 30-item questionnaire survey instrument distributed among a total of 550 dental students while the results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 12.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Independent student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for comparison among the variables while the Chi-square test was used to determine the association between the variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. No significant difference was observed in the attitude based on gender (P = 0.43), although, a statistically significant difference was observed in the attitude of students based on the year of their education with a positive attitude toward rural dental practice generally noted in the first year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students which significantly declined with the increasing level of education (P = 0.01). Dental students were more influenced by the negative aspects of rural dental practice though they had, in their mind, a positive approach for the same at the beginning of their education, but this significantly declined with the increasing level of their education.

Comparison of Self-Perception of Esthetics and Orthodontic Treatment Needs among Dental and Non-Dental Students with Assessment by Orthodontist

Objectives: The present study was conducted to compare the self-perception of esthetics and wish for seeking orthodontic treatment among dental and non-dental students. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by expert orthodontist. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 255 male students (Dental—75, Medical—93 and Pharmacy—87 students). The questionnaire included 20 items covering dental esthetics self-perception (10 questions), self-confidence and psychological impact (5 questions), and the need for seeking orthodontic treatment (5 questions) on a five-point Likert scale. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by photographs using aesthetic component of IOTN and clinical examination for the participants and analysis of jaw models using Dental aesthetic index (DAI). Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to check the significant difference between groups. Results: The overall average esthetic self-perception score for total sample was 3.83. The overall average psychological impact score for the whole sample was 2.67. The total percentage of participants who either agree or strongly agree with the question related to their perception of need for seeking orthodontic treatment was 70%. According to the assessment of orthodontic needs using AC-IOTN, 19.8% required definitive treatment. According to the assessment of orthodontic treatment needs based on DAI, 20.3% and 9.9% needed highly desirable (DAI 31 - 35) and definite need of treatment (DAI ≥ 36) respectively. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there was no difference between the esthetic perception of dental and non-dental students. The self-perception for seeking orthodontic treatment was over-reported by participants compared to real requirement as assessed by orthodontic specialist. Dental esthetics has no psychological impact on academic performance and self-confidence as perceived by study participants.

Perception of Undergraduate Dental Students toward Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dakshina Kannada District

Background: Online learning is a virtual learning system that combines teaching and learning processes with the use of the Internet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach has proven to be a viable solution for maintaining the learning process. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the perception of e-learning among undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dakshina Kannada District. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 195 undergraduate dental students (1st year to final year) studying across Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India. They were surveyed through a self-administered online questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The Chi-square test was used to find statistical associations, and P &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age (±standard deviation) of the participants was 20.3 (±1.0). The results revealed that 70% of the participants were aware of online training before the COVID-19 pandemic, 84% responded that online learning was difficult to understand without getting acquainted with appropriate guidance, 78% believed that student and teacher interaction was less during the online classes, and 87% expressed that online learning was stressful. Conclusion: According to the findings, nearly half of the participants had a negative attitude about online learning. As a result, encouraging face-to-face connection between students and teachers, as well as promoting a learning environment at home for online learning, is encouraged.

Students' preparedness and perception toward online learning in dental education - A cross-sectional study.

Amid the health risk posed by coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, all the educational institutions in India have adopted online teaching as a method of imparting education. Thus, the current study was executed to evaluate the perception and preparedness of dental students toward online learning in dental education. The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 286 dental undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students employing a pretested questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on technological access, computer and online skills, and motivational skills to use e-learning for educational purpose. The response scale for each domain was classified into low readiness level (mean value = 1-<3), acceptable/moderate readiness level (mean value = 3-<4), and high readiness level (mean value = 4-5). The results showed a high level of computer (4.02 ± 0.73) and online skills (4.05 ± 0.70) and acceptable levels of technology access (3.62 ± 0.73) and motivational level (3.61 ± 0.82). There was a significant difference in computer (P = 0.017) and online skills (P = 0.044) among UG and PG students, with PG students reporting better soft skills. Majority of the students reported participating in online workshops (68.2%) and examinations (76.6%). Around 55.2% of the students reported a positive impact and 8% reported a very positive impact of online methods on their learning. Students showed a high level of readiness toward e-learning methods along with some difficulties faced during e-learning.

Perceptions of Dental Students t ceptions of Dental Students toward Dentistr d Dentistry and Difficulties y and Difficulties They Face during Pr ace during Preclinical Oper eclinical Operative Dentistr e Dentistry Education ducation

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the attitudes of dental students toward dentistry and the difficulties they face during their preclinical operative dentistry education, especially its practical aspect. Methods: About 100 third-year dental students answered a paper-based survey questionnaire (response rate = 90.90%), which was prepared and distributed in April 2019. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 (IBM SPSS, Turkey), and a one-way ANOVA test was used to determine the students’ competence for patient treatment based on their difficulty scores. Results: No statistically significant relationship was identified between the participants’ difficulty scores and grade point averages (p &gt; 0.05). The students who felt ready for their clinical dental education phase—due the following year—had statistically significant lower difficulty scores than those who felt incompetent and uncertain (p: 0.005; p &lt; 0.05). Notably, there was no statistically significant difference in the difficulty scores (p &gt; 0.05) between the participants who felt incompetent and uncertain. Conclusion: Dental practice plays an important role in preclinical operative dentistry education. Therefore, dental students should be adequately prepared for operative preclinical practice, which can be achieved by offering more preclinical practice through collaboration with educators.

Australian dental students’ knowledge on antibiotics prophylaxis for dental procedures

BackgroundPrescribing medicine is integral to clinical dentistry. Infective endocarditis may be rare but fatal if left untreated. As a result, judicious prescribing of antibiotics should be implemented due to potential. To our knowledge, no Australian study has examined dental students' knowledge and perceptions about antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures.MethodsAustralian dental students were invited to undertake the survey comprising case vignettes to investigate their medication knowledge. A total of 117 responses were received. The questions were 12 clinically relevant questions and three perception-based questions. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics as well as the chi-squared test.ResultsThe 117 respondents had a mean correct response of 7.34 ± 2.64 (range 3–12 out of 12). Out of 117 students, 89 (76%) answered more than half of the questions correctly. Only three students (3%) answered all the questions correctly. Nearly two-thirds felt that they knew about antibiotic prophylaxis used for dental procedures.ConclusionMost respondents answered more than half, but not all, of the clinical questions correctly. It is crucial to highlight that dental student may never receive any more training on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) at any point in their future careers. It may be ideal that this issue is addressed at the dental school. One way to target this is to potentially nationalised teaching delivery of dental AMS across Australia.

Risk Perception and Preparedness of Undergraduate Dental Students to Treat Patients in View of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire Survey.

With the gradual resumption of dental services worldwide, it is crucial to focus on returning dental undergraduates to their clinical postings. The assessment of foreseeable concerns from a student's point of view will help the dental schools tailor a comprehensive plan of action that would be in the best interest of everyone. Aim. Hence, this survey was planned to assess dental undergraduates' risk perception and preparedness to provide patient care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Material and Methods. It was an online survey carried out among students involved in clinical work at two dental colleges in Manipal and Mangalore, respectively, in Karnataka, India. The online questionnaire was sent to approximately 500 students, with responses from 301 students. The survey comprised 21 closed-ended questions about demographics, risk perception, and preparedness. The descriptive statistics were done on the data. Results. It was found that all the students (99.7%) perceived COVID-19 to be dangerous, and 73.4% chose to avoid treating those patients suspected to have an active COVID-19 infection. The fear of being infected was perceived by 55.1% of students, while 46.2% feared transmitting the infection to friends and family. A majority (87.7%) believed standard infection controls practiced prior to the pandemic were insufficient to work in the current scenario. Nearly 33.6% could not view the guidelines for dental procedures during the pandemic. A majority (87.7%) were not/little confident, and 61.7% were unsure/unprepared to manage suspected patients. Conclusion. It is the prime need of the hour for dental schools to instill self-reliance within students in managing patient care under these circumstances by strictly reinforcing the official protective care guidelines.

Undergraduate dental students’ perceptions of an internship at a Brazilian family health strategy center

We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the perceptions of undergraduate dental students (UDSs) of an internship in primary dental care within a Family Health Strategy Team (FHS-T) and associated factors. Data were collected via a self-report questionnaire. Poisson regression models were used in multivariate analysis (p&lt;0.05). Of 175 UDSs included, 150 (85.7%) classified the FHS-T internship as important to their dental education. Being enrolled in the Community Dental Health (CDH) III course (vs CDH I) increased by 9% (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-1.21) the likelihood of students classifying the internship as important to their dental education. Considering the start of the FHS-T internship in the 7th semester adequate (vs inadequate) increased this likelihood by 15% (PR 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25). Classifying user embracement and home visits as important (vs unimportant) activities also increased this likelihood by 8% (PR 1.08; 95% CI, 0.99-1.17) and 21% (PR 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09-1.33), respectively. Our results suggest that the early insertion of UDSs in the FHS-T and their involvement in ‘user embracement’ and ‘home visits’ activities can significantly contribute to delivering interprofessional dental education.

Influence of Lip Appearances and Tooth Shade on Smile Attractiveness Perception.

This study determined the effect of lip thickness, lipstick color, and tooth shade on the smile attractiveness perceptions of dentists, laypersons, dental students, and other faculty students. A set of 27 smile photographs was prepared with different lip thicknesses (Tk, thick; M, medium; and Tn, thin), lipstick shade (R, red; P, pink; and O, orange), and tooth shades (0M1, 0M3, and A1). A total of 212 Thai participants in four rater groups (dentists, laypersons, dental students, and other faculty students) rated smile attractiveness using a visual analog scale (VAS). Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and pairwise analysis at a 0.05% level of significance. Tk or M lip thickness was associated with more smile attractiveness than Th lip thickness. The R lipstick is more attractive than the P and O lipsticks. The 0M1 tooth shade appeared to be the most attractive for laypersons and other faculty students, whereas tooth shades (0M1, 0M3, or A1) did not influence the smile attractiveness perception of dentists and dental students. The smile attractiveness perception was influenced by the lip appearance and tooth shade for each rater group, which are essential for an attractive smile design.

Design and evaluation of a smartphone app to teach students about body language and patient management

This semi-experimental research was carried out in 2021 by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences' Dentistry Faculty. This article introduces the Body Language Patient Management application, which was developed using Android Studio software. It is an educational and decision-making support system. The perceptions of dental students about the information described in application and body language were assessed using a questionnaire based on a 4-part Likert scale. A total of 82 general students from the faculty of dentistry in Ahvaz were involved in the study and participated in all the activities of the study. Of the respondents, 60.97% (n = 50) were female students and 39.02% (n = 32) were male students. The average age of the students was 24 years ± 1.47. The pre-test and post-test findings were compared using a paired samples t-test. Using SPSS 24.0, the data was examined. P <0.05 was used as the significant threshold.The pre-test and post-test had mean scores of 4.40±1.35 and 6.34±1.79, respectively. The results of the statistical analysis demonstrated that the difference between the preand post-test mean scores was statistically significant (P< 0.05). According to this research, the gender of the students makes a big difference in how effective instructional software is. The created software enhanced students' knowledge in the areas of understanding patient body language and better patient management, which is accomplished more effectively by women than by men. Additionally, students have evaluated the significance of the benefits and effect of created instructional software.

Perception and Attitude of Medical and Dental Students Towards Covid-19 and its Vaccination in A Medical and Dental College of India

Background: Medical and dental students are among the frontline workers in the battle against COVID 19. As such their vaccination is mandatory. We conducted this study to assess perception and attitude of medical and dental students towards COVID-19 disease and its vaccination. Methods: A total of 185 medical and 170 dental students were included in our study. A questionnaire based on previous studies was prepared. The respondents were interviewed telephonically and appropriate responses were recorded. Results: Among 355 students enrolled in our study, higher percentage of dental students were infected with COVID-19 (26%) as against only 20% medical students. 60% dental students had been tested for COVID-19 as against 70% medical students. Majority students in both the groups had done rapid antigen test (RAT). Academic loss was the major COVID-19 disease related concern among medical students, while in dental group there were two major concerns i.e academic loss and fear of passing the infection to family. Both the groups feared anaphylaxis the most as a sequel of vaccination. The other vaccination concerns in both the groups were fever, myalgias, infertility, thrombus formation while few female students feared that vaccination may disturb their menstrual cycles. The preferred vaccine in both the groups was Covishield. Conclusion: Our study concluded that there are many hurdles in the path of vaccination even among medical and dental students. It is important to address these hesitancies especially among health care workers since their opinion and recommendation is held supreme by common masses.

Exploring the Learning Experience of High-Performing Preclinical Undergraduate Dental Students: A Qualitative Study

The current study aimed to explore the perceptions of high-performing undergraduate dental students in learning dental materials science. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with high-performing students who scored 80 marks and above in dental materials were conducted using an online video-chat platform. A purposeful sampling method was employed, and six students fulfilled the criteria. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed qualitatively using a thematic approach. Three major themes were identified: (1) Learning strategies, (2) Learning enablers and barriers, and (3) Coping with learning challenges. Six sub-themes emerged from the “learning strategies” theme: memorizing and repeating, peer learning, seeking learning resources, study planning, paying attention during class, and mnemonics. The enabler sub-themes include motivation, lecture notes, teachers, and hands-on, whereas the barrier sub-theme is content understanding. Moreover, family support and de-stress appeared as the sub-themes in coping with learning challenges. In short, the present exploratory study identified several major themes and sub-themes that can help dental educators comprehend the complexity of learning dental materials science and how it affects students’ academic performances. The current findings also offer learning recommendations for low-performing students to improve their academic achievements in the dental materials science course.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Undergraduate Dental Students toward Implant Dentistry in Myanmar

Knowledge and Perceptions of Undergraduate Dental Students toward Implant Dentistry in Myanmar