Predoctoral Dental Education Research Articles

Expansion of a Predoctoral Surgical Implant Selective for Dental Students

Historically, predoctoral dental education programs have focused on the restoration of implants in the clinical environment; however, given the increase in dental implant therapy being performed by general dentists, the need to incorporate surgical implant training is becoming evident. This article describes a predoctoral surgical implant selective at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and its evolution across five years to include emerging techniques and technology to enhance students' understanding of dental implant therapy, both surgical and restorative. From virtual implant planning and guided surgery to intra-oral scanning of implants for custom abutments and restorations, students obtained first-hand experiences with a wide spectrum of aspects of implant therapy. The results of anonymous surveys completed by 2014-15 students before and after the year-long selective regarding their impression of the program are also discussed.

Tobacco dependence education: A survey of US and Canadian dental schools

BackgroundTobacco use is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and premature mortality and is a significant factor in the development of oral disease. Tobacco dependence education (TDE) has not, however, been consistently integrated into predoctoral education. The authors conducted a study assessing the content and extent of TDE and intervention skills in US and Canadian dental schools. MethodsIn 2013, the authors contacted the academic deans of the 74 accredited US and Canadian dental schools to identify the educator who would be most appropriately described as the tobacco-use cessation “champion” at their institution. The authors e-mailed an introductory letter to each school’s champion with a hyperlink to a 45-item survey; 2 follow-up emails were sent with links to the survey. ResultsThe response rate was 66% (N = 49). TDE was taught at 92% of dental schools; 90% of respondents indicated that faculty members were confident to extremely confident in teaching tobacco-related pathology. Only 49% reported this level of confidence in teaching students how to help patients quit tobacco. TDE is taught in periodontics (82%), oral pathology (77%), clinic (66%), oral diagnosis (59%), public health dentistry (55%), pharmacology (55%), oral medicine (52%), and other disciplines (less than 50%). ConclusionsThe survey responses revealed that TDE is not a curricular component in all US and Canadian dental schools. Faculty members were most confident in teaching tobacco-related pathology but may lack the interest and skills needed to integrate TDE as part of patient care. Practice ImplicationsPatients who use tobacco in any form are at an increased risk of developing periodontitis, developing oral cancer, and having poorer surgical outcomes, emphasizing the need for the dental team to be well-prepared through predoctoral dental education.

Use of an Analytical Grading Rubric for Self‐Assessment: A Pilot Study for a Periodontal Oral Competency Examination in Predoctoral Dental Education

While educators agree that using self-assessment in education is valuable, a major challenge is the poor agreement often found between faculty assessment and student self-assessment. The aim of this study was to determine if use of a predefined grading rubric would improve reliability between faculty and dental student assessment on a periodontal oral competency examination. Faculty members used the grading rubric to assess students' performance on the exam. Immediately after taking the exam, students used the same rubric to self-assess their performance on it. Data were collected from all third- and/or fourth-year students in four classes at one U.S. dental school from 2011 to 2014. Since two of the four classes took the exam in both the third and fourth years, those data were compared to determine if those students' self-assessment skills improved over time. Statistical analyses were performed to determine agreement between the two faculty graders and between the students' and faculty assessments on each criterion in the rubric and the overall grade. Data from the upper and lower performing quartiles of students were sub-analyzed. The results showed that faculty reliability for the overall grades was high (K=0.829) and less so for individual criteria, while student-faculty reliability was weak to moderate for both overall grades (Spearman's rho=0.312) and individual criteria. Students in the upper quartile self-evaluated themselves more harshly than the faculty (p<0.0001), while the lower quartile students overestimated their performance (p=0.0445) compared to faculty evaluation. No significant improvement was found in assessment over time in the students who took the exam in the third and fourth years. This study found only limited support for the hypothesis that a grading rubric used by both faculty and students would increase correspondence between faculty and student assessment and points to a need to reexamine the rubric and instructional strategies to help students improve their ability to self-assess their work.

Development of a Mobile Device Optimized Cross Platform‐Compatible Oral Pathology and Radiology Spaced Repetition System for Dental Education

Combining active recall testing with spaced repetition increases memory retention. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare students' perception and utilization of an electronic spaced repetition oral pathology-radiology system in dental hygiene education and predoctoral dental education. The study employed an open-source suite of applications to create electronic "flashcards" that can be individually adjusted for frequency of repetition, depending on a user's assessment of difficulty. Accessible across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Linux, OSX, Windows) as well as via any web-based browser, this framework was used to develop an oral radiology-oral pathology database of case-based questions. This system was introduced in two courses: sophomore oral pathology for dental students and sophomore radiology for dental hygiene students. Students were provided free software and/or mobile tablet devices as well as a database of 300 electronic question cards. Study participants were surveyed on frequency and extent of use. Perception-based surveys were used to evaluate their attitudes towards this technology. Of the eligible students, 12 of 22 (54.5%) dental hygiene and 49 of 107 (45.8%) dental students responded to the surveys. Adoption rates and student feedback were compared between the two groups. Among the respondents, acceptance of this technology with respect to educational usefulness was similar for the dental and dental hygiene students (median=5 on a five-point scale; dental hygiene interquartile range (IQR)=0; dental IQR=1). Only a minority of the survey respondents (25% dental, 33% dental hygiene) took advantage of one of the main benefits of this technology: automated spaced repetition.

Graduating Dental Students’ Views of Competency Statements: Importance, Confidence, and Time Trends from 2008 to 2012

Competency documents are used in dental education as both an educational framework and an accreditation instrument. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceptions of graduating dental students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) regarding the importance of each competency statement, as well as to assess their confidence in their abilities associated with each statement. The instrument was based on the survey developed by Schönwetter et al. at the University of Manitoba using the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry competency document. The current study surveyed UBC graduating students in the years 2008 through 2012. The response rates ranged from 66.7% to 95.9%, averaging 77.5% across all five years. The results showed that, overall, the students rated all the competencies as important, but they rated their confidence lower than the perceived importance. Correlation coefficients averaged a moderate correlation of 0.376 for all competency statements except the five with the greatest discrepancy between perceived importance and confidence. The competencies the students perceived as most important tended to be associated with tasks frequently performed during predoctoral dental education. The instrument used in this study can help other academic dental institutions identify patterns of students' perceived competency importance and confidence to inform allocation of teaching time and resources and adopt new methodologies to address identified areas of need.

Outcome of zirconia single crowns made by predoctoral dental students: A clinical retrospective study after 2 to 6 years of clinical service

Statement of problemZirconia has established its role as a reliable ceramic material for fixed prostheses. PurposeThe purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of zirconia single crowns made by predoctoral students after 2 to 6 years of clinical service. Material and methodsA cohort of 88 patients treated with zirconia single crowns (mean 3 crowns per patient, range 1 to 12 crowns) from 2007 to 2010 by predoctoral dental students was identified. The patients were invited to attend a clinical examination. ResultsSixty-six participants (75%) took part in the clinical follow-up (30 women and 36 men; mean age 60.4 years, range 19 to 81 years). Altogether, 190 teeth with single crowns were examined, and the mean follow-up time was 3.88 years (1.85 to 6.04 years). The most common complications were chipping of veneering porcelain (4%) and loss of cementation (4%). The success rate of the zirconia single crowns after 2 to 6 years was 80% and the survival rate 89%. ConclusionsZirconia crowns can be successfully used in predoctoral dental education. The success rate of zirconia single crowns after 2 to 6 years was 80% and the survival rate was 89%, in accordance with previous studies.

Current Status of Patient Recall in U.S. Predoctoral Dental School Clinics

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)'s revised standard 2-23, which went into effect in July 2013, requires U.S. dental graduates to be competent in "evaluation of the outcomes of treatment, recall strategies, and prognosis." To assess the way dental schools are implementing this revised recommendation, a survey was conducted to assess the existence of recall systems in the schools' clinics and factors enhancing or hindering the formation of an effective recall system. Surveys were returned from thirty-five dental schools (54.7 percent response rate). Results showed that most institutions had active recall systems and the respondents believed that program effectiveness can be further improved. Suggested improvements included patient education and tracking patient recall appointments. The results indicate that recall systems exist in predoctoral dental education programs, have high student involvement, and vary among schools.

Dentists’ Leadership‐Related Educational Experiences, Attitudes, and Past and Current Behavior

The purpose of this study was to assess practicing dentists' perceptions of their leadership-related educational experiences during predoctoral education and after graduation, to investigate if these perceptions differed as a function of the respondents' graduation year and gender, and to explore the relationships between educational experiences and the respondents' understanding/perceptions of leadership, leadership-related attitudes, self-perceived effectiveness, and past and current leadership- related behavior. Of the 3,000 general dentist members of the American Dental Association who were invited to participate, 593 returned the survey for a response rate of 20 percent. Between 37 and 65 percent of the respondents indicated that their predoctoral dental education had not prepared them well on a series of factors related to being leaders in their practice, community, state, or at the national level. However, 33 to 77 percent of these dentists responded that educational experiences after graduation prepared them well for different types of leadership activities. Overall, respondents rated their predoctoral experiences significantly less positively than their experiences after graduation for each content area. The more recently the respondents had graduated, the higher they rated their leadership-related educational experiences. The better their educational experiences, the more important the respondents evaluated leadership activities in their practice, organized dentistry, and research/teaching, the more important they assessed leadership to be, and the more effective they evaluated themselves to be as leaders. The perceived quality of the respondents' predoctoral education was not correlated with their past and current leadership activities. The results of this study may suggest that improving leadership training during predoctoral education could positively affect future dentists' attitudes about leadership and ratings of their own effectiveness as leaders.

Faculty Positions

The College of Dental Medicine-Illinois (CDMI) at Midwestern University is a new predoctoral dental education program located in suburban Chicago, IL. CDMI is developing an innovative, integrated and patient-centered curriculum focusing on clinical excellence, critical thinking and ethical practice with an emphasis on oral health and the prevention and management of oral diseases in an evidence-based environment.CDMI is seeking full-time clinical faculty to serve in the Group Practice student clinics at the rank of Instructor, Assistant, or Associate Professor to begin February, 2014. Primary responsibility is for the overall well-being of the patients being treated. The Group Practice faculty member has responsibility for instruction and demonstration in one-on-one, small group and plenary settings. The Group Practice faculty will supervise student dentists and provide direct patient care as required by the degree of difficulty of certain cases or for demonstration purposes. There is an opportunity to engage in scholarly activity, as deemed appropriate and as mutually agreed upon by the Group Practice Faculty and CDMI administration.Candidates must possess a DMD/DDS degree, excellent clinical skills and at least 3 years experience in dental practice and/or dental education. GPR or AEGD training is desirable. This individual must be eligible for a license to practice dentistry in the state of Illinois or be eligible for a restricted faculty license. Excellent interpersonal and collegial attributes are essential along with a patient and learner-centered focus, in a humanistic environment. Experience with electronic patient records and educational software programs will be beneficial.Appointment at the Instructor, Assistant, or Associate Professor level will be based on individual experience and credentials. Midwestern University offers competitive salaries and opportunities exist for advancement.Interested individuals should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and 3 professional references to:Midwestern University Dental Institute Attn: Dr. Darryn Weinstein 3450 Lacey Rd., Suite 120 Downers Grove, IL 60515Applications can also be made on-line at:https://www4.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/midwestern/PublicJobs/Canviewjobs.cfm?We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace.Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry is seeking applicants for a full-time Assistant/Associate Professor position to serve as the Director of the Division of Operative Dentistry, Department of Restorative Dentistry. The candidate should have experience and demonstrated leadership skills in teaching and providing patient care using current evidence-based methods in caries management. The responsibilities forthis position will include designing and implementing a new curriculum in cariology and restorative dentistry, teaching, development of contemporary didactic curriculum materials, lecturing, preclinical instruction, and research in the field of cariology. Applicants should be familiar with current pedagogical teaching methods including evidence-basedoral health care. Qualified candidates must have a DDS, DMD or equivalent and must have an MSc or PhD degree (preferable) and funded research track records. Email CV to Dr. Lisa Deem, Chair Search Committee, ldeem@dental.temple.edu. Temple University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, female and minority applicants areencouraged to apply.

Sleep medicine in japanese pre-doctoral dental curriculum

In the sleep medicine field, dentists are increasingly required to provide important services such as oral appliance manufacture, orthodontic approach or maxillofacial surgery for sleep disordered breathing. For the dentist, sleep bruxism is one of the important factors for oral health. However there is limited information regarding sleep medicine in pre-doctoral dental education. The aim of this survey is to reveal how sleep medicine related education has been done in Japanese dental school. This was an e-mail based questionnaire survey. A three-page cover letter with 10 questions was sent out to all the 29 Japanese dental schools. The main categories included: the number of hours taught in each of the 6 years, educational style such as didactic or clinical experience, which departments taught the materials, which diagnoses and therapies were reviewed, and what additional topics if any were discussed. Which department is responsible for sleep apnea patients in clinical setting was also asked. Twenty-six out of 29 dental schools (89.7%) responded to this survey. Of the responding dental schools, 80.8% reported some educational time in sleep medicine. Five schools (23.8%) reported no curriculum time. The average number of educational hours was 3.8 h. The majority were taught by didactic (58.5%). The most frequently covered topics included sleep-related breathing disorders (20 schools, 95.2%) and sleep bruxism (13 schools, 61.9%). More than half of dental school taught oral appliance, CPAP, ENT surgical therapy, oral surgery as treatment option for sleep apnea, but orthodontic approaches was only reviewed at 38.1% of dental schools. Educational time for sleep medicine in Japanese pre-doctoral education is similar with that of US (3.92 h, Simmons, 2012). While sleep medicine in Japanese pre-doctoral dental education is similar to the previous US report, it is still required to expand this topic in Japan for collaborating as members of a multidisciplinary sleep medicine approaches. This study is supported by Japanese association of the general dentistry.

Faculty Positions

Faculty Positions

Assessment of Occlusion Curriculum in Predoctoral Dental Education: Report from ACP Task Force on Occlusion Education

The purposes of this report were to (1) assess the current occlusion curriculum in the predoctoral prosthodontic education of US dental institutions and (2) to examine the opinions of faculty, course directors, and program directors on the contents of occlusion curriculum. The Task Force on Occlusion Education from the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) conducted two surveys using a web-based survey engine: one to assess the current status of occlusion education in predoctoral dental education and another to examine the opinions of faculty and course directors on the content of occlusion curriculum. The sections in the surveys included demographic information, general curriculum information, occlusion curriculum for dentate patients, occlusion curriculum for removable prosthodontics, occlusion curriculum for implant prosthodontics, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) curriculum, teaching philosophy, concepts taught, and methods of assessment. The results from the surveys were compiled and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results from the two surveys on general concepts taught in occlusion curriculum were sorted and compared for discrepancies. According to the predoctoral occlusion curriculum surveys, canine guidance was preferred for dentate patients, fixed prosthodontics, and fixed implant prosthodontics. Bilateral balanced occlusion was preferred for removable prosthodontics and removable implant prosthodontics. There were minor differences between the two surveys regarding the occlusion concepts being taught and the opinions of faculty members teaching occlusion. Two surveys were conducted regarding the current concepts being taught in occlusion curriculum and the opinions of educators on what should be taught in occlusion curriculum. An updated and clearly defined curriculum guideline addressing occlusion in fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, implant prosthodontics, and TMD is needed.

Dentistry and Obesity: A Review and Current Status in U.S. Predoctoral Dental Education

Obesity has become an epidemic and a public health concern in the United States and many other countries around the world. The impact of obesity on individuals' overall and oral health and its influence on dental treatment protocols and postoperative procedures have been well documented. It is therefore important for dentists to understand and recognize obesity, educate their patients on its associated risks, promote a healthy lifestyle for their patients, and modify any necessary dental treatments and postoperative procedures for obese patients. To investigate the current practice of obesity assessment in U.S. dental school clinics and the inclusion of obesity topics in predoctoral dental curricula, surveys were sent to all sixty-two U.S. dental schools. Thirty-five surveys were returned but one was blank because the institution is newly established, so the total number used for analysis was thirty-four. The results showed that the topic of obesity has been incorporated into predoctoral dental curricula and is thought to be important for dentists and dental students by most respondents. However, the majority do not routinely measure weight and height, nor calculate Body Mass Index for comprehensive care patients in their predoctoral dental clinics. The authors argue that the topic of obesity should be emphasized in predoctoral dental curricula and that assessments of obesity should be practiced in predoctoral dental clinics.

Faculty Positions

The Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Washington seeks applications for a full-time, tenure track faculty position at the assistant professor rank.University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research and service. The individual would be expected to participate in pre-doctoral didactic, laboratory, and clinical teaching in restorative courses, and ultimately be expected to direct courses, as well as contribute to the service missions of the department. Independent scholarship is expected and required for advancement. Opportunities will be available for intramural or extramural practice.Applicants must have a DDS/DMD or equivalent degree, and have or be eligible for dental licensure in the State of Washington. Post-graduate training, teaching experience in dentistry, and experience in clinical dental practice are also required. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.Applicants should submit a cover letter summarizing their qualifications for and interest in this position, curriculum vitae, and names and contact information for three references to:Dr. Hai ZhangUniversity of WashingtonRestorative DentistryBox 3574561959 NE Pacific Street, D770 HSBSeattle, WA 98195-7456haizhang@uw.eduPhone: (206) 543-5948The position is available beginning 11/1/2012. Inquiries and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.The Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Campbell is seeking applications for two full-time faculty positions (non-tenure track) beginning July 1, 2013 at the Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor levels. Future tenure track options exist for qualified/successful candidates. Responsibilities include preclinical and clinical instruction in all aspects of the restorative sciences. Qualifications include a DDS/DMD degree, and advanced training in operative dentistry or general dentistry (board eligibility/certification desirable where appropriate, but not required). Prior teaching experience is desirable. Candidates must be eligible for licensure in Illinois. Candidates with training and/or experience in research are preferred.For fullest consideration, apply online at https://jobs.uic.edu/job-search/job-details?jobID=21259 and submit a cover letter, CV and names of three (3) references by November 09, 2012. Salary and academic rank commensurate with experience and qualifications.For any questions regarding this position, please contact Ms. Anna Panova, UIC College of Dentistry (M/C 555), 801 S. Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612 or e-mail annap22@uic.eduUIC is AA/EOE.The College of Dental Medicine-Illinois (CDMI) at Midwestern University is a new predoctoral dental education program located in suburban Chicago, IL. CDMI is developing an innovative, integrated and patient-centered curriculum focusing on clinical excellence, critical thinking and ethical practice with an emphasis on oral health and the prevention and management of oral diseases in an evidence-based environment.CDMI is seeking full-time clinical faculty to serve in the Group Practice student clinics at the rank of Instructor, Assistant, or Associate Professor to begin January, 2013. Primary responsibility is for the overall well-being of the patients being treated. The Group Practice faculty member has responsibility for instruction and demonstration in one-on-one, small group and plenary settings. The Group Practice faculty will supervise student dentists and provide direct patient care as required by the degree of difficulty of certain cases or for demonstration purposes. There is an opportunity to engage in scholarly activity, as deemed appropriate and as mutually agreed upon by the Group Practice Faculty and CDMI administration.Candidates must possess a DMD/DDS degree, excellent clinical skills and at least 3 years experience in dental practice and/or dental education. GPR or AEGD training is desirable. This individual must be eligible for a license to practice dentistry in the state of Illinois or be eligible for a restricted faculty license. Excellent interpersonal and collegial attributes are essential along with a patient and learner-centered focus, in a humanistic environment. Experience with electronic patient records and educational software programs will be beneficial.Appointment at the Instructor, Assistant, or Associate Professor level will be based on individual experience and credentials. Midwestern University offers competitive salaries and opportunities exist for advancement.Interested individuals should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and 3 professional references to:Midwestern UniversityCollege of Dental Medicine—IllinoisAttn: Dr. Darryn Weinstein555 31st StreetDowners Grove, IL 60515Applications can also be made on-line at:https://www4.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/midwestern/PublicJobs/Canviewjobs.cfmWe are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace.

Past, Present, and Future of Predoctoral Dental Education in Orofacial Pain and TMDs: A Call for Interprofessional Education

Over the past several decades, there has been an explosion of knowledge in the fields of science and technology as they relate to the profession of dentistry. Due to these advances, dental curricula have had to incorporate many changes as they prepare students as well as faculty members for the twenty-first century. Dental educators have been encouraged to alter their paradigms to these new realities. One of the areas in which change has been profound is the field of orofacial pain (OFP) and, more specifically, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). OFP/TMDs, once subject matters surrounded by ambiguity and controversy, are now being better understood due to advances in basic and clinical science research. In order to appreciate the impact that evidence-based science has had on the education of predoctoral students during past decades, it would be beneficial for dental educators to be cognizant of the history and current status regarding these topics. To promote the educational process of OFP/TMDs, a future directions approach is presented encompassing the concepts of interprofessional education so that innovation may be considered within our academic dental institutions.

Teaching Social Responsibility Through Community Service‐Learning in Predoctoral Dental Education

Social responsibility refers to one's sense of duty to the society in which he or she lives. The Professionalism and Community Service (PACS) dental module at the University of British Columbia is based upon community service-learning and helps dental students to understand the challenges faced by vulnerable segments of the population as they actively reflect on experiences gathered from didactic and experiential activities. This article aims to illustrate the extent to which PACS has fostered awareness of social responsibility through the British Columbia Ministry of Education's Performance Standards Framework for Social Responsibility. Reflections were gathered from students in all four years of the D.M.D. program and were analyzed thematically in three categories of the framework: Contribution to the Classroom and Community, Value of Diversity in the Community, and Exercise of Responsibilities. The constant comparison analysis of the reflective qualitative data revealed that the students directly or indirectly addressed these three categories in their reflections as they synthesized their understanding of community issues and their collaborative roles as socially responsible members of the dental profession. Follow-up studies are needed to explore the impact of community-based dental education upon students' perceptions and understanding of social responsibility and professionalism regarding underserved communities.

Can Patients Help Teach Professionalism and Empathy to Dental Students? Adding Patient Videos to a Lecture Course

A key aspect of predoctoral dental education involves ethics/professionalism and interpersonal communications. Empathy is an integral aspect of both. This study at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, examined predoctoral students' perspectives to determine the impact of new educational methodologies designed to integrate patients' voices into a patient management lecture course. Videos of patients describing their dental experiences were added along with classroom discussion and students' reflective journals on the topics raised. Early results indicate that students perceived this innovation enhanced the teaching of professionalism, raised their awareness of the importance of empathy, and was a well-received addition to the course.

Changes in Educational Methodologies in Predoctoral Dental Education: Finding the Perfect Intersection

This article describes the evolution of thinking, primarily over the past fifteen years, within the academic dentistry community concerning teaching and learning strategies to facilitate students' acquisition of competence. Readers are encouraged to consider four issues. First, looking back to the time of the Institute of Medicine report Dental Education at the Crossroads: Challenges and Change fifteen years ago, in the mid-1990s, where did we think we would be now, in 2011, in regard to the structure of the predoctoral curriculum and use of specific educational methodologies, and to what extent have those predictions come true? The author's own crystal ball predictions from the 1990s are used to kick off a discussion of what connected and what did not among numerous advocated educational reforms, many of them transformative in nature. Second, what is the nature of the evidence supporting our ongoing search for educational best practices, and why are advocacy for educational best practices and prediction of down-the-road outcomes so treacherous? This section distinguishes types of evidence that provide limited guidance for dental educators from evidence that is more helpful for designing educational strategies that might make a difference in student learning, focusing on factors that provide a "perfect intersection" of student, teacher, educational method, and learning environment. Third, readers are asked to revisit four not-so-new teaching/learning methods that are still worthy of consideration in dental education in light of best evidence, upcoming events, and technology that has finally matched its potential. Fourth, a specific rate-limiting factor that hinders the best efforts of both teachers and students in virtually all U.S. dental schools is discussed, concluding with a plea to find a better way so that the good works of dental educators and their students can be more evident.

A Response to Dr Dennis on Predoctoral Dental Education and the Future of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

A Response to Dr Dennis on Predoctoral Dental Education and the Future of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Effectiveness of Web‐Based Teaching Modules: Test‐Enhanced Learning in Dental Education

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self-tests as a component of web-based self-instruction in predoctoral orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. To this end, the usage patterns of online teaching modules and self-tests by students enrolled in three courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry were monitored and correlated to final exam grade and course average. We recorded the frequency of access to thirty relevant teaching modules and twenty-nine relevant self-tests for 157 second- and third-year D.D.S. students during the course of our data collection. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between frequency of accessing self-tests and course performance in one course that was totally based on self-instruction with seminars and multiple-choice examination (Level IV): Spearman correlation between frequency of self-test access and final exam grade, rho=0.23, p=0.044; correlation between frequency of self-test access and course average: rho=0.39, p=0.0004. In the other two courses we monitored, which included content beyond self-instruction with self-tests, the correlations were positive but not statistically significant. The students' use of online learning resources varied significantly from one course (Level I) to the next (Level II): Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank tests, S=-515.5, p=.0057 and S=1086, p<0.0001. The data from this study suggest that increased use of web-based self-tests may be correlated with more effective learning in predoctoral dental education by virtue of the testing effect and that dental students' usage of resources for learning changes significantly over the course of their education.