Predoctoral Students Research Articles

A pilot survey of personality traits of dental students in the United States.

Introduction The training of dental students and eventual practice of dentistry involves multiple components of the 'person'; therefore, understanding the personality of dental students is critical for creating a supportive student culture.Aims Our objective was to examine the personality traits of students attending Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.Methods We collected qualitative descriptive research through an anonymous survey sent to all pre-doctoral students, which included the 50-item International Personality Item Pool of the Big Five Markers (IPIP-BFM). Fifty-three dental students completed the survey.Results Analysis indicated that two of the personality traits were significantly different for both gender and academic year. The most significant deviation in scores between genders occurred for 'agreeableness and emotional stability'.Discussion The results demonstrate there may be a degree of commonality of traits shared between dental students and other professionally trained students. Nevertheless, gender-related deviations were the most remarkable findings.Conclusion Studies of personality traits have been used to consider and implement needs-based student services in other professions. The results of surveys of this kind could be considered instrumental in structuring evidence-based student services throughout the dental training curriculum, as they have been helpful for training of other professions.

Transition to Aging Research for Predoctoral Students (NIA)

Transition to Aging Research for Predoctoral Students (NIA)

Effects of healthcare policy and education on reading accuracy of bitewing radiographs for interproximal caries.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of bitewing radiograph interpretation of predoctoral students, residents and general dentists who work under different core curriculum of dental education and healthcare policy.MethodsA total of 118 examiners including predoctoral dental students, residents and general dentists from USA and Japan were tasked with evaluating a series of bitewing radiographs and diagnosing interproximal carious lesions. This study was approved by the Harvard Medical School Institutional Review Board (IRB). Participants graded interproximal aspects of those images and categorized the following criteria; “intact”, “enamel caries <1/2 width”, “enamel caries >1/2 width” or “caries into dentin”. The gold-standard was determined by the consensus of two HSDM full-time faculty.ResultsThere was significant difference in the sensitivity for all three caries levels between the two groups but there was no significant difference on specificity. The positive-predictive and negative-predictive values of the USA group for the enamel caries (<1/2 of enamel) were significantly higher than the Japanese group. The average of AUC (ROC) was significantly higher in the USA group (0.885 ± 0.04) than the Japanese group (0.785 ± 0.08, p<0.01).ConclusionTeaching and adopting BW radiographs for diagnosis of interproximal caries is integral for dental providers to accurately and efficiently use them in their practices. It is critical that all dental educators approach policymakers to explain the importance of BW radiographs and promote their efficacy for prevention and early diagnosis of interproximal caries.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Experiences and protocols from the Department of Prosthodontics at the Wuhan University

Statement of problemThe novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic, and many countries and regions are still currently in the midst of the outbreak. This pandemic has caused prosthodontics units to suspend their clinical and educational operations in academia. PurposeThe purpose of this article was to review the experiences from the Department of Prosthodontics, Wuhan University School and Hospital of Stomatology (DP-WHUSHS), during the COVID-19 outbreak and the protocols DP-WHUSHS used to resume clinical activities after the outbreak. Material and methodsThe descriptive approach was used in this article to provide a chronological narrative of the experiences and protocols from the DP-WHUSHS during the COVID-19 outbreak and after the outbreak. ResultsDuring the COVID-19 outbreak period, clinical care was provided for patients with dental emergencies by using enhanced grade 2 or grade 3 personal protective equipment (PPE). Teledentistry was used to provide care for patients with nonemergency needs. Online webinars and lectures were conducted for the predoctoral students, residents, and dentists to minimize the interruption in their education and engage the dental community amid the pandemic. Various factors were considered before clinical activities resumed after the outbreak subsided. Additional resources were allocated for facility preparation and management and employee training. New infection control and clinical operation protocols were developed to minimize the health-care–associated infection of airborne transmission diseases. The psychological health and mental wellness of the employees were emphasized. Distance or online education is still under rapid development to provide students and dentists opportunities to advance their knowledge amid the pandemic. ConclusionsWithin the limitation of this descriptive review, the following conclusions were drawn. Patient welfare and emergency needs should be considered amid the pandemic. Enhanced grade 2 or grade 3 PPE should be used during the outbreak. Multifactorial considerations for work resumption after the outbreak included facility preparation and management, training for employees, and clinical operation management. In-person psychological consultation and online mental wellness programs were available to employees to improve their mental wellness. Distance or online education was under rapid development to minimize the interruption in education for the students and to engage the dental community amid a pandemic.

Takashi Yonetani: A stellar biochemist, a man with dignity. The Roman connection

Takashi Yonetani: A stellar biochemist, a man with dignity. The Roman connection

An integrated humanities\u2013social sciences course in health sciences education: proposed design, effectiveness, and associated factors

BackgroundPrevious research has not provided enough direction regarding effective content design of courses integrating the humanities and social sciences in medical and dental education. This study aims at exploring how an Integrated Medical/Dental Humanities–Social Medicine/Dentistry course may be designed; how effective it may be in terms of student growth in knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations; and associated factors.MethodsThe course was designed by distilling commonalities in the international standards for medical/dental education proposed by seven major health organizations. This analysis resulted in a curriculum covering nine major topics: history, professionalism, communication, ethics, management, policy, insurance, law, and research methodology. During the 2017 calendar year, data was collected and statistically analyzed from 68 third-year pre-doctoral students enrolled in the resulting MDHS 13-week course.ResultsParticipants showed growth in skills, aspirations, knowledge, and attitudes, with the greatest change occurring in skills, then aspirations, knowledge, and attitudes. Knowledge growth was the only variable significantly related to student achievement of course objectives (β = 0.635, t (63) = 3.394, p = 0.001). The topics that students perceived as most critical were insurance, policy, management, and law. The perceived importance of research was most common among participants and was significantly related to all learning outcomes (For knowledge, β = 0.213, t (63) = 2.203, p = 0.031; for attitudes, β = 0.784, t (63) = 10.257, p = 0.000; for skills, β = 0.769, t (63) = 9.772, p = 0.000; and aspirations β = 0.639, t (63) = 7.595, p = 0.000).ConclusionsThis study proposed a framework for humanities-social sciences education in health sciences education and analyzed its implementation. The empirical evaluation of its effectiveness and factors related to successful outcomes found that students perceived gains in their knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations for humanistic and social aspects of dentistry/medicine. In addition, their recognition of the importance of research was associated with the greatest growth in all four learning outcomes. This study may contribute to the improved design of integrated humanities–social sciences courses.

Assessment of a student peer-tutoring program focusing on the benefits to the tutors.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine incorporates a voluntary student peer-tutoring program as 1 resource available to pre-doctoral students. It uses peer-tutoring in didactic and preclinical courses in order to provide additional help to struggling students. The goal of this article is to describe an initial program assessment using data collected between 2015 and 2017. In addition to assessing the program, this report also investigates the benefits of the program to the tutors. Data were collected using surveys from tutors (N=133) and tutees (N=115), as well as reflective journals written by the tutors (response rate varies across instruments and questions). Responses to the surveys were analyzed using quantitative analysis, and content analysis was completed for coding the open-ended short responses and reflective journals. Results show tutors' increased preparedness at the end of the term to provide tutoring, an increase in communication and teaching skills due to participation in the program, and other cited benefits to the tutor. In addition to academic credit, tutors benefit from reviewing the course materials and practicing skills relevant to their future careers. Tutees provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the tutors' strengths and effectiveness, the program in general, and the extent to which tutoring helped their performance in the class. Based on the initial program assessment, the program provides benefits to both tutors and tutees; the tutors gain a valuable experience impacting them both academically and personally.

Prescribing patterns in a US dental school from 2010 to 2017.

Dental education has an essential role in helping combat the opioid and antibiotic resistance crises. This study evaluates the prescribing practices of clinical instructors, advanced graduate residents, and predoctoral students in an academic dental setting. A retrospective chart review was conducted of electronic dental records from the years 2010 to 2017. The proportions of prescriptions for each drug group was calculated by prescribers' training level and specialty. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the daily opioid Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME) dose prescribed across years and provider characteristics. Over the 8 years, 65,160 prescriptions were written for 10,374 patients by 625 prescribers. The most commonly prescribed drugs were for fluoride-based medications (30%) and antibiotics (24%). Periodontists had the greatest absolute number of opioid analgesics prescriptions (n=2712); oral maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) prescribed more opioids than other classes of drug (49%) as a proportion of within-specialty prescriptions. Antibiotics were the most common drugs prescribed by endodontists (46%) and second most common drugs prescribed by periodontists (25%), OMFS (28%), and prosthodontists (21%). From 2010 to 2017, the proportion of prescriptions for antibiotics remained unchanged, while that of fluoride-based drugs increased from 2010 to 2014 and plateaued thereafter. The proportion of prescriptions for opioid analgesics decreased from 18% to 7%. The median daily MME dose across year and provider characteristics stayed constant (<50MME). These results demonstrate encouraging prescription trends for opioid and fluoride-based drugs. Due to the high prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions in academic dental settings, stewardship approaches should be emphasized.

BRAF molecular testing in cytopathology: Implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapeutics.

BRAF molecular testing in cytopathology: Implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapeutics.

Increasing the accessibility and impact of justice-related student and practitioner research

Much good quality research by pre-doctoral students and case-work focused practitioners remains unpublished. However, their findings could contribute to the evidence base underpinning science and practice within international justice system contexts. There are two main challenges to making findings accessible: reaching all criminal justice stakeholders, and encouraging collaborative efforts in research addressing ‘real world’ problems.This article presents the rationale for a new, open access repository. The aim is to share good quality pre-doctoral and practitioner criminal justice research across traditional disciplinary and international borders. Such a repository should be easy to use, well maintained and sustainable. Its reach, value and impact also need to be measurable. We present the major considerations relating to the operation and workflow of such a repository, and outline the potential value, benefits and limitations. Our research suggests that the proposed repository could foster interdisciplinary and collaborative work to benefit global justice systems and societies.

Analysis of Various Influencing Factors Related to Patient-Dentist Interaction Score

Each college of dentistry in Korea is examining and reorganizing its own curriculum to prepare students for the practical examination of the National Dental Licensing Examination. Conducting an assessment of students' competency of communication skills with standardized patients is the first attempt for the examination. Yonsei University College of Dentistry carried out the evaluation of communication attitude, communication written exam, and communication skills practice with standardized patients for Third year predoctoral students. The purpose of this study is a) to find out the relationship between the variables measured in communication skills education and b) to make a new basis for the application of communication education and evaluation in dentistry. Based on the results of the study, the following suggestions for the operation of a dental communication curriculum can be drawn: First, the communication classes and the practice with standardized patients should be based on the wide support of the school. In addition, the patient-dentist interaction (PDI) should be practiced in the same way as practically possible by predoctoral students. Moreover, a space is required to allow predoctoral students to practice PDI. Second, the communication score given by the standardized patients was the most influential on the total score of PDI. This indicates that the communication practice with the standardized patients for the practical examination of the National Dental Licensing Examination is a meaningful process in the course of its communication education.

Clinical performance of chairside monolithic lithium disilicate glass-ceramic CAD-CAM crowns.

To evaluate the clinical performance and the effect of various patient and provider-related factors on the longevity of chairside monolithic posterior lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (LDGC) computer-aided design (CAD)-computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) crowns provided by predoctoral students. A sample of posterior LDGC CAD-CAM crowns was evaluated. Crown preparations were milled chairside using the CEREC Omnicam system and cemented with Rely-X Unicem or Calibra Universal resin cements. Clinical assessment of the crowns and supporting periodontal structures was performed using the modified California Dental Association (CDA) criteria. Intraoral photographs as well as radiographs were taken for further assessment by two evaluators. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. A total of 40 crowns were inserted in 32 patients and evaluated for 4 years. Three complications were observed (two-technical and one-biological). No chipping or fracture of crowns was observed. No significant association was found between age, sex, periodontal condition, tooth type, tooth vitality, cement type, and longevity. The 4-year cumulative survival and success rates were 95.0 and 92.3%, respectively. Chairside LDGC CAD-CAM crowns exhibited a high survival rate after 4 years in function and were shown to be a viable and reliable treatment option for posterior teeth. The high survival rate of chairside CAD-CAM crowns observed in this study suggests the likelihood of predictable performance in the predoctoral setup.

PREDOCTORAL EDUCATION IN CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Background The introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) into the dental field in 1998 has become increasingly essential to dental diagnosis and treatment. CBCT can be used for implant placement, orthodontics, endodontics, and pathology detection. Although it is a very useful imaging technology, the teaching and training of CBCT in most dental school curricula are still limited. It would be a tremendous benefit for dental students to graduate with the knowledge on how to utilize CBCT properly and understand the value of CBCT in dental practice. Objective(s) The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of predoctoral dental students through didactic and clinical courses pertaining to CBCT education and provide an accurate indication of the necessity of CBCT training in the future. Study Design A literature review was conducted using electronic databases from the year of 2007 to 2017 to fabricate the survey questions. The survey was given to the predoctoral dental students from the LECOM School of Dental Medicine and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dental Medicine via email through SurveyMonkey (n = 103). The preliminary data were collected and analyzed accordingly. Results One hundred and three survey responses were collected and analyzed. Even though 28.16% of the predoctoral dental students planned on specializing after dental school, almost half of the predoctoral students (50.49%) had not received CBCT training in dental school. 59.34% of predoctoral dental students strongly agreed that the utilization of CBCT can be essential in practicing dentistry; implant placement (93.10%) was the number one procedure that would need CBCT. Most predoctoral dental students (70.89%) strongly agreed that education about CBCT should be part of the dental school curriculum. The introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) into the dental field in 1998 has become increasingly essential to dental diagnosis and treatment. CBCT can be used for implant placement, orthodontics, endodontics, and pathology detection. Although it is a very useful imaging technology, the teaching and training of CBCT in most dental school curricula are still limited. It would be a tremendous benefit for dental students to graduate with the knowledge on how to utilize CBCT properly and understand the value of CBCT in dental practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of predoctoral dental students through didactic and clinical courses pertaining to CBCT education and provide an accurate indication of the necessity of CBCT training in the future. A literature review was conducted using electronic databases from the year of 2007 to 2017 to fabricate the survey questions. The survey was given to the predoctoral dental students from the LECOM School of Dental Medicine and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dental Medicine via email through SurveyMonkey (n = 103). The preliminary data were collected and analyzed accordingly. One hundred and three survey responses were collected and analyzed. Even though 28.16% of the predoctoral dental students planned on specializing after dental school, almost half of the predoctoral students (50.49%) had not received CBCT training in dental school. 59.34% of predoctoral dental students strongly agreed that the utilization of CBCT can be essential in practicing dentistry; implant placement (93.10%) was the number one procedure that would need CBCT. Most predoctoral dental students (70.89%) strongly agreed that education about CBCT should be part of the dental school curriculum.

Exploring training dental implant placement using computer-guided implant navigation system for predoctoral students: A pilot study.

Recent computer-guided dynamic navigation systems promise a novel training approach for implant surgery. This study aimed to examine learning progress in placement of dental implants among dental students using dynamic navigation on a simulation model. Senior students with no implant placement experience were randomly assigned five implant placement attempts involving either three maxillary or four mandibular implants distributed in the anterior/posterior, and left/right segments. Implant placement was planned using a Navident Dynamic Guidance system. Surgical time was recorded. Horizontal, vertical and angulation discrepancies between the planned and placed implant positions were measured using superimposed CBCT scans. Data were analysed with repeated measures regression with Tukey's adjusted pairwise comparisons (α=0.05). Fourteen students participated, with a mean age of 26.1years and equal males and females. Mean time for implant placement was associated with attempt number (P<0.001), implant site (P=0.010) and marginally related to gender (P=0.061). Students had a significant reduction in time from their first attempt to their second (10.6 vs 7.6minutes; adjusted P<0.001) then plateaued. Overall 3D angulation (P<0.001) and 2D vertical apex deviation (P=0.014) improved with each attempt, but changes in lateral 2D (P=0.513) and overall 3D apex deviations (P=0.784) were not statistically significant. Implant sites were associated with lateral 2D, 2D vertical and overall 3D apex deviation (P<0.001). Males were marginally faster than females, had slightly lower overall 3D angulation, and reported higher proficiency with video games. Novice operators improved significantly in speed and angulation deviation within the first three attempts of placing implants using dynamic navigation. Computer-aided dynamic implant navigation systems can improve implant surgical training in novice population.

Student\'s Perception of the Impact of E-learning on Dental Education

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of e-learning on dental education as perceived by predoctoral dental students. In an institutional review board (IRB) approved protocol, a 14-question survey was created and electronically distributed to second-, third-, and fourth-year dental students. The participation was considered voluntary and all responses were anonymous. The survey targeted 1,130 predoctoral students, of which 255 (22.6%) responded. Of the respondents, 124 students (48.6%) preferred traditional lecture mixed with online learning, while 46 students (18%) preferred only the traditional lecture style. The top three electronic resources/applications, which students perceived as having the greatest impact on their learning, were: YouTube, Bone Box, and Google. The responses also indicated that 76.5% of the students gave high credibility (scores of 4 and 5) to electronic resources recommended by faculties. Sixty percent of students spent 1 to more than 4 hours per day on electronic resources for academic performance. The most important factor for online applications influencing academic performance was "organization and logic of content" (54%). E-learning had a significant perceived effect (scores of 4/5) on didactic understanding (65.1%) and on clinical understanding (71.4%). Students observed that faculties estimated to be under 50 years of age were more likely to incorporate e-learning into courses (52.6%) and more likely to use social media for communication (41.6%). The results indicate that e-learning may successfully be used in a dental school's curriculum to enhance students' perceptions of fundamental concepts and to enable students to apply this knowledge to clinical cases. E-learning has recently been proposed as a basic supplementary tool to enhance medical and dental education. It is crucial to determine dental students' preferences regarding social media, online applications, and databases in order to incorporate e-learning into dental school courses.

Effects of a Research Requirement for Dental Students: A Retrospective Analysis of Students' Perspectives Across Ten Years.

For many years, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) has had a research requirement for predoctoral students, but a recent curriculum assessment prompted a re-examination of that requirement and how it is implemented. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the students' perspectives on research in a predoctoral dental program in which a research experience was mandatory for graduation. Data that had been collected in graduating student surveys from 2008 to 2017 were analyzed to gauge students' perceptions of the research program in the previous curriculum (New Pathways) and to seek insights to improve the next generation of this requirement in the Pathways curriculum. In the results, 74% of the students reported their research experience had a positive impact on their dental education. Half of the students (49%) indicated they would have pursued research even if it had not been a graduation requirement, while 37% were uncertain. A large majority (82%) said they would remain involved in research during their dental career. The majority of these HSDM students had contributed to scholarship with presentations and published results, planning of projects, or preparation of manuscripts. These results show that the research requirement has had a positive effect on students' perspectives on research as a part of their careers.

How Does Pretesting for PubMed Knowledge Spark Student Learning?

Predoctoral students enter dental school with varying skill levels for searching biomedical databases and a tendency to overestimate their abilities. Accordingly, PubMed instruction is embedded within a required dental course and includes a graded component. This article describes a pretest/intervention/posttest developed for the PubMed session. The expectation for this new assessment was that motivation to learn PubMed would increase during the intervention if pretesting objectively showed students the difference between their self-perceived versus actual PubMed abilities. The goals were to help students better self-assess their genuine searching abilities, spark learning during the instruction session, and elicit measurable improvement in skills.

Can Noncognitive Components of Admissions Data Predict Dental Student Performance and Postdoctoral Program Placement?

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate whether the noncognitive factors of the dental student application, including undergraduate major and interview score, predicted success in the predoctoral program and placement in postdoctoral programs. The study population consisted of 169 students in the Harvard School of Dental Medicine DMD graduating Classes of 2012 through 2016. Noncognitive factors in the dental application, including letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, undergraduate major, and dental school admission interview performance, were collected for the study population. Groups were analyzed for differences among undergraduate majors and any association between postgraduate placement and dental school performance. Dental school performance measures were grades obtained in the third and fourth years in a combination of preclinical and clinical course assessments. The results showed that neither interview score nor undergraduate major was significantly associated with dental school performance or postdoctoral program placement. There was a non-significant association between interview score and performance in the course Treatment of Active Disease. These results suggest that noncognitive factors of the dental school application offered low yield to predicting predoctoral student performance and residency placements, with interview performance possibly outweighing undergraduate major in selection of successful predoctoral candidates.

2268 Utilizing digital pedagogy to build communication skills in predoctoral training programs

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: A key factor for success in science is the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly using language appropriate to the audience. Most predoctoral training programs offer opportunities for students to build oral and written communication skills at local and national conferences. However, this rarely provides specific feedback and tends to be episodic. The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) has developed an environment for deliberate practice of presentation skills within a weekly Works in Progress and Journal Club session using a learning management system, Blackboard Collaborate. The learning management system captures the presentation that can then be viewed by the student. Watching yourself give a presentation is a powerful learning tool. The learning objectives of the sessions provide students deliberate practice to: (1) Build critical presentation skills for a 1-minute elevator talk, a 2-minute poster overview, a 10-minute oral presentation of your science to a science audience and to a non-science audience. (2) Develop constructive reviewer skills by completing peer reviews of presentations. (3) Develop critical thinking skills to ask thought provoking questions during presentations. By utilizing a curriculum that offers video-recording for reflection and self-evaluation, Mayo Clinic CCaTS has developed an environment in which predoctoral students are encouraged and supported to constantly hone their presentation skills. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: All CCaTS predoctoral students are asked to prepare presentations in several formats for the weekly 1-hour session. The students’ presentations of their science or journal articles are recorded and saved within Blackboard; a link is provided for the student to review personally, with a mentor, and with the Education Coordinator to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation. During each session, faculty facilitators encourage students to ask thought provoking questions, and student reviewers are assigned to provide critical and constructive written feedback to the presenter. Sessions providing tools and guidelines for constructive feedback and developing critical and constructive questions are regularly interspersed. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: By reviewing a video recording of their presentations, CCaTS predoctoral students get the opportunity to self-evaluate their performance as an audience member. By going through this process of preparing, presenting, reflecting on their presentations, and discussing their strengths and weaknesses with mentors and classmates, the students gain both powerful presentation skills and methods to improve their delivery and reviewer skills. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Successful scientists, whether in academia or industry, have the ability to communicate their science clearly using appropriate and common language specific to each audience they present to. By utilizing a curriculum that offers video-recording for reflection and self-evaluation, Mayo Clinic CCaTS has developed an environment in which predoctoral students are encouraged and supported to constantly hone their presentation skills.

Anterior restoration longevity among nursing facility residents: a 30-year retrospective study.

To assess factors influencing anterior dental restoration longevity among the institutionalized elderly. Among a sample of Eastern Iowa nursing facility dental patients, one anterior restoration placed from 1985 to 2014 was selected at random from each subject. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated, with restoration failures defined as subsequent restorative codes involving the same surface; endodontic procedures; or extractions. Bivariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling were performed. In multivariable analyses, the 1985 to 1999 cohort (n=496) had longer restoration survival in in females<75 years old versus males<75 years old (P=0.016), males ≥75 years old (P=0.026) and females ≥75 years old (P=0.030); one- versus three-surface restorations (P<0.001); and restorations placed by faculty/residents versus pre-doctoral students (P=0.009). The 2000 to 2014 cohort (n=521) had longer restoration survival in females<75 years old versus males ≥75 years old (P=0.012) and females ≥75 years old (P=0.019); residents who paid out-of-pocket versus those on Medicaid (P=0.019); and composite resin versus glass ionomer cement restorations (P<0.001). Knowing how long restorations last, and what factors affect their longevity, could improve treatment planning, informed consent, and communication with residents and caregivers, and also help inform practice guidelines for restorative care among the institutionalized elderly.