Dental School Students Research Articles

Anterior Upper Teeth Golden Proportion Analysis with Millimetric Templates: An Invention Developed at Londrina State University.

In order to achieve aesthetic and harmonious smile results, the use of anterior upper teeth golden proportion concepts represents reliable and scientific based guidelines. However, measuring, recording and analysing teeth and smiles biometric values proves to be a clinical and laboratory routine chalenge, once it is time consuming and demands additional especific math calculus or formulas. The aim of this paper is present an invention, "anterior upper teeth golden proportion millimetric templates," a set of instruments fabricated in order to achieve precise and fast millimetric measures, once they present predefined geometrical drawings and diagrams. Currently, when planning aesthetic tooth size modifications treatments, tools are used as pachymeters, dry edge compass, or some softwares. Most of times this strategy relies on professional expertise and intuiton, which shows to be limitating factors with the need of trial-and-error training and an accurate critical and artistic sense. Unfortunately, this is not inherent to all professionals, especially undergraduate dental school students. Thus, the templates bring differentials and advantages, being versatile and convenient, allowing countless clinical and laboratory uses, even over a cellphone or a computer screen. An excellent diagnostic aid providing ideal teeth proportions and positioning, increasing the chances of success in dental treatment planning.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice survey on the use of stamp technique for the management of Class I caries in molars among undergraduate students in dental schools.

Stamp technique is a recently developed technique that involves of creating an index which records the occlusal anatomy of posterior teeth before cavity preparation. This technique is beneficial in cases where the caries is involving the occlusal surface with little or no damage to the occlusal anatomy or the marginal ridges. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and practice on the use of stamp technique for the management of Class 1 caries in molars among undergraduate students. A questionnaire-based study was conducted among 100 dental students in Saveetha Dental College. The questionnaire contained 17 questions that were circulated through Google Forms and received dichotomous responses. The data were collected as an ordinal variable and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software, and Chi-square test and descriptive analysis were done. This study shows that almost 37% of the respondents were interns and final-year students, 62% of them felt carving would be easier to attain the proper occlusal morphology, 55% of them prefer both flowable and packable composites, and 63% felt stamp technique would be technique sensitive. There was a significant association between the year of study and difficulties faced in occlusal stamp technique (P = 0.014 < 0.05). Undergraduate students were moderately aware of the stamp technique in composite restorations. More detailed knowledge on composite finishing and polishing should be emphasized in the undergraduate curriculum.

Association between perceived self-confidence and abilities to distinguish oral mucosal lesions amongst dental students.

Dentists usually refer to difficulties in performing the diagnosis of oral mucosal lesions. This may be attributed to limited access to theoretical lectures and practical training on this subject along the graduation course. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to verify if there is an association between the perception of time dedicated to lectures/training and oral diagnosis abilities in oral medicine. The secondary aim was to evaluate the association between self--confidence to perform oral mucosal lesions diagnosis and performance in a diagnostic abilities test. The sample comprised 36 final-year dental students of a South-Brazilian dental school. The participants answered a questionnaire on their perception of time dedicated to lectures on oral medicine along the course (sufficient or insufficient) and their self-confidence to diagnose oral mucosal lesions or oral cancer (yes or not). The students were also submitted to a diagnostic abilities test based on 30 clinical photos of oral lesions, which should be classified as benign, potentially malignant or malignant. Moreover, the participants had to inform their clinical impression for each case. Finally, the participants informed their decision making for the case (refer the patient to a specialist or not). Students with higher self-confidence showed a higher percentage of correct answers on classification of the nature of lesions (81.1% vs. 68.5%, p=.03, teste t de Student) and on their clinical impression (66.3% vs. 41.7%, p < .01, Student's t-test). The perception of time dedicated to theoretical lectures on oral medicine as sufficient did not influence the students' diagnostic abilities (p > .05, Student's t-test) CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that self-confidence to diagnose oral lesions is associated with dental students' diagnostic abilities.

Dental school pathway programs: Best practices for increasing workforce diversity.

The chronic underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minority practitioners in the U.S. health professions workforce is an oft-cited factor for disparities in health and health-care access affecting communities of color. As non-White providers are more likely to serve uninsured patients and practice in underserved areas, pathway/pipeline programs have been used for many years to increase the numbers racial/ethnic minorities in the health professions workforce. These programs target precollege, college, and postbaccalaureate students from historically underrepresented minority (HURM) groups (defined as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students) to stimulate interest in health professions careers and provide academic support, mentoring, enrichment experiences, and other resources to facilitate their successful admission to and completion of health professions school and entry into the workforce. This article examines dental pathway programs to identify best practices for increasing enrollment of HURM students in dental school and their successful entry into the dental workforce-as evidenced in the academic literature.

Dental English Education for Korean Dental Students: Focused on Development of Foreign Patient-Dentist Communication Skills

This research aims to explore the dental students’ perceptions of the need for dental English education to improve communication skills competency between foreign patients and dentists. In this study, a total of 137 Korean dental school students participated and were divided into two groups based on their direct patient care experience (Yes: 44 students and No: 93 students). The questionnaire composed of 5-point Likert scale questions, multiple-choice grid questions, and open-ended questions, was administered to investigate dental students’ responses and additional opinions on communication skills in patient- and foreign patient-dentist interaction. Findings indicate that dental students were highly aware of the need for education on communication skills between patients and dentists regardless of the patient’s nationality. Interestingly, when comparing group results based on direct patient care experience, students without direct care experience showed a high need for education in patient-dentist communication skills. Surprisingly, the quantitative results of this research were also supported by their responses and the open-ended questions of the questionnaire (qualitative results). This research suggests that communication skills education in dental education plays a key role in developing the student’s competency in communication skills between patient-foreign patient-dentists. More detailed results, discussions, and pedagogical implications of the findings are given for dental English education and further potential research directions.

The Effect of Distance Education Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period on the Psychomotor Skill Development of a Dental School Students.

Purpose This study compared the development of face-to-face (F2F) psychomotor skills vs. a modified online dental anatomy course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The 9-HPT is regularly applied for the students' psychomotor skill assessment in the Faculty of Dentistry of Süleyman Demirel University. In the 2020-21 academic year, 92.2% of students who took the dental anatomy course in distance education voluntarily participated in this study (observation group). These data were compared with 34.6% of students who applied for 9-HPT in 2019-2020 in F2F education (control group). The Mann–Whitney U test and t-test were used for comparison. The significance level was taken as p < 0.05. Results Based on the dominant hand 9-HPT score, a positive change occurred in 81.8% of the F2F and 61.6% of the online education students. Based on both dominant and nondominant hand 9-HPT scores, a statistically significant difference between the change in scores according to the fall/spring term measurements was observed in both F2F and distance education (p < 0.001). However, the F2F-educated group students showed better psychomotor skill development than those exposed to the online-educated group in 9-HPT. The results showed statistical significance for both dominant and nondominant hands (p < 0.001). Conclusion The F2F education is the gold standard in psychomotor skill training; however, in cases where this approach cannot be realized, practical training protocols modified for online training may contribute to the motor development of students.

Motivations and future plans of the final year students in a Chinese dental school

BackgroundUnderstanding dental students’ future career choice and motivation could provide beneficial references for both educators and students, but there were few studies on students in a Chinese dental school. The study aimed to investigate Chinese final year dental students’ the short-term and long-term plans, motivations, and identify the influence of gender on the future plans.MethodsA total of 265 final year dental school students of the School of Stomatology, China Medical University from 2016 through 2020 were invited to complete an anonymous, 27-item questionnaire. Moreover, almost all of questions were in multiple-choice formats. Data were categorized and analysed using chi-square comparative analyses.Results88.3% of respondents decided to pursue a graduate degree after graduating from dental school. Moreover, the single most important reason influencing their plans was “eligible for better jobs” (42.8%). More females than males studied dentistry (222 vs 111), and gender had an influence on the choice of specialty.ConclusionsThis study listed the selection tendency and influencing factors of students in a Chinese dental school for the reference of educators and students. And the results could raise some useful influence and feedback effect on current health and education policy, and on the career development of practicing dentists or dental students.

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

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

Türk Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi Öğrencilerinde Gece Yeme Sendromu ve Ağız Sağlığı İlişkileri Üzerine Çok Merkezli Araştırma

Objective: Night eating syndrome (NES) is a common eating disorder in which the circadian timing of food intake disturbs. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of NES among dental school students and evaluate its association with body mass index (BMI), smoking status, alcohol consumption, and oral health status. Material and Methods: Night eating questionnaire consisting of 14 questions was conducted on dental school students at 3 universities and a total of 30 points and higher was determined as a cutpoint for NES diagnosis. Demographic status, medical status, BMI, smoking/alcohol consumption, carious/filled teeth, and interval of brushing are recorded. Results: Twelve (3.5%) of the study group among 346 attendants revealed NES diagnosis. Students with NES showed significantly higher average body weight values (p<0.05) on the other hand average BMI values did not differ among groups with and without NES (p>0.05). Smoking rates (91.7%) and alcohol consumption (83.3%) were significantly higher in students with NES (p<0.05). Number of carious teeth were found higher, oral health status, tooth brushing habit was found poorer in NES diagnosed subjects (p<0.05). Conclusion: This present study concluded that NES diagnosis was relatively low in dental students. NES could be a risk factor for impaired oral hygiene, especially in dental students with smoking habits and alcohol consumption. Oral hygiene knowledge and attitudes contribute to decreasing night eating habits in dental students.

Health-promoting behaviors in staff and students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.

The staff of health and dentistry schools can play an important role in encouraging students and their clients to adopt health and preventive behaviors. The aim of this study was to compare health-promoting behaviors in staff and students of health and dental schools in Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (ARUMS). This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2021. The research population was staff and students of health and dental schools. Staff sampling was by census and students were sampled by simple random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been confirmed in previous studies. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics tests using SPSS version 20 software. Linear regression was performed using stepwise method. The results showed that the mean score of the individuals was 99.2 ± 20.24. In the leveling, the behaviors of 33 people (17.55%) were appropriate, desirable and good, and the health-promoting behaviors, 154 people (82.45%), were moderate and low. The correlation between age, gender, marital status, and workplace of the individuals with health-promoting behaviors was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The output of stepwise regression analysis showed that the variables were significant and could predict the scores of health-promoting behaviors. Health-promoting behaviors in <20% of students and staff are desirable, and in more than 80% of them are moderate and poor. Therefore, educational administrators should use these results in curriculum planning to increase health-promoting behaviors of students and staff. The score of health-promoting behaviors is related to the above-mentioned areas, but the relationship may not be linear.

Assessment of Dental and Medical School students on the awareness of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer (OC) is a public health problem due to its high prevalence in the world population. Due to its late diagnosis, this pathology has been causing many sequelae for the patient and constitutes a risk of death when treated in advanced stages. One of the main aggravating factors is the difficulty in its early identification, both by health professionals and the population, since there are no explicit symptoms in the initial stages or the changes are often like other oral lesions, such as ulcers. Thus, they can go unnoticed by the individual and even by a health professional. This study evaluated the level of knowledge about OC in medical and dental students at the University of Santo Amaro. The study was carried out through a questionnaire with 38 (thirty-eight) questions. With that, we established a comparative parameter between both courses to show if the students were well prepared to deal with oral and oropharyngeal cancer. The survey also aimed to show how oral health is being neglected within medicine, making future physicians feel unprepared to care for their patients.

Effect of Titrated Exposure to Non-Traumatic Noise on Unvoiced Speech Recognition in Human Listeners with Normal Audiological Profiles.

Non-traumatic noise exposure has been shown in animal models to impact the processing of envelope cues. However, evidence in human studies has been conflicting, possibly because the measures have not been specifically parameterized based on listeners’ exposure profiles. The current study examined young dental-school students, whose exposure to high-frequency non-traumatic dental-drill noise during their course of study is systematic and precisely quantifiable. Twenty-five dental students and twenty-seven non-dental participants were recruited. The listeners were asked to recognize unvoiced sentences that were processed to contain only envelope cues useful for recognition and have been filtered to frequency regions inside or outside the dental noise spectrum. The sentences were presented either in quiet or in one of the noise maskers, including a steady-state noise, a 16-Hz or 32-Hz temporally modulated noise, or a spectrally modulated noise. The dental students showed no difference from the control group in demographic information, audiological screening outcomes, extended high-frequency thresholds, or unvoiced speech in quiet, but consistently performed more poorly for unvoiced speech recognition in modulated noise. The group difference in noise depended on the filtering conditions. The dental group's degraded performances were observed in temporally modulated noise for high-pass filtered condition only and in spectrally modulated noise for low-pass filtered condition only. The current findings provide the most direct evidence to date of a link between non-traumatic noise exposure and supra-threshold envelope processing issues in human listeners despite the normal audiological profiles.

Knowledge, attitudes, and training in tobacco control among dental students in a public dental school in Catalonia

Knowledge, attitudes, and training in tobacco control among dental students in a public dental school in Catalonia

How is working length determination taught? A survey to assess what is recommended in undergraduate Schools of Dentistry in Brazil.

To analyse what are the methods for working length (WLD) determination taught for undergraduate students in Brazilian Dental Schools and the perception of professors about the use of electronic WL determination in the clinical practice. An online questionnaire with eighteen closed questions was sent to 209 Schools of Dentistry in Brazil using the Google Forms Platform. The questionnaire was structured to analyse the perception of professors in the department of endodontics about the method of working length determination taught in undergraduate courses in Dentistry. The data collected in the questionnaires were transferred to an Excel® spreadsheet and analysed using absolute and relative frequencies. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used to compare groups. Of the 209 schools contacted, 41 (19.61%) returned answers to the questionnaire. According to professors, electronic working length (WL) determination had a shorter length of time to perform it (p<.001), WL measurement accuracy (p<.001) and ease of performance (p<.001). Professors felt safer when maintaining patency when using electronic WL determination (p=.0020). Both radiographic and electronic methods of WL determination are taught in Brazilian Schools of Dentistry. The electronic method was used more frequently, especially in undergraduate clinical courses.

The best mirror of the students' longitudinal performance: Portfolio or structured oral exam assessment at clerkship?

This study aimed to compare the strength of association (i.e., explained variability) of the cumulative grade point average (GPA) with the grades obtained in the clerkship portfolio and the final structured oral exam by dental students. A prospective longitudinal study was designed to analyze quantitative data from three cohorts of dental school students. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were built to evaluate the association between the students' cumulative GPA with the grades obtained in their clerkship portfolio and the final structured oral exam. In total, 171 students in the last year of the undergraduate program were considered (76% women, age average 24.8±1.6 years). The dental students' grades of both portfolio and structured oral exam were significantly associated with the GPA score but with different strengths of association. The clerkship portfolio was more strongly associated with cumulative GPA than the structured oral exam (R2 =19.6% versus R2 =7.6%). On the opposite, the association between the structured oral exam and GPA can be interpreted as a lower precision in its practical significance and thus reflecting different concurrent validity. Considering the results of this study, it could probably incline the balance toward the portfolio because it may be closer to a programmatic assessment model, with timely feedback, development of metacognition, and the achievement of formative process measurement rather than evidence of a single instance of examination.

Effect of self-assessment in a removable prosthodontics preclinical course on skills and competence.

Self-assessment is increasingly implemented in medical professions' curricula. In this research, the authors measure the effects of self-assessment within a preclinical removable prosthodontics course among dental students in a private dental school according to the European qualifications framework descriptors. Thirty subjects, all fourth-year dental students, were included in this experiment. Fifteen subjects were included in each of the experimental and control groups during one semester. The experimental group subjects used the study roadmap tool in their preclinical tasks. The control group subjects executed the same preclinical tasks under instructor supervision only. All subjects were filmed, and an autonomy score was given to every subject per session. At the end of the semester, cognitive skills development was compared using the Kember etal. questionnaire while practical skills development was compared using a comparison of grades. Two focus groups were undertaken with experimental group subjects. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and statistically analyzed (p<0.005). Subjects from the experimental group showed development in critical thinking, practical skills, autonomy, and taking responsibility, thus development in the competence level. Implementation of self-assessment within preclinical courses may develop skills and competence among dental students, yet more studies are needed.

The perspective of undergraduate dental students on web-based learning in pediatric dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Korean multicenter cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic changed the world and created a shift in the dental education program. This sudden change in the dental education program may have affected the academic standards of dental students. This study aimed to evaluate the overall satisfaction and effectiveness of online learning in pediatric dentistry of undergraduate dental students’ during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.MethodsAn anonymous online survey was sent to three dental schools, and responses were collected from dental school students. Questions included the demographics, perspectives of online classes, comparison of online and offline pediatric dentistry classes and opinions on how dental schools are handling the pandemic. Students’ perspectives on online classes were evaluated based on satisfaction with online education. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsMost students took online classes from home (80.9%) using Zoom (50.4%). The majority reported overall program satisfaction (74.1%) and agreed that universities implemented online classes well (55%). Students who were in favor of online classes responded more positively to questions on the effectiveness and safety of online learning (p < 0.05). Regardless of satisfaction with online education, the students agreed that the online education shift was the right decision in pandemic outbreak.ConclusionsDental students in South Korea preferred and adapted well to the web-based learning program in pediatric dentistry during COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicotine‐related misperceptions among faculty and students at a Midwestern dental school

To determine the perceptions about the ill-effects of nicotine in students and faculty at a Midwestern dental school. This information will help inform the school and improve teaching on this subject during a time when electronic nicotine delivery systems are increasingly popular. An online survey of dental students and faculty of a Midwestern dental school was deployed in November, 2020 to determine their level of misperception about the ill effects of nicotine. An online Qualtrics survey was administered to approximately 212 predoctoral students at a dental institution and approximately 100 part- and full-time faculty at the same school. The response rate for faculty was 55.1% and that for students was 37.5%. The majority of faculty and students "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that nicotine causes cancer, birth defects, cardiovascular disease, oral inflammation, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Dental school faculty and students linked the risks of smoking tobacco to nicotine. Based on the results of this study, we feel our institution's curriculum should consider including information specific to nicotine in addition to tobacco in general.

Needlestick Injuries and Associated Psychosocial Factors Among the Students of Dental School

Background and Aim: Needlestick injury (NSJ) is a common occupational health problem among dental healthcare workers, putting them at significant risk for blood-borne infections. This study aimed to investigate occupational exposure to NSJ and the psychological factors associated with it among dentistry students. Methods &amp; Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on students in the Arak school of dentistry training curriculum in the last three years in 2018. The questionnaires included questions about students’ awareness of NSJ conditions, the frequency of vaccinations, and antibody titration tests. The SCL-90 (Symptom checklist-90) questionnaire assessed psychological factors after NSJ in four dimensions of anxiety, phobia, self-morbidity, and depression. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistical methods and a chi-square test. Ethical Considerations: The study was approved by the Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1397.269). Results: Of the eighty students surveyed, 59 students had experienced NSJ at least once. However, only 25.4% of students had reported the NSJ occurrence. The highest incidence rate of NSJ was reported in the endodontics section. In addition, 80% of students had received hepatitis B vaccinations. Based on the SCL-90 test, the anxiety dimension was more affected by NSJ than the other dimensions. Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of NSJ in dental students, the rate of reporting after the accident is very low. Also, due to the lack of attention to vaccination in some students, there is a need for more infection control training. Based on the SCL-90 test, the occurrence of NS is effective in causing psychological problems.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception toward COVID-19 Pandemic among Dental Students of India

Context: The rapid spread of COVID-19 globally continues to be a threat for healthcare professionals. Dental students and practitioners remain at the risk of having this disease. Aim: The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students across India toward COVID-19. Settings and Design: A survey with 51 questions to obtain knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students toward COVID-19 was formulated, pretested via a pilot study and then validated. Subjects and Methods: The final questionnaire was circulated through a link to Google forms, making participation voluntary. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was carried out using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and independent t-test. Results: A total of 610 undergraduate dental students (3rd year, 4th year and students undergoing internship) from various dental colleges across the country responded. On intergroup comparison using One-way ANOVA test, between knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental undergraduate students, attitude toward COVID-19 was found be of statistical significance with P = 0.008. Conclusion: Knowledge, awareness, and perception toward COVID-19 will help contain the spread of this infectious disease that can be caused during dental procedures. There lies a strong call to conduct educational programs on COVID-19 regarding the infection control practices for all healthcare professions, especially dental school students.