Journal of Dental Education最新文献

Aim: This study aims to construct a knowledge graph in the field of periodontology and develop a knowledge-graph-based intelligent question-answering (QA) system, with the goal of enhancing the structured management and intelligent application of periodontal disease knowledge.

Materials and methods: Consensus documents and evidence-based guidelines from the EFP and AAP served as primary data sources. Entities and relationships related to periodontal diseases were extracted using a large language model-assisted semantic approach to generate structured quintuple data. A knowledge graph was constructed in Neo4j, upon which a graph-enhanced intelligent PerioMind system was developed.

Results: A total of 26 authoritative documents were included, from which 1894 knowledge quintuples were extracted, resulting in a knowledge graph comprising 1872 nodes and 1894 edges. The PerioMind system, developed on top of the graph, demonstrated efficient parsing of natural language queries and the generation of professional responses. The system achieved the following evaluation scores (out of 5): accuracy 4.8, interpretability 4.4, domain relevance 4.8, and completeness 4.5.

Conclusion: This study developed a structured knowledge graph and the PerioMind system for periodontology, supporting intelligent diagnosis, education, and research. Future work will expand knowledge coverage and enhance semantic reasoning to advance an intelligent knowledge service platform.

Purpose/objectives: To evaluate the effects of mandatory attendance on the theoretical and practical grades of two consecutive classes in the Operative Dentistry II preclinical course at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM).

Methods: The theoretical and practical grades of students from two consecutive academic years were extracted and analyzed without any identifying information. For the theoretical portion, the final grade was used (45% midterm, 45% final exam, and 10% quizzes). For the practical component, the average of the three competency assessments was considered, along with performance on each competency separately. Data were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (α = 0.05).

Results: Students in the year with mandatory attendance showed significantly higher performance in both theoretical and average practical grades (p < 0.001). The median (interquartile intervals) theoretical grade was 91.380 (86.957-95.205) in the non-mandatory group and 93.825 (88.730-96.930) in the mandatory group. For the practical component, medians were 78.333 (73.333-83.333) and 82.5 (79.5-86.25), respectively. When competencies were analyzed individually, no statistically significant difference was found for the second and third procedures (p = 0.153 and 0.619), but the non-mandatory group performed significantly better in the first competency (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Within the conditions of this Operative Dentistry II preclinical course, mandatory attendance was associated with higher overall performance in both theoretical and practical assessments. However, when individual competencies were analyzed separately, results varied, suggesting that the impact of mandatory attendance may not be uniform across all skill areas.

Purpose: This study examines Howard University College of Dentistry's (HUCD) contributions to dental education, focusing on its role in strengthening workforce representation, expanding access to care in dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSAs) and medically underserved areas (MUAs), and addressing persistent oral health disparities.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1473 HUCD graduates from the Classes of 2004-2023, using data verified through publicly available sources. Variables included gender, race/ethnicity, and practice location. Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping identified practices within DHPSAs and MUAs, and the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method was used to calculate accessibility scores for census tracts in Washington, DC.

Results: Among 1292 graduates with complete data, 59% were female and 50% identified as African American. On average, 68.4% of graduates practiced in DHPSAs or MUAs, with higher levels of service in communities with larger African American (19.98%) and Hispanic/Latino (20.10%) populations. GIS analysis showed concentrations of HUCD graduates in the Washington, DC, Beltway and Texas. The 2SFCA mapping revealed that Wards 5, 7, and 8, areas with the largest African American populations in Washington, DC, experience the most significant access challenges, and the HUCD's clinic primarily serve patients from these areas.

Conclusion: HUCD has demonstrated success in preparing graduates to provide care in underserved communities, advancing its mission to improve oral health outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of continued investment in educational models that strengthen the workforce and expand access to care.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and orofacial pain (OFP) demand advanced diagnostic and clinical reasoning skills in dental education. Traditional simulations with real patients face limitations in availability and standardization. Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), such as ChatGPT-3.5, has emerged as a potential tool for clinical training.

Methods: This blinded, cross-sectional, crossover study involved 30 undergraduate dental students, each completing two simulated cases: one with ChatGPT-3.5 and one with standardized real patients. Cases were developed and validated by TMD/OFP specialists via the Delphi method and incorporated into the AI through structured prompts. Quantitative parameters (such as responses, word count, follow-up questions, reformulations, and diagnostic accuracy) and qualitative aspects (such as empathy, clarity, and relevant information) were analyzed.

Results: GAI simulations provided higher information density (231 vs.167 relevant units; p < 0.001) and clearer reasoning flow. Students interacting with real patients asked more follow-up questions (p = 0.004) and required more reformulations (p = 0.011), indicating more adaptive communication. Diagnostic accuracy did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Relevant information correlated positively with diagnostic accuracy (r = 0.484; p = 0.007), whereas total word count correlated negatively (r = -0.386; p = 0.035).

Conclusions: ChatGPT-3.5 matched real patient simulations in diagnostic reasoning for TMD/OFP. Combining GAI's scalability and standardization with real patient variability may optimize clinical competency training.

Objectives: Medical and dental education share the common goal of preparing clinically competent and socially responsible health professionals. Despite this shared goal, the two disciplines have evolved as distinct academic fields, with limited empirical comparisons between them. Understanding their commonalities and differences can foster mutual development and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This study aims to compare research priorities in medical and dental education by analyzing author keywords from representative journals in each field.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using author keywords from two medical education journals (Advances in Health Sciences Education and BMC Medical Education) and two dental education journals (European Journal of Dental Education and Journal of Dental Education) over a 10-year period (2015-2024). Data were retrieved from the Web of Science database, including only original research articles and review articles. Frequency analysis of the top 10 author keywords was performed in 2-year intervals, and bump charts were created to visualize temporal ranking changes. In addition, co-occurrence network maps were constructed using all keywords appearing 10 or more times over the study period. Data processing and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer and Tableau software.

Results: A total of 9391 articles were analyzed, comprising 6806 articles from medical education journals and 2585 articles from dental education journals. Both fields consistently emphasized "students," "assessment," and "curriculum" as core research topics. However, medical education placed greater emphasis on "postgraduate medical education" and student mental health (e.g., empathy, resilience, and depression), whereas dental education focused more on "educational technology" and clinical skills development (e.g., simulation, virtual reality, and psychomotor skills). The keyword "covid-19" emerged prominently in both fields from 2019 to 2020 onward, reflecting the pandemic's transformative impact on education. "Interprofessional education" appeared as a shared emerging theme, suggesting growing recognition of collaborative practice needs.

Conclusion: This study identifies both foundational commonalities and discipline-specific innovations in medical and dental education research over the past decade. These findings suggest that shared interests and distinctive priorities can lead to meaningful opportunities for collaborative educational development and joint research efforts across health professions education.

Objectives: This study investigated whether interaction-focused clinical training with older adults reduces ageist attitudes among dental students, compared to treatment-focused training without interpersonal interaction.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, non-randomized, two-arm pre-post intervention study was conducted at two dental universities in Japan. Fifth-year undergraduate students were recruited (n = 120) and analyzed (n = 91). Students participated in either a treatment-focused (treatment group, n = 34) or interaction-focused program involving oral care and recreational activities with older adults (interaction group, n = 57). Ageist attitudes were assessed at baseline and end of intervention using Japanese version of Fraboni Scale of the Ageism (FSA-J) and the Aging Scale for Dental Students (ASDS-J); higher scores indicate greater ageism. A general linear model (GLM) was used to analyze factors related to score changes (educational intervention, adjusting for baseline score, gender, age, and cohabitation experience).

Results: Ninety-one students completed all assessments. FSA-J scores worsened significantly in the treatment group (p = 0.002, Hedges' g = 0.534), while ASDS-J scores improved significantly in the interaction group (p = 0.011, Hedges' g = - 0.313). GLM revealed no main effect of intervention alone, but significant three-way interactions with gender, age, and cohabitation experience were found for ASDS-J changes. Age was the only significant factor associated with FSA-J change. Effect sizes were small across outcomes.

Conclusions: Interaction-focused training may help reduce dental student-specific ageism. However, general ageism appear less responsive to brief interventions. With small effects observed, interaction-focused training offers a modest step toward reducing student-specific ageism; general ageism showed limited short-term change.

 : Various stressors can affect student exam performance, and a single weak result may not reflect true understanding. To address this, a "Mastery" exam policy was introduced in the 2021-2022 academic year. If a student scores below 80% on a didactic or pre-clinical laboratory exam worth at least 10% of their final course grade, they can choose to retake the exam. The reassessment is a new exam, and may differ in format from the original. The formally recorded grade is the higher of the two scores, up to a maximum of 80%.

Method: Data from the 2021-2024 academic years were analyzed, tracking exam and course grades for all students. Original scores were retained for comparison with final grades before and after Mastery.

Results: Overall, 47.1% of the students completed at least one Mastery exam, with 83.6% improving their scores. At our institution, students are placed on academic probation after one course failure, and risk dismissal after a second failure. Improved performances on Mastery exams resulted in 85.2% of students originally at risk of at least academic probation avoiding any formal administrative action. The initiative was well-received-89.8% of surveyed students reported improved morale, well-being, and reduced exam-related stress.

Conclusion: This institution-wide initiative yielded several important academic outcomes, including fewer final course failures and fewer students at risk of academic probation or dismissal. This supports the notion that any given exam may be only a reflection of the student's ability to perform to their capabilities at the specific time the exam is administered.