Journal of Dental Education最新文献

Objectives: Teledentistry (TD) education has become essential to ensure that future dentists acquire the requisite competencies to navigate the evolving landscape of dental care. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive prior research that outlines a specific pedagogy for integrating TD education and training into the predoctoral dental curriculum. This article describes the development and implementation of an innovative TD educational model for predoctoral dental students.

Methods: The dental public health course for fourth and fifth-year students was redesigned to include a TD educational model, comprising four components: foundational knowledge and case discussions, critical thinking activities, designing TD programs, and hands-on and field training. Student feedback was gathered through a questionnaire.

Results: Out of 47 students enrolled in the course, 39 responded to the questionnaire. The feedback was predominantly positive, with most students expressing satisfaction with the instructor's performance, particularly in providing adequate help and feedback. Students felt the TD sessions gave them a solid foundational understanding of TD and helped them grasp its various modalities. However, some students desired more hands-on clinical training and faced time constraints that affected their ability to fully understand the material and complete assignments.

Conclusions: Integrating the TD educational model into the predoctoral dental curriculum has significantly improved the learning experience. This model has equipped students with essential practical and hands-on TD experience, preparing them for the dynamic field of dental practice and enabling them to meet the diverse needs of patients in various settings.

Background: Given the prevalence of mental health concerns, dentists have an opportunity to provide mental health screenings to enhance overall patient care. The purpose of this study is to summarize and discuss the characteristics of mental health curricula related to patient care in accredited dental schools.

Methods: We identified accredited predoctoral dental programs incorporating mental health training related to patient care into their curriculum. We summarized course characteristics and thematically analyzed course descriptions using headings from the National Library of Medicine.

Results: From our review of curricula from 80 dental programs, 27 included a mental health component, and these were found in both didactic and clinical courses. Behavioral science and building clinical competence were the most common themes.

Discussion: While mental health is an important component in overall patient care, a minority of accredited dental programs' curricula address it. Further, the manner and extent of inclusion varies. Including mental health training into dental curricula will better prepare dentists for their patients' comprehensive health needs.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the knowledge and perception among dental educators regarding the use of relative value units (RVUs) in medicine, perceived benefits in dentistry, and the relative ranking of the components to define RVUs in dentistry.

Methods: A convenience sample of dental educators participating in the American Dental Education Association's Leadership Institute (2023-2024) cohort was surveyed for their knowledge and perception regarding RVUs. The responses were stratified based on experience with RVUs prior to statistical analyses (α = 0.05).

Results: Twenty-six dental educators from 18 different North American dental schools and nine different dental specialties participated in this pilot study. Although not significant, a higher proportion of dental educators with prior experience perceived RVUs as a valuable tool in dental practice for assigning chair time, developing payment models, and tracking student-resident progress in a clinical course. There was a lack of consensus among dental educators regarding the components for determining dental procedural RVUs.

Conclusion: This pilot study provides limited evidence that prior knowledge of RVUs may be related to its perceived benefits among dental educators, but a broader study design is needed to draw meaningful conclusions and universally acceptable components for determining RVUs in dentistry.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare student learning of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) interpretation using immersive virtual reality (VR) and three-dimensional multiplanar (MP) reconstructions.

Methods: Sixty first-year dental students were randomly allocated to two groups, VR and MP, and underwent a one-on-one educational intervention to identify anatomic structures using CBCT data. All participants completed three multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs) before (T1), immediately after (T2), and 2 weeks following (T3) the intervention. Additionally, pre-survey, post-survey, NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and presence questionnaires were completed. Analysis of objective measures of performance on MCQs and subjective data from the questionnaires was completed (α = 0.05).

Results: There was a significant increase in test performance and informational recall between T1-T2 and T1-T3 for VR and MP groups (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in performance on MCQs between T2 and T3. Analysis of the Presence questionnaire indicated that the VR group felt decreased distraction (p = 0.013), increased realism (p = 0.035), and increased involvement (p = 0.047) during the educational intervention when compared with the MP group. Analysis of the NASA-TLX indicated that the VR group experienced more physical demand (p < 0.01) but similar cognitive demand when compared with the MP group. Qualitative responses indicated that the VR group had a more dynamic sense of visualization and manipulation compared to the MP group.

Conclusion: Results from this study show that VR is as effective as traditional MP methods of CBCT interpretation learning. Further benefits of VR educational intervention include increased involvement, realism and less distraction.

Purpose/objectives: This prospective crossover preclinical trial aimed to evaluate the learning curve of dental students in successfully administering intraligamentary anesthesia (ILA) using three different syringe systems.

Methods: Dental students performed ILA using three devices in two separate sessions, each targeting mandibular and/or maxillary premolars. The devices included two manual systems (pistol-type and lever-based) and one computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLAD). The primary research parameter was the success rate of anesthesia, defined as the percentage of successful ILA administrations confirmed by a negative response to a cold test. Secondary parameters included pain experienced during needle penetration and injection, students' self-reported levels of mental tension and handling of the syringes, and any potential side effects.

Results: A total of 110 students performed ILA on 599 teeth during the study period. When comparing the CCLAD system to the manual syringes, the CCLAD system exhibited a significantly higher overall success rate in the first session (92.5% vs. 77.4%; p < 0.001), potentially due to its precise control of anesthetic flow and pressure, which likely facilitated more effective anesthetic delivery. However, when examining the individual manual techniques, no significant difference was found between the pistol-type manual and the CCLAD system (p = 0.66). All techniques' success rate increased from the first to the second session (80.4% vs. 86.9%; p = 0.0357). Additionally, penetration pain demonstrated a significant decrease across all techniques (p < 0.01). Notably, students' anxiety levels decreased, and self-assurance increased significantly over the sessions. Undesired reversible side effects were documented in 10.9% of cases.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that repeated practice of ILA, particularly with different syringe systems, enhances anesthetic success and psychological readiness for patient interaction. Additional training sessions may further improve proficiency.