European Journal of Dental Education最新文献

Introduction: Special care dentistry (SCD) education involves acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes in managing patients with special healthcare needs (SHCN). This study reports the development of a 2-h face-to-face workshop, designed based on the ADDIE and Gagne's nine events of instruction (GNEI) models, which were integrated to provide undergraduate-level SCD training.

Materials and methods: The ADDIE model was applied to plan and create a learning activity fulfilling the learning objectives of this subject. This process involved analysing (A), designing (D), developing (D), and implementing (I) the instruction based on standardised guidelines and approved curriculum content. The GNEI model was incorporated at the design (D) stage to enhance students' learning experiences via various stimuli and exercises. The learning activity was evaluated (E) through students' written reflections on their learning experiences. Qualitative data on students' reflections was analysed via thematic analysis.

Results: A workshop comprising case-based discussion, demonstration, simulation exercises, and practical training involving six scenarios relating to patients with SHCN was developed. Students found that the session was beneficial in improving their understanding of SCD as it supplemented what was taught in the lectures. The cases discussed were relevant to their daily practice, and the resources developed were useful and reliable. The demonstration, practical, and simulation exercises provided hands-on learning experiences and helped instil disability awareness. Students felt prepared for examinations and clinical practice following this activity.

Conclusion: Applying the integrated model ensures effective and structured teaching of SCD for undergraduate students.

Introduction: The Dental profession is among the most stressful professions. This is a concern as high levels of exhaustion and psychological distress have been recorded even in early years postgraduation. Individuals with greater resilience tend to handle stress better. There are still no agreed frameworks with which to promote resilience in the undergraduate curriculum. This study aimed to inform the educational field on developing and evaluating an eLearning module to promote resilience-building competencies in dental undergraduate students in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland.

Methods: A pre-post evaluation was adopted to investigate the effectiveness of an online educational intervention module on the resilience of dental undergraduate students using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). All students in the latter years of the dental undergraduate programme were recruited as part of their curriculum and opted in for inclusion in the study. Data were analysed using SPSS v.22.

Results: Change in CD-RISC-25 mean score from pre to post-test was positive, increasing from 63.84 (SD = 15.69) to 68.87 (SD = 18.06) by 7.9%; this was not statistically significant. Subscale scores did not change with statistical significance apart from the coping subscale (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: This was the first online eLearning module to be successfully developed with a focus on key topic literature review and engagement of recent graduates to promote development of essential resilience skills in the cohort. Although the results demonstrated no significant changes in outcomes, interventions that enable students to cope and successfully manage stress are needed in the curricula. Further investigation is required to understand the development and retention of such skills in dental undergraduates.

Introduction: Biopsy followed by histopathologic examination is an important tool for establishing the final diagnosis of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. The aim of this study was to examine dentists' perceptions and attitudes toward biopsy practices.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study collected data from dental surgeons via an online questionnaire, including questions on their behaviour with oral lesions and sociodemographic details. Descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted using JASP software with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: The study involved 348 dental professionals with an average age of 30.95 years (SD ± 9.24) and an average training period of 7.4 years (SD ± 8.45). Of the participants, 65.80% were female, and 58.05% held postgraduate degrees. Regarding the workplace, 67.53% of the participants worked in private clinics. Statistical analyses revealed a significant association between biopsy performance and various factors, including sex, access to oral pathology laboratories, the availability of anatomopathological reports during training, clinical specialisation, prior biopsy experience, and consulting with an oral pathologist. Logistic regression analysis indicated that biopsy performance during graduation and access to oral pathologists were predictors of clinical biopsy practices.

Conclusions: Although biopsy is essential for definitive diagnosis of oral lesions, many dentists do not routinely use it in practice. The decision to perform a biopsy was found to be influenced and predicted by previous experience with biopsies during undergraduate courses and access to an oral pathologist. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to improve educational strategies and clinical exposure during dental undergraduate training.

Background: Periodontal surgery is part of the dental curriculum at German universities. A particular challenge is to provide a basic understanding of surgery. This is the first pilot study evaluating the extent to which regenerative therapy or lower molar hemisection can be learned using a specially produced 3D-individualised patient model compared to a porcine cadaveric model.

Methods: During the periodontal surgery block practical, 14 students performed lower molar hemisection and regenerative therapy with bone graft substitute (Bio Oss, Bio Gide; Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland) on an individualised 3D model. Interventions were then evaluated using a validated questionnaire. Differences between groups were statistically assessed for individual items and the overall questionnaire using the Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05).

Results: In the overall evaluation, the 3D-printed patient and animal cadaveric model did not differ significantly, with the animal cadaveric model scoring a slightly higher score. The 3D-printed patient model was considered more realistic for the anatomical appearance of each part, being evaluated superior for practicing regenerative therapy, removing inflammatory tissue and performing molar hemisections. The animal cadaveric model was rated better for soft and hard tissue tactile feedback.

Conclusion: With the 3D-individualised model, hemisection and regenerative therapy can be performed realistically, but soft and hard tissue feedback still needs to be optimised. 3D models are useful for teaching periodontal surgery. In the future, if optimised, 3D printing could completely replace the animal cadaveric model, as it offers clear advantages (e.g., easier organisation, better hygiene).

Introduction: ONCOllab is a social media application developed by FDI to improve the management of oral complications that may arise during cancer therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ONCOllab on learning and perception among dental students.

Material and method: A theoretical test on oral complications of cancer therapy to determine baseline level knowledge was given to fourth-year dental students. Students were randomly divided into two groups. All students attended a lecture-based theoretical education on oral complications of cancer therapy. After the lecture, students were randomised into Group 1 (no further education) or Group 2 (presentation about ONCOllab with subsequent utilisation). One week later, a second test was applied to assess knowledge levels. The students' overall perception and satisfaction levels in Group 2 were also evaluated.

Results: The study included 59 participants [female, 35 (59%)]. The results of the first evaluation test found similar baseline knowledge between the groups (p > 0.05). The second test's results were significantly higher in both groups (p < 0.05). However, students in the ONCOllab group (Group 2) showed a significantly higher level of knowledge than Group 1 for the second test scores (p = 0.001). All of the participants in the ONCOllab group found the application beneficial for education and reported that they would like to use it in the post-graduation period.

Conclusion: Both theoretical and ONCOllab-supported theoretical approaches significantly improved knowledge of oral complications of cancer therapy. However, in addition to educational superiority, ONCOllab-supported theoretical education was found to be associated with satisfactory results in terms of student perception.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to address the barriers that pregnant women face when accessing oral health care, particularly due to the lack of confidence and knowledge among dental professionals. We focus on final-year Portuguese dental students, aiming to characterise their self-assessed knowledge and attitudes in providing care to pregnant women.

Methods and materials: Between March and April 2024, final-year dental students from all Portuguese dental faculties completed a 16-question web-based survey assessing their attitudes and knowledge regarding dental care for pregnant women.

Results: Among 119 respondents, 98.3% emphasised the importance of dental check-ups during pregnancy, 79.8% were aware of periodontitis' adverse effects, and 75.6% identified the second trimester as optimal for dental visits. However, only 36.1% knew the correct position to prevent hypotension syndrome in the third trimester, and 37.8% were unsure about safe medications. Additionally, 92% supported integrating oral health education for pregnant women into the curriculum, with 95% believing it would increase their comfort in treating pregnant women.

Conclusion: The study reveals significant deficiencies in the knowledge and attitudes of Portuguese dental students regarding evidence-based dental care for pregnant women. This underscores the urgent need for improved dental education and training to ensure that these students are adequately prepared to provide care to pregnant women.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify the most extensively researched active teaching and learning methodologies in undergraduate dentistry courses and to evaluate their potential benefits for enhancing student knowledge.

Methods: The comprehensive review followed the guidelines proposed by PRISMA-ScR. A search strategy was conducted in six electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Visual Health Library (VHL), and Google Scholar) until December 2024. Two independent reviewers conducted the search, screening and data extraction. Eligible studies included clinical trials and observational studies, focusing on active methodologies in higher education, excluding review studies, case series and case reports. No restrictions were placed on the publication date or language. Risk of bias assessment used the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomised studies and RoB 2 for randomised studies, following PRISMA extension and AMSTAR 2 protocols.

Results: The initial search yielded 10 999 studies. After reviewing the full texts, 36 studies were included out of the 48 initially identified. Most studies were non-randomised. While they did not indicate significant differences between active and traditional learning, they highlighted the potential advantages of active methodologies. Problem-based learning was the most investigated, followed by the flipped classroom and gamification.

Conclusions: These methodologies offer potential benefits for undergraduate dental education, but this scoping review does not definitively establish their superiority over traditional teaching methods. Consequently, further well-designed studies are necessary to validate the actual benefits of these methods in the teaching and learning process for undergraduate dental students.

Objective: Early oral cancer (OC) detection reduces associated morbidity and mortality. As the primary healthcare providers, dentists are pivotal in identifying precancerous and cancerous lesions during oral examinations. This study aimed to compare the knowledge, awareness, and clinical attitudes regarding OC between first-year and fifth-year dental students and to evaluate the effectiveness of dental education on OC awareness.

Methods: The study population consisted of 188 undergraduate dental students divided into two groups: 99 first-year students who had not yet received education on OC and 89 fifth-year students who had completed all relevant coursework. A face-to-face validated survey comprising demographic information, examination habits, knowledge of OC risk factors, symptom recognition, diagnostic methods, and management approaches was performed. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS v26.0 with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.

Results: Fifth-year students exhibited significantly higher awareness and knowledge in all domains than first-year students. Routine screening for OC was reported by 76.4% of fifth-year students versus 29.2% of first-year students (p < 0.001). Fifth-year students demonstrated superior recognition of clinical signs, including ulceration, red and white lesions, lymphadenopathy, and numbness (p < 0.001). Familiarity with diagnostic tools and appropriate referral behavior was significantly more common among senior students.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that dental education significantly enhances students' knowledge, clinical awareness, and diagnostic behavior regarding OC. However, the lower awareness among first-year students underscores the need to integrate OC-related content earlier in the curriculum. These results support the integration of structured and comprehensive OC education early in the dental curriculum to enhance screening and diagnostic behaviors.

Background: People with disabilities (PWD) have poor oral health and difficulties in accessing dental care. The lack of skills, willingness, or confidence of dentists to treat PWD could contribute to this scenario.

Objective: To understand the contributions of the Special Care Dentistry university extension programme to the professional and personal development of undergraduate students based on their perceptions.

Study design: Qualitative research was conducted with 12 undergraduate students who participated in the university extension programme, totalling 257 h of practice. Data was collected through a written questionnaire with open-ended questions before and after their engagement in the programme activities. These data were analysed using the inductive content analysis technique, with coding and categorisation processes.

Results: We considered two categories of contributions: professional and clinical experiences in dental care for PWD and the student teaching-learning process. The first addressed the singularities of dental care for PWD, the apprehension of the student, and the need for humanised care. The second highlighted expanding professional opportunities, improving skills, and pursuing lifelong learning and lessons. In addition, the regular undergraduate curriculum added theoretical and clinical experiences.

Conclusions: Students reported a significant improvement in confidence and safety for dental care for PWD by developing their critical thinking and clinical care skills.

Objective: To develop realistic training teeth composed of multi-material colours and gradients and evaluate them in comparison with the standard model and extracted teeth with a group of students.

Material and method: Three different teeth were virtually designed by use of multiple STL-compartments and additively manufactured with different material gradients like colour, hardness and functional properties in a single printing process using MultiJet technology. The teeth included simulated hard-/softissues and restorative materials like enamel, dentin, pulp, carious dentin, composite, amalgam, and gutta-percha. The selected teeth were tested by a group of 25 clinical students in a volunteer hands-on course. They had experience in caries removal, post insertion and preparation on real patients. Study procedures included the removal of a faulty direct and indirect restoration, of gutta-percha as well as of carious dentin. The properties of the printed teeth for each task were assessed by the students using grades (1 = very good, 2 = good, 3 = satisfactory, 4 = sufficient, 5 = poor). Conventional model teeth and extracted real teeth served as reference.

Results: In comparison to standard model teeth, printed teeth were rated 1.1 ± 0.7, with a grade of 2.4 ± 1.2 for haptic impression and 1.2 ± 0.8 for realistic perception of the exercise. In comparison to extracted teeth, the colour of the enamel(2.1 ± 1.4), the dentin(1.8 ± 1.3) and the carious lesion(1.2 ± 0.8) were evaluated with overall good or very good values. The new features were rated with 1.2 ± 0.7 for the Amalgam filling, 1.0 ± 0.3 for the caries lesion, 1.4 ± 1.5 for the crown, and 2.0 ± 1.0 for the gutta-percha.

Conclusion: The results of the pilot study confirm the potential of multi-material additive manufacturing for educational purposes. Students preferred printed teeth in comparison with conventional acrylic and extracted teeth, considering the simulation of a training scenario close to clinical reality.