European Journal of Dental Education最新文献

The cover image is based on the article The Last 15 Years: The Association for Dental Education in Europe's (ADEE) Leading Role in the Education of the European Oral Health Workforce (2010/2025) by Denis Murphy et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.70029.

Background: With Japan's rapidly ageing society, dental hygienists must be prepared to address older adults' complex needs. Despite the recognised importance of geriatric dentistry, the impact of didactic instruction on ageism remains unclear.

Objective: This study investigated whether a Geriatric Dentistry course affects peculiar and general ageism among second-year dental hygiene students.

Methods: A single-arm pre-post design was conducted in four dental hygiene schools in Fukuoka, Japan. Participants completed two validated questionnaires before and after the course: the 16-item Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS-J) and the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA-J). Statistical analyses included the Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test and Spearman's rank correlations.

Results: Of 152 eligible students, 119 (78.3%) completed both surveys. Overall, neither ASDS-J [55 (21-66) to 56 (21-75), p = 0.061] nor FSA-J [32 (6-55) to 33 (6-54), p = 0.161] changed significantly. Based on the median score on the ASDS-J at baseline (median = 55), the participants were divided into a low-ageism group and a high-ageism group. Students in the high-ageism group showed a significant reduction in ASDS-J [58 (55-66) to 56 (21-75), p = 0.046], while those in the high-ageism group exhibited an increase in both ASDS-J [51 (21-54) to 56 (41-64), p < 0.001] and FSA-J [29 (6-55) to 33 (16-51), p = 0.006].

Conclusion: Didactic geriatric dental education alone may have a limited overall impact on ageism but can differentially affect students based on their initial attitudes.

Background: While large language models (LLMs) perform well in medical education, their ability to accurately interpret and answer English and Arabic dental multiple-choice questions (MCQs) remains underexplored.

Aims: This study evaluated the performance of advanced LLMs in answering dental MCQs in both languages, identifying language-specific challenges and assessing their applicability in multilingual dental education.

Materials and methods: A total of 300 MCQs from ten dental specialties were sourced from question banks. The MCQs were translated into Arabic and reviewed for linguistic and technical accuracy. Four LLMs, ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and Claude, were tested separately on Arabic and English datasets. Accuracy was the primary metric, along with specialty-specific performance, question type differentiation, and cross-language consistency.

Results: Claude achieved the highest accuracy in English (89%), while Gemini performed best in Arabic (80%). Most models showed better performance in English, with notable translation inconsistencies, particularly for ChatGPT models. Specialty-wise, Claude and Gemini excelled in endodontics and operative dentistry. No significant differences were observed between knowledge-based and clinical questions, but Arabic interpretation posed challenges. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between models and across languages.

Discussion: Gemini demonstrated robust performance in Arabic, while Claude excelled in English. ChatGPT models exhibited limitations, particularly in Arabic datasets. Performance varied across specialties, highlighting the need for improved multilingual adaptability and specialty-specific training.

Conclusion: Expanding specialised and culturally relevant datasets is essential for optimising LLMs' educational utility. This study provides key insights into LLM performance in bilingual dental education, supporting future advancements in AI-driven learning tools.

Introduction: Enhancing the quality of radiographic imaging is crucial for minimising patient exposure to ionising radiation resulting from repeated X-rays. Addressing technical errors during patient positioning is vital for obtaining accurate extraoral radiographs. Radiological simulation offers dentistry students a unique opportunity to refine their skills and gain experience in taking intraoral and extraoral X-rays without ionising radiation.

Materials and methods: A survey was conducted among 98 dental students. Half of them comprised the control group which had taken a course in radiography, and the other 50% were the study group who additionally underwent Qbion training. Respondents answered 13 single- and multiple-choice questions concerning one correct and 12 panoramic radiographs with one, two or three positioning errors. The students were asked to identify the reason for the occurrence of a technical error. The results were analysed descriptively.

Results: A correctly taken panoramic X-ray was recognised by 79 students (80.6%). Among them, 44 students (55.7%) used the Qbion software. The most commonly identified error was asymmetrical patient positioning, identified by 78 of 98 respondents (79.6%)-43 (55.1%) in the study group and 35 (44.9%) in the control group. The most difficult question concerning the too forward position of the patient was correctly answered only by 34 students.

Discussion: Students utilising Qbion software demonstrated a higher accuracy in answering questions related to radiographic errors, indicating the software's effectiveness in enhancing practical skills. The analysis of multiple-choice questions showed that the higher the degree of difficulty, the lower the percentage of correct answers.

Conclusions: The results suggest that integrating radiological simulation tools, like Qbion, significantly improves learning outcomes for students. However, further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to validate these findings.

Background: The Progress Test in Periodontology (PTP) has been implemented at Kiel University to gain an impression of students' learning process in this specific subdiscipline of periodontology within the dental curriculum.

Methods: The PTP has been designed following internationally established standards and has been adapted into the context of periodontology. From July 2020 to February 2022, it has been applied to undergraduate students. The PTP consists of 30 single-best answer questions including an 'I don't know' option, drawn from a newly created question bank and weighted by an adapted blueprint. Descriptive analysis and statistics to test validity and reliability have been performed.

Results: The mean score shows a significant growth over the semesters (42.4% ± 11.7% after the first semester, 61.5% ± 13.8% after the second semester, 76.9% ± 12.8% after the third semester, 69.9% ± 12.7% after the fifth semester). Reliability expressed by Cronbach's α ranges from 0.646 to 0.798. The 'I don't know' option has mainly been used by first semester students.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, the PTP is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate students' gain of knowledge, even if it is limited to one subject within a curriculum. Due to pandemic restrictions several other challenges in the adaptation of the test format to the educational setting at a German university had to be solved.

Introduction: Exposure to excessive noise is a highly preventable occupational risk, with irreversible side effects that may negatively impact an individual's quality of life, such as noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. Dental personnel may be at particular risk due to their exposure to high levels of noise from dental equipment. Despite existing regulations and guidelines, there is limited understanding of cumulative noise exposure in dental teaching hospitals, particularly with respect to compliance with occupational standards. The aim of this study is to quantify the levels of noise exposure experienced by dental personnel at a dental teaching hospital.

Materials & methods: Data collection involved acoustic evaluations of five commonly used dental equipment and noise measurements in five distinct hospital locations in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Reverberation time, ambient noise and noise emitted by equipment were assessed using calibrated instruments. Data analysis was carried out, and results were compared with regulatory guidelines.

Results: Reverberation times ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 s, and ambient noise ranged from 31 dB(A) to 43 dB(A), meeting acoustic design standards. Noise from dental equipment ranged from 53 dB(A) with the ultrasonic scaler to 83 dB(A) with the high-volume suction. Operational room noises ranged from 65 dB(A) in the dental hygiene clinic to 84 dB(A) in the plaster room.

Conclusions: The teaching hospital examined is at low risk of excessive noise exposure due to compliance with both Irish and United Kingdom noise regulations. However, noise levels within the plaster laboratory and from the high-volume suction exceeded 80 dB. Dental teaching clinics should take measures to reduce noise levels in areas and with equipment where noise levels exceed recommended limits. Regular monitoring of noise exposure in such facilities is recommended.

Background: Students undertaking clinical dental training in an educational program in Australia are required to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and are expected to conform with the professional standards described in the Dental Board of Australia's (DBA) Code of Conduct. The DBA can refer a dentist to a tribunal for alleged professional misconduct. The aim of the study was to survey Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students at the University of Adelaide (UofA) about their opinions on professionalism and DBA tribunal outcomes.

Methods: Sixty-six final year UofA BDS students were invited to participate in a three-part electronic survey. Part 1 concerned respondent demographics. Parts 2 and 3 requested responses to nine statements about professionalism and the outcomes of 10 'real life' DBA tribunal hearings.

Results: A response rate of 69.7% (n = 46) was recorded. Eight (17.4%) students were not aware of the DBA's Code of Conduct. Ten (26.3%) responded that being bound by the Code meant they could not fully value the student university experience. DBA outcomes regarding infringement of patient autonomy were considered lenient/very lenient by 59.1% (n = 26) and an outcome regarding an employment dispute harsh/very harsh by 54.5% (n = 24).

Conclusions: The students generally agreed with statements regarding professionalism. Variation in opinion about DBA outcomes was observed. Outcomes regarding infringement of patient autonomy and protection of the dentist title were considered harsh whereas outcomes not otherwise directly related to patient care were considered lenient.

Background: Academic freedom is under increasing pressure across higher education, yet its erosion in dentistry has remained largely unnoticed. Dentistry rarely features in discussions about academic freedom, despite facing a unique blend of institutional, cultural and political forces that narrow the space for independent thought and inquiry.

Objective: This guest editorial aimed to highlight the quiet but profound erosion of academic freedom in dentistry. It examines how structural incentives, professional expectations and institutional dynamics are reshaping what can be thought, said and studied within dental schools.

Key arguments: Structural incentives and precarious work: The decline of tenure-track positions and the rise of contingent employment undermine the conditions for academic independence. Economic pressures, clinical productivity targets and tuition-driven business models reward conformity over curiosity. Metrics and research agendas: An excessive focus on performance metrics privileges what can be counted over what matters. Research funding structures reinforce this by prioritising clinical and basic sciences while sidelining public health and interdisciplinary perspectives. The 'triple threat' trap: The traditional expectation of excellence in teaching, research and service, now compounded by clinical revenue generation, has become a structural contradiction. It leaves little space for reflection, critical engagement or dissent. Internalized pressures: Political interference compounds the problem, but the deeper erosion comes from within. Institutional risk aversion, reputational control and self-censorship operate silently, narrowing the scope of academic discourse before external pressures even arrive.

Implications for dental education and scholarship: When academic freedom is curtailed, scholarship contracts. Public engagement becomes riskier, critical enquiry fades, and the profession's ability to interrogate itself diminishes. This weakens dentistry's intellectual and societal role.

Conclusion: Academic freedom is not a privilege or a romantic ideal; it is a shared responsibility. It must be practiced, protected and supported through valuing critical engagement, creating institutional space for intellectual risk and recognizing dissent as integral to scholarship. Defending this freedom is essential if dentistry is to remain a space for curiosity, reflection and meaningful contributions to public health.

Introduction: The complexity and limited visibility associated with the deep surgical area make learning lateral approach maxillary sinus floor elevation a significant challenge for dental students in the current circumstances. This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual simulation training system specifically designed for learning lateral approach maxillary sinus floor elevation skills by comparing it to conventional teaching methods among dental students.

Methods: A total of 40 participants were randomly assigned to two groups: a test group (N = 20) that utilised the virtual simulation training system and a control group (N = 20) that underwent conventional course-based learning. Following the training period, all participants completed a knowledge test and operational assessment to evaluate their learning efficiency. A specific questionnaire was administered to an additional 50 students to facilitate the development of the virtual simulation training system.

Results: Scores obtained by the test group in the knowledge test were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the subjective and objective criteria assessed through the operational assessment indicated a notable improvement in the use of the virtual simulation training system. The test group outperformed the control group in both aspects, and these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The questionnaire survey showed all questions regarding overall understanding exhibited a significant improvement after utilising the virtual simulation training system (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The virtual simulation training system proves to be an effective tool for dental students to learn the lateral approach maxillary sinus floor elevation skill.

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.