European Journal of Dental Education最新文献

Introduction: The review was intended to evaluate the relationship of the nature of sleep with academic performances among undergraduate dental students.

Materials and methods: Scopus, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science databases were explored using a combination of MeSH terminologies for studies published until May 2023. JBI Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist was considered for data extraction and quality assessment while Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was considered for the assessment of certainty of evidence.

Results: Seven studies that fulfilled the selection criteria were considered and they comprised an overall of 2738 students. Different questionnaires to assess the quality of sleep were recorded in the studies such as the Dental Environmental Stress questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The academic performance was evaluated through self-reported grade point average. Based on the observations, a significant relationship between sleep quality and scholastic performance was established. Subjects with better sleep quality showed greater academic performance, along with enhanced cognitive abilities. The specific quality of sleep indicators, comprising duration of sleep, disturbances in sleep patterns, stimulant drinks, and efficiency of sleep, were reported to be linked with academic performance outcomes. A majority of the studies revealed a higher risk of bias.

Conclusion: These findings emphasise the importance of the promotion of healthy sleep habits and attendance of sleep-related issues for the optimisation of scholastic achievements and general well-being in this particular population. Future research should concentrate on the development of interventions and strategies for the enhancement of sleep quality.

Trial registration: PROSPERO number: CRD42024507372.

Introduction: Digital simulation in dental education has substantially evolved, addressing several educational challenges in dentistry. Following global lockdowns and sustainability concerns, dental educators are increasingly adopting digital simulation to enhance or replace traditional training methods. This review aimed to contribute to a uniform taxonomy for extended reality (XR) simulation within dental education.

Methods: This scoping review followed the PRISMA and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched. Eligible studies included English-written publications in indexed journals related to digital simulation in dental/maxillofacial education, providing theoretical descriptions of extended reality (XR) and/or immersive training tools (ITT). The outcomes of the scoping review were used as building blocks for a uniform of XR-simulation taxonomy.

Results: A total of 141 articles from 2004 to 2024 were selected and categorised into Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), Augmented Virtuality (AV) and Computer Simulation (CS). Stereoscopic vision, immersion, interaction, modification and haptic feedback were identified as recurring features across XR-simulation in dentistry. These features formed the basis for a general XR-simulation taxonomy.

Discussion: While XR-simulation features were consistent in the literature, the variety of definitions and classifications complicated the development of a taxonomy framework. VR was frequently used as an umbrella term. To address this, operational definitions were proposed for each category within the virtuality continuum, clarifying distinctions and commonalities.

Conclusion: This scoping review highlights the need for a uniform taxonomy in XR simulation within dental education. Establishing a consensus on XR-related terminology and definitions facilitates future research, allowing clear evidence reporting and analysis. The proposed taxonomy may also be of use for medical education, promoting alignment and the creation of a comprehensive body of evidence in XR technologies.

Introduction: Integrating digital dental technology into undergraduate curricula can better prepare dental technology students for a digitally driven workplace. However, students' perspectives on this education are sparse in the literature. This qualitative study explored dental technology students' perceptions of a digital dental technology curriculum.

Materials and methods: An online questionnaire was administered to third-year and fourth-year students, as well as recent graduates from the West China School of Stomatology. It comprised three sections: (1) demographic data, (2) perceptions of learning effectiveness and its impact, and (3) suggestions for curriculum improvements. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a chi-squared test.

Results: Sixty-nine valid responses were collected, yielding an effective response rate of 90.79%. Over 80% of respondents thought the courses beneficial for professional learning, career selection and practical work. However, 35% of third-year students reported being unable to complete digital design independently upon finishing the courses, and 62.50% of fourth-year students also lacked confidence in this area. While 95% of third-year students and 87.5% of fourth-year students intended to pursue digital-related positions, only 33.33% of employed graduates were engaged in relevant professions, indicating that the demands for digital competence in the workplace significantly exceeded the curriculum content.

Conclusion: This study found that most students had a positive perception of the digital dental technology curriculum. However, a gap remains between curriculum content and professional practice demands. Further research and curriculum shifts driven by skill application and work scenarios are required to support the digital transformation of dental technology education and dentistry.

By its very nature, the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) is an international voice of dental education, representing dental schools throughout Europe since 1975. The concept of converging and harmonising Oral Health Professional (OHP) education across Europe is at the heart of ADEE's mission and has led to the publication of a number of consensus documents that have become recognised benchmarks for institutions and regulatory bodies across the world. ADEE is also ideally positioned, through regional representation, to engage with multiple European and wider global stakeholders. The pan-European taskforce approach used by ADEE is supported by the recognition that similar social partnerships (involving a wide range of stakeholders) have been shown to increase the validity of curricula, facilitate the transition of students to a vocational work environment, and to help students develop into proficient and effective practitioners [1, 2].

Whilst the Profiles and Competences project, which provided a profile of the competences that a newly graduated dentist should be able to demonstrate, was the most popular in isolation, all three publications have proved instrumental in shaping the delivery of dental education across Europe [3-5]. The popularity and influence of the DentEd project were demonstrated by the number of downloads and citations that have taken place, and the documents have been used by many schools, educational establishments and professional organisations globally, to support the development and/or benchmarking of undergraduate dental curricula.

Due to the broad interpretation of ‘competences’, authors, organisations, institutions, regulators and societies gradually shifted towards a ‘Learning Outcomes’ approach. As such, in 2015 a new taskforce was established to revisit, reconsider and accordingly revise the content, and the ideologies, that should underpin a modern European dental curriculum.

In 2017, a new suite of five curriculum papers was published, collectively titled The Graduating European Dentist (GED). The initial introductory paper provided context and rationale for the learning-outcomes-based approach. This paper is, at the time of publication, the third most-cited paper within the European Journal of Dental Education (EJDE). Four of the papers mirrored the new curriculum domains; and in turn, each was defined by areas of ‘Major Competence’ (Appendix) and provided a basis from which graduates could build confidence and competence towards becoming independent practitioners, who accept the importance of continuing professional development throughout their career. The paper that focuses on methods of Teaching, Learning and Assessment is, at the time of print, the sixth most-accessed paper within the European Journal of Dental Education. The papers, and their citations, are listed in Table 1.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.