European Journal of Dental Education最新文献

Objectives: This study explores the perspectives of dental students in Saudi Arabia regarding the integration of large language models (LLMs) in dental education. It aims to understand their familiarity, utilisation and perceptions of these tools, while addressing the potential benefits, risks, and ethical considerations associated with their use.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and March 2024, involving 1370 dental students from various institutions across Saudi Arabia. The survey included multiple-choice questions and Likert scale items, assessing familiarity, usage patterns, and perceptions of LLMs. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant associations between demographic variables and students' familiarity, utilisation, and perceptions of LLMs.

Results: The survey revealed broad familiarity with LLMs, with 58.1% of participants being aware of their capabilities. Usage patterns varied, with high engagement in tools like ChatGPT and Google Translate. Significant gender, educational level and regional differences were observed, with males and postgraduate residents showing higher familiarity and utilisation rates. However, ethical concerns, including the potential for plagiarism and academic dishonesty, were prevalent, with only 15% of students reporting that their institutions had specific guidelines for LLM use.

Conclusion: The study highlights the need for a controlled and ethically informed approach to integrating LLMs into dental education. While LLMs offer potential benefits, their use must be regulated to prevent misuse and ensure that educational outcomes are enhanced rather than compromised. Institutions should develop clear guidelines, provide ethical training and emphasise the importance of critical evaluation when using LLMs.

Aim: This study compared the writing quality of AI- and student-authored essays, evaluated faculty members' reliability to differentiate between essays authored by AI and students, and assessed the scoring accuracy between human and AI raters using a standardised rubric.

Methods: Four topics were selected from a preclinical operative and aesthetic dentistry course. Each topic was presented as four essays authored by two students and two AI tools (ChatGPT4 and Gemini) (N = 48). Then, the 16 essays were evaluated either by three blinded experts and two AI tool raters (ChatGPT4 and Gemini) using a modified Universal Science Writing Rubric. The Shapiro-Wilk W test assessed data normality. Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn's Pairwise, Wilcoxon Signed-rank, and Friedman tests analysed the writing performances and inter-rater reliabilities with a significance level of (α = 0.05).

Results: Significant differences were found in evaluating scientific content (Z = 9.28, p = 0.005) and interpreting scientific content (Z = 6.74, p = 0.021) between AI- and student-authored essays. ChatGPT4-authored essays differed significantly in scientific content from both Gemini- and student-authored essays, with further differences in interpretation between ChatGPT4- and student-authored essays (p = 0.011). Faculty members correctly identified 75% of essay authors. No significant differences were found between raters using ChatGPT4 or Gemini, while a marginally significant difference was observed between human raters in the overall score, though not in specific parameters.

Conclusions: Gemini's scores closely matched those of human-authored essays, aligning more with human raters than ChatGPT-4. AI's capacity emulated human writing, though differences are noticeable to trained faculty members. There are evident disparities in content quality and organisation between AI- and human-authored work.

Background: Periodontal disease is a common chronic inflammatory condition that poses a significant threat to global oral health. Effective periodontal education is crucial for preparing future clinicians to manage this widespread condition. Traditional teaching methods, however, often fail to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the PERIO framework - a structured blended learning model specifically designed for periodontic practical training - in enhancing student satisfaction, learning outcomes and engagement in a periodontics course.

Methods: A total of 113 third-year dental students participated in the study, but after data cleaning, 112 valid responses were retained. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including quantitative assessments using four validated scales - satisfaction, engagement, flow state and learning process - which were adapted to fit the specific research objectives. The reliability of these scales was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, with values ranging from 0.933 to 0.982. Qualitative feedback was collected through open-ended questions and analysed to identify recurring themes.

Results: Students trained under the PERIO framework exhibited higher levels of satisfaction, engagement and practical competence. Participants reported improved understanding of periodontal concepts and increased confidence in applying theoretical knowledge in clinical settings.

Conclusion: The PERIO framework provides a scalable solution for improving periodontal education by effectively integrating theory and practice. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on innovative dental education methods, demonstrating the potential of structured, student-centred frameworks to enhance clinical training outcomes.

Aim: The aim of this research paper was to explore Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) undergraduate student views of a research project (RP) that comprises part of the curriculum at Cardiff University (CU), Wales.

Method: 4th and 5th year students undertaking the RP were issued an anonymous cross-sectional survey. 66 responses were obtained, giving a response rate of 52%. The questionnaire consisted of Likert-style items, a satisfaction score and free-text responses. Jamovi and Excel were used to conduct statistical analysis (multiple linear regression, t-tests and Cronbach's alpha) of the results along with thematic analysis of the free-text responses.

Results: Students generally had a positive response to the RP and felt that the RP helped to improve their research skills. The responses showed a positive correlation between satisfaction and student input into the project topic (estimate = 0.84, p = 0.03), understanding of the purpose of the RP (estimate = 0.69, p = 0.023), perceived improvement of research skills (estimate = 0.97, p < 0.001), and how prepared students felt to begin their project (estimate = 0.92, p = 0.004). There were, however, areas of the RP which students found challenging, such as the balance of completing the RP alongside clinical time, as well as arranging timely interactions with supervisors.

Conclusions: Overall, students had a positive outlook on the RP, with students who felt more prepared to begin the project and those who felt the project had improved their skills perceiving the project more favourably. This paper provides some insight into how such a project could be improved, for example, considering an increased timeline or a group format of the project along with future research directions.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dental education presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in reflective portfolio writing-a key pedagogical tool in periodontology. Reflective portfolios enable students to bridge theoretical knowledge with clinical application by fostering critical thinking, self-awareness, and evidence-based reasoning. However, the use of AI in these assignments raises concerns regarding its potential to undermine deep reflection and independent analysis. While AI can facilitate idea generation and organization, it should not replace the fundamental reflective process necessary for professional growth. To address this challenge, incorporating AI literacy into dental curricula is essential. A structured educational framework emphasizing responsible AI use, hands-on training, and interdisciplinary collaboration can guide students in leveraging AI as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for critical thinking. Additionally, implementing rubrics that assess depth of reflection and clinical insight ensures that AI complements rather than detracts from learning objectives. By establishing clear expectations and providing targeted feedback, educators can help students navigate AI-enhanced learning while maintaining the integrity of reflective practice. Initial student feedback suggests a promising integration of AI in periodontal education when used appropriately. As AI continues to shape dental education, its role must be carefully managed to preserve the essential reflective processes that cultivate competent and self-aware healthcare professionals.

Introduction: Given the rapid pace of digital technology and AI integration, addressing humanitarian concerns and potential ethical dilemmas in future dentistry treatment approaches is paramount. This study aimed to provide an overview of ethical problem awareness among dental students.

Materials and methods: One hundred and thirty students were recruited. An online survey with 24 multiple choice questions was created on 14 AI domains: familiarity, ethical norms, applications, data management, regulation, database location for training, personal data access, access responsibility, AI's impact on healthcare, moral and legal responsibility, AI and human responsibility, prohibited areas and AI's role in dentistry.

Results: Significant gender, education and regional differences existed among participants (p < 0.05). Only 25% never heard or used AI. Legal experts and professional boards were perceived as crucial for AI ethics (54.7%), data management (60.6%) and decision making (52.3%). Participants favoured clinicians taking the primary role in decision-making (51.6% very often, 10.9% always). AI impact was perceived as positive on diagnostics (42.1%), therapy (56%) and medical engineering (83.6%). Clinicians were assigned high (50.8%) or very high (14.1%) moral responsibility and high (25.7%) and very high (15%) legal responsibility for medical errors. Most participants recommended minor restrictions, including AI making life-or-death decisions (79.5%). AI was supported for treatment planning (68.5%), active treatment participation (43.8%), treatment evaluation (56.9%) and disease prediction (56.9%).

Conclusions: Significant demographic differences in AI ethics awareness among dental students highlight the need for inclusive AI ethics education and interdisciplinary governance frameworks in dentistry.

Introduction: Supporting wellbeing of staff involved in dental education is vital to ensure the safe effective delivery of the curriculum and training of the dental workforce. There are only a limited number of studies on the stress and wellbeing of staff involved in dental education and the barriers they face in engaging with any wellbeing services provided. To plan strategies for the promotion of staff wellbeing, it is important to identify these and the barriers faced by staff. The aim of this study is to determine the stress and wellbeing of the staff involved in dental education and identify any barriers they face in accessing wellbeing services.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the wellbeing and stress of staff involved in dental education in institutions associated with the Association of Dental Education in Europe, using two validated survey instruments: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWDS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). In addition, staff demographics and barriers to accessing any wellbeing services were identified.

Results: A total of 247 participants responded. The mean WEMWDS score was 49.0 (95% CI = 47.9-50.1; SD = 8.7) and the mean PSS score was 18.1 (95% CI = 17.3-19.0; SD = 6.7), with 68.0% reporting moderate and 8.5% high levels of perceived stress. Year of birth and work role were statistically significant for the primary outcome. Over 50% of respondents who needed support did not access the available services, citing several barriers, including lack of awareness (15%), uncertainty about the effectiveness of services (20.6%) and time constraints (22.3%).

Conclusion: Staff involved in dental education report higher stress and lower wellbeing than the general population. Those in the younger age group or involved in job roles such as research or clinical teaching are more affected. Staff face multiple barriers to accessing wellbeing services and are more likely to seek help from senior colleagues. It is vital that educational institutions establish strategies to promote the wellbeing of their staff members and improve access to services.

Background and aim: Working in a dental private practice is an investment that requires many skills in management, including the management of the dental office and staff recruitment. The objective of our study was to identify the need for continuing training in dental practice management among dental students at the end of their training.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among students at the end of their course at the Faculty of Dentistry of Casablanca using an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire included 7 general questions, 15 questions on the liberal installation, and 7 questions on the financing of the dental office. Data were entered and statistically analysed using SPSS software at the epidemiology and research laboratory of the faculty.

Results: 3% of students were able to answer correctly to the questions on the types of possible contracts for staff. 88.7% of students do not know dental practice management software, and 93.2% do not know which software to use to communicate with prosthetists. 88% of participants express a need for training in the running of their practice. To complete their knowledge, 70.7% of students expressed their interest in workshops, and 66.2% in guided lessons.

Conclusion: To address the identified training needs, the organisation of additional scientific events, such as congresses, seminars, and workshops, is proposed within the faculty, in collaboration with the Order Council and other institutional stakeholders.

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to assess the prevalence, impact, and understanding of Lower Back Pain (LBP) amongst final year dental students to inform the development of a module in the dental curriculum. LBP has a significant impact on the dental workforce; yet little is reported about the profession's knowledge, or the necessity for tailored self-care education.

Materials and methods: A single-centred online survey was administered to final year dental students at a UK dental school. This used carefully selected criteria following the review of the limited validated evidence base, with a robust methodological approach to survey design.

Results: There was an 86% response rate. LBP is prevalent amongst dental students, with 58% experiencing LBP in the past 6 months. 29% had reduced recreational and professional activity as a result, and 14% had sought professional help. Understanding of LBP varied; 92% identified the practice of dentistry to be the greatest contributing factor, whilst 89% deemed correcting posture to be the most effective prevention method. A majority, 53%, believed LBP would resolve without treatment, although confidence in management was poor. Almost all responders supported inclusion of back pain education in undergraduate dental curricula.

Conclusion: This research has revealed a belief system that may have negative influences on dental professionals' lower back health. Dental professionals may lack education on musculoskeletal disorders and have a poor understanding of the prevention and management of LBP. The results have informed the development of a LBP module aiming to improve undergraduate awareness and positively impact future working life.

Aim: To investigate the occurrence of Impostor Syndrome (IS) among faculty members of undergraduate dental courses at institutions in a capital city in the Northeast of Brazil.

Materials and methods: A quantitative cross-sectional observational study was conducted involving five higher education institutions. Data collection was performed through a structured online questionnaire composed of two domains: sociodemographic data and the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS). Responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to identify differences and associations related to gender, type of institution and teaching experience (in years). A significance level of p ≤ 0.05 was adopted.

Results: The study included 65 professors with a median age of 37 years (p²⁵ = 32; p⁷⁵ = 46), predominantly female (72.3%, n = 47), teaching in private institutions (73.8%, n = 48) and with a median year of teaching experience of 7 years (p²⁵ = 4; p⁷⁵ = 13). The median IS score was 42 (p²⁵ = 35; p⁷⁵ =54), indicating a moderate level. A difference in IS scores was observed between professors from public and private institutions (p = 0.049; r = 0.322; 95% CI: 0.085 to 0.525) and a negative correlation between IS and years of teaching experience as continuous variables (p = 0.006; r = -0.335; CI = -0.099 to -0.535), suggesting that IS tends to decrease with increased years of teaching experience.

Conclusion: Moderate levels of IS were observed among dental faculty members teaching undergraduate courses. The findings suggest that professors working in private institutions and those with fewer years of teaching experience may be more susceptible to IS.