Evaluating video-based lectures on YouTube for dental education.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Multimedia presentations and online platforms are used in dental education. Though studies indicate the benefits of video-based lectures (VBLs), data regarding user reception and optimal video features in dental education are limited, particularly on Web 2.0 platforms like YouTube. Given increasing technology integration and remote learning, dental educators need evidence to guide implementation of YouTube videos as a freely available resource. The purpose of this study is to determine video metrics, viewership and format efficacy for dental education videos. METHODS: First, a cross-sectional survey was conducted of viewers (N = 683) of the Mental Dental educational videos on YouTube. Analytics were evaluated for 677 200 viewers to assess audience demographics, retention and optimal video length. Second, a randomized crossover study was conducted of dental students (N = 101) who watched VBLs in either slideshow or pencast formats and were tested on content learning to compare format efficacy. RESULTS: Most viewers of Mental Dental videos were dental students (44.2%) and professionals (37.8%) who would likely recommend the platform to a friend or colleague (Net Promoter Score = 82.1). Audience retention declined steadily at 1.34% per minute, independent of video length. Quiz performance did not differ between slideshow and pencast videos, with students having a slight preference for slideshows (P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Dental students and professionals use VBLs and are likely to recommend them to friends and colleagues. There is no optimal video length to maximize audience retention and lecture format (slideshow vs. pencast) does not significantly impact content learning. Results can guide implementation of VBLs in dental curricula.

Understanding technology adoption by orthodontists: A quantitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Digital scanning, treatment planning, 3-dimensional imaging, and printing are changing the practice of orthodontics. These tools are adopted with the hope that treatment becomes more predictable, efficient, and effective while reducing adverse outcomes. Digital tools are impacting care, but knowledge of nationwide adoption trends and motivators is incomplete. METHODS: We aimed to identify adoption decision-makers, information sources, incentives, and barriers through the first nationwide survey of American Association of Orthodontics members on their technology adoption habits, needs, and outcomes. Data were assessed using descriptive and bivariate analyses. The survey was developed from a comprehensive qualitative interview phase as part of a mixed methodology study. RESULTS: Responses (n = 343) revealed orthodontists make adoption decisions on the basis of advice from other dentists and company representatives while rarely consulting staff or research literature. Continuing education and meetings are most effective at disseminating information to practicing doctors, whereas journals generate less impact. Key adoption incentives include added capabilities, practice efficiency, ease of implementation, and performance, whereas cost is the main barrier to purchase. Early adopters with larger practices charge higher fees than other adopters to support the costs of technologies. Treatment outcome is not a primary adoption incentive for specific technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontists positively perceive the influence of intraoral scanning, cone-beam computed tomography imaging, 3-dimensional printing, computer-aided design-computer-aided manufacturing archwires, and clear aligner therapy on their practice and patient care. The orthodontic technological transformation is underway, and knowledge of adoption can guide our transition into modern practice, in which digital tools are effective adjuncts to the specialists' expertise.

Identifying factors that impact general dentists' referrals to orthodontists.

INTRODUCTION: Referrals from general dentists are a significant source of orthodontic patients, but our knowledge of factors guiding referral decisions predates recent marketplace trends of direct-to-consumer products and broad digitization. To provide orthodontists with current, nationwide data on referral values and communication preferences, a mixed-methods study was conducted. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with practicing general dentists (n = 23), and interviews were analyzed to identify factors important to communication and referrals. Qualitative data provided the foundation to develop and pretest a survey distributed nationally to American Dental Association general dentists through email (n = 373). Survey results were evaluated using bivariate and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Although 42% of general dentists provide orthodontics, of those, 68% report insufficient orthodontic training in dental school, and 61% have increased orthodontic care in recent years. General dentists refer to orthodontists for complex cases and growing patients, with the orthodontist's perceived skill and proximity to the patient being important for choosing a specific orthodontic practice. Phone (70%) and email (61%) are the most used interoffice communication methods, with email (40%) and then phone (30%) being the most preferred. The most important aspects of a working relationship were patient satisfaction and final occlusal outcome, whereas the best way to boost referrals was through improving communication. CONCLUSIONS: Excellent care and patient satisfaction remain primary motivators for referrals from generalists to orthodontists. An improved orthodontic curriculum is needed for general dentists. Good communication with dentists is critical for growing referral streams and enhancing patient care.

Educational debt and the gender gap: Understanding factors influencing orthodontists' career decisions.

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontic residents face challenges unparalleled to their predecessors, including competitive marketplaces, rising debt burdens, and changing demographics that have contributed to the shift in initial career choice from owner to employee. We aim to understand factors important to orthodontists at different career stages and the impact on job satisfaction through a sequential mixed methodology study. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 orthodontic residents and practitioners. A survey was developed from qualitative findings that explored career decision-making of orthodontic residents and practicing orthodontists, with descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses (n = 343 orthodontists and 185 residents). RESULTS: Graduating orthodontic residents are choosing employment over ownership as their initial job, prioritizing high income to offset the educational debt. The majority of residents report thinking about their debt very often to all of the time and find it very to extremely stressful. Current residents have long-term goals of ownership, whereas practicing doctors of both genders became owners at equal frequencies. However, on average, women earn $119,000 less per year and report being the primary family caretaker more often than men. CONCLUSIONS: Excellent patient care, work-life balance, and sufficient income are the most important drivers for career choices and job satisfaction for orthodontists of all ages. Despite debt, most residents and working orthodontists report a high level of job satisfaction and would recommend the field of orthodontics to others.

Understanding technology adoption by orthodontists: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontics is evolving with advances in 3D imaging, additive fabrication, digital scanning, and treatment planning. With digital tools, orthodontic treatment may become more predictable, efficient, and effective while reducing side-effects. These technologies are affecting patient care, but knowledge of their adoption patterns and influence is incomplete. We aimed to identify adoption decision makers, information sources, perspectives, incentives, and barriers. METHODS: Twenty-four privately practicing orthodontists were interviewed in a semistructured format following a topic guide. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify factors in technology adoption and its perceived influence on practice. Thematic patterns were established through iterative systematic analysis, and qualitative validity was ensured with researcher triangulation. RESULTS: Qualitative interviews revealed that orthodontists make purchasing decisions independently from staff, after consulting other dentists and company representatives. Meetings, residency training, and continuing education courses are influential information sources, whereas research literature is not. Early and middle adopters are integrating digital imaging, planning, and fabrication technologies into practice and view enhanced ease of use, capabilities, performance, and procedural efficiency as primary incentives to adoption. Improving outcomes and patient comfort are not frequently cited as incentives, and all interviewees view cost as the largest barrier. Orthodontists positively perceive the influence of technology on their practices, but are concerned that further innovation and direct-to-consumer products will cause loss of market share. CONCLUSIONS: CAD/CAM appliances, 3D imaging, and digital treatment planning are viewed as future standards of care and are increasingly being incorporated into the orthodontic office. Understanding the technology adoption process can guide innovation to improve treatment and ease the transition into a digital workflow.

Identifying factors influencing orthodontic residency program selection.

PURPOSE: The desirability of Orthodontic Residency remains high today relative to the past 30 years. This investigation seeks to re-assess factors influencing Orthodontic Residency program selection amidst contemporary challenges and changes, including increasing student debt, reduced residency stipends, and shifting practice models. METHODS: This mixed-methods study consisted of interviews (qualitative) and surveys (quantitative). Fifteen final-year dental students and first-year orthodontic residents were interviewed one-on-one following a topic guide and then transcripts were analyzed using MAXQDA2022 to identify values, factors, and influences related to program selection and ranking. Qualitative findings and previous studies provided the basis for a survey distributed to residency applicants in 2020-22. Data were analyzed with bivariate and descriptive statistics with stratification by debt group. RESULTS: Interviews (N = 15) elevated the importance of location, interview experience, program cost, and clinical education. Surveys (N = 239) identified the most desirable factors for program selection: satisfied residents, strong clinical training with multiple techniques, good interview impressions, low cost, high patient numbers, a strong reputation, and good clinical facilities with new technology. Less desirable factors include programs that are hospital-based, certificate-only, research-intensive, and require considerable after-hours work. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical education and interview experiences are key for residency selection, consistent with prior studies, though program cost has grown in importance. Findings can help guide orthodontic programs in recruiting applicants and suggest a need to limit educational costs.

Influences on dentists' adoption of nonsurgical caries management techniques: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Nonsurgical caries management techniques (NSCMT) offer a simple, conservative approach to treating caries. Despite evidence supporting and potential advantages of NSCMT, dentists can be reluctant to adopt these techniques. To better understand this phenomenon, the authors interviewed dentists who primarily treat children regarding their thoughts, attitudes, and adoption of 3 NSCMT. METHODS: The 3 NSCMT were fluoride varnish, silver diamine fluoride, and Hall stainless steel crowns. The authors interviewed dentists in North Carolina whose practices were restricted mostly to children. A nonprobabilistic maximum-variation design was used in the sampling. Using a semistructured interview guide, the authors recorded the interviews digitally and analyzed them thematically. The authors stratified the analysis according to years of practice, geographic location, and type of practice. Reporting was based on emerging and recurring themes and insightful quotes. RESULTS: Factors most likely to promote the adoption of NSCMT were related to clinical practice, family preference, patient safety, and provider philosophy. Barriers to adoption included previous practitioner negative experiences using the techniques, high-risk caries population, and perceived likelihood of negative outcomes. Characteristics of the practice environment, patient population, communication with families, and financial considerations were influential in the clinician's determination as to whether to use these techniques. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide valuable insight into practitioners' influences, motivations, and clinical decision making in the adoption and use of management and treatment approaches for carious lesions in the pediatric population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The primary factors and barriers identified in this study are possible targets for education and quality improvement programs aimed at increasing NSCMT use.

"They Told Me to Take Him Somewhere Else": Caregivers' Experiences Seeking Emergency Dental Care for Their Children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine pediatric emergency dental trends in two safety net clinics and care-seeking experiences of young children's caregivers. METHODS: Administrative data were used to describe and compare emergency first visits of children ages zero to six years in a community-based (CC) and a University-based (UC) safety net clinic from 2010 to 2014. In-person interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers of children ages zero to six presenting for nontrauma-related emergency visits at the UC from January to August 2016. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed inductively using Atlas. ti.7.5.9. RESULTS: The UC experienced significantly more emergency first visits (33 percent) than the CC (five percent, P<0.001), and the majority of these UC visits were referrals. Caregivers were dissatisfied with the experienced barriers of access to care and lack of child-centeredness, specifically the referral out of the dental home for emergency dental care. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of children's first visits at dental safety net clinics was emergency related. Children's caregivers voiced issues related to access to care and lack of child-centered care. Discordance was apparent between how professional organizations define the dental home and how caregivers experience it in the context of emergency care.

Educators' and Applicants' Views of the Postdoctoral Pediatric Dentistry Admission Process: A Qualitative Study.

The postdoctoral application and matching process in dental education is a high-stakes and resource-intensive process for all involved. While programs seek the most qualified candidates, applicants strive to be competitive to increase their likelihood of being accepted to a desirable program. There are limited data regarding either subjective or objective factors underlying the complex interplay between programs and applicants. This qualitative study sought to provide insight into the stakeholders' experiences and views on the matching process. Telephone and in-person interviews were conducted with ten pediatric dentistry program directors and ten recent applicants to pediatric dentistry programs in the United States in 2013-14. Participants were selected to represent the geographic (five districts of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) and institutional (hospital- or university-based) diversity of pediatric dentistry programs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Veracity and need for more information were the themes most often articulated by both groups. The program directors most valued teachability and self-motivation as desirable applicant characteristics. The applicants relied primarily on subjective sources to gather information about programs and prioritized location and financial factors as pivotal for their rankings. Both groups appreciated the uniformity of the current application process and highlighted several weaknesses and areas for improvement. These results shed light on the postdoctoral matching process in pediatric dentistry via a qualitative description of stakeholders' experiences and viewpoints. These insights can serve as a basis for improving and refining the matching process.