Student perceptions of exodontia competency assessment in a UK dental school.

INTRODUCTION: Modern medical and dental training has migrated from assessing only the quantity of procedures performed to a combined assessment of both competency and quantity. This study explores student perceptions of competency assessment in exodontia at a UK dental school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to dental students in years three, four and five at the School of Dentistry, Cardiff University (n=149). Responses consisted of dichotomous tick boxes and 5-point Likert scales, with thematic analysis of free-text responses. Discrete variables were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Recurring themes were identified from the responses. RESULTS: A total of 129 questionnaires were returned (response rate 87%). Feedback from students indicated that they felt well prepared to undertake the competency assessment, agreeing that year three is the most appropriate year to assess competency (69%; n=86). In 50% of cases (n=65), the clinical supervisor was not present for the duration of the assessment. The undergraduate student body would like further teaching in the use of elevators (89%; n=114). CONCLUSION: The competency assessment was deemed fit for purpose by the undergraduate student body. Further developments in the areas of clinical supervision and teaching on the use of elevators were considered and recommendations made to the School of Dentistry, Cardiff University. The current oral surgery course incorporates some of the recommendations.

Conformation therapy using the tracking cobalt unit.

A description is given of the principles and application of the tracking technique using an automated cobalt teletherapy unit. The technique is a combination of moving table and arcing techniques which is used to shape the irradiated volume to match the tumour volume in three dimensions. The method has the additional advantage that corrections can be made for variations in dose rate along the tumour axis resulting from changes in body outline and the presence of inhomogeneities. An outline of the treatment planning procedure and the way the machine executes the planned treatment is given. Isodose distributions ar presented for two cases for which the technique was employed. The first of these illustrates the treatment of an oesophageal tumour, showing how the technique can be used to compensate for an irregularly shaped tumour in a part of the body having a large variation in cross section. The second shows how the technique copes with a tumour having a regular shape but having an awkward orientation in the body. Brief reference is made to work at other centres using moving table and three-dimensional shaping techniques which employ synchronous shielding.