Community-based dental education in Iranian dental schools.

BACKGROUND: Community-based dental education (CBDE) has been an essential advancement in dental education in recent decades, enhancing it in many aspects. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and improvements of CBDE in dental schools in Iran. METHODS: In the present descriptive study, an electronic questionnaire, including 18 "yes/no", "multiple choice", and "short answer" questions about the nature and extent of CBDE and students' experience in CBDE, was used. In early 2021, the questionnaires were mailed to the deans of all 43 dental schools in Iran under the supervision of the Council for Dental Education of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Reminder calls were made after 6 and 12 weeks. Dental schools that did not follow the CBDE program were excluded. The responses were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Thirty-six dental schools completed the questionnaire (response rate: 84%). Seventeen schools (47%) reported having CBDE in their dental program. Sites lacking a well-equipped dental setting were the most used out of all extramural sites. The number of weeks dedicated to CBDE ranged between 1 and 20 (median: 4). The most common dental procedures practiced in extramural sites were pediatric dentistry (100%), restorative dentistry (71%), and dental examination (59%). The student-to-supervisor ratio in CBDE ranged between 3 and 15 (median: 5). In most schools (65%), the staff involved in directing CBDE were Community Oral Health PhDs. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing number of Iranian dental schools have integrated CBDE into their undergraduate dental curriculum. The characteristics and extent of this educational strategy vary widely among dental schools. CBDE can be more effective by making positive changes in dental programs.

[From the history of domestic dentistry: Moscow Dental School of the Privat-docent of Moscow University, MD Gilyariy Ivanovich Vilga]. / Iz istorii otechestvennoi stomatologii: Moskovskaya zubovrachebnaya shkola privat-dotsenta Moskovskogo universiteta doktora meditsiny Gilyariya Ivanovicha Vil'ga.

Based on archival data, the authors describe the Moscow School of Dentistry with dental courses for doctors, dentists, and dentists of the Moscow University, Privat-docent Dr. Gilyari Ivanovich Vilga, examine the background to its formation, provide unique archival data on the location of the school, as well as its internal organization and equipment. The authors review in detail the program of courses, as well as their duration, cost, and form of student accountability. During its existence (1909-1918), more than two thousand dentists were educated at G.I. Vilg's school, among them Alexander Ivanovich Evdokimov, a future corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, director of the State Institute of Dentistry (GIZ) and the State Institute of Dentistry and Odontology (GIZO). The authors of the article also focus on analyzing the differences in the approaches to the organization of several dental schools, viz: The First Moscow I.M. Kovarsky School of Dentistry and the Second G.I. Vilga School of Dentistry. In his efforts, I.M. Kovarskij's aspirations to establish the best dental school in Russia were crowned with success: a specially constructed and equipped building meeting the state-of-the-art requirements (the building even boasted an X-ray machine), and the best professors and instructors of the University of Moscow of that time were hired. In contrast, G.I. Vilga rented premises for his school, the equipment was in short supply, and he himself was the only eminent professor. Nevertheless, his fierce desire to unite the entire dental community and organize the best dental care for the entire population of Russia allowed his brainchild to enter the top five schools of the time.

Perceptions and Knowledge of Undergraduate Dental Students about Artificial Intelligence in Dental Schools: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the perceptions and knowledge of undergraduate dental students about artificial intelligence (AI) in dental schools through a cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Participant recruitment was achieved by sending an online questionnaire to the undergraduate students at the assigned universities. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first seven questions record general information about participants and their perceptions of AI. The remaining questions are about the knowledge of participants about the applications of AI. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. RESULTS: About 165 undergraduate students from 20 universities related to the dental sciences responded to the questionnaire. And 80.6% of participants found the use of AI in dentistry exciting. I have a basic knowledge of the working principles of AI. About 80.6% of participants believe that applications of AI should be part of undergraduate dental training. And 66.6% of students are aware of the opportunities and threats that AI can create. The results show that 75% of the students indicated that they got their information about AI through social media. Regarding the association of years of studies with AI applications used in periodontics, the knowledge about AI applications in "aggressive periodontics," "compromised teeth," and "success in rate of dental implant" was significantly higher in senior students than junior students (p < 0.05). Concerning applications of AI used in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics, only "computer color matching," "tooth surface losses," and "I do not know" showed statistical significance (p < 0.05) with the year of study of participants. Senior students show significantly better knowledge in "success in retreatment" and "working length determinant." CONCLUSION: Although undergraduates are enthusiastic about AI and aware of its threats and benefits, their knowledge is limited. In addition, undergraduate programs must exert more effort to prepare students for the era of AI. How to cite this article: Aldowah O, Almakrami A, Alghuwaynim Y, et al. Perceptions and Knowledge of Undergraduate Dental Students about Artificial Intelligence in Dental Schools: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(2):148-155.

Simulation clinic waste audit assessment and recommendations at the University of Washington School of Dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: Dentistry produces waste contributing to climate change and adverse health outcomes, thus reducing waste is essential; however, there has been minimal emphasis on sustainability or climate action in dentistry. Waste audits quantify the type and amount of waste produced and may inform waste reduction strategies. We conducted a waste audit to identify areas of potential waste reduction and recommend interventions to reduce waste. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we conducted a waste audit of garbage produced during a typical 4-hour pre-clinical restorative dentistry simulation exercise. The sample was composed of 72 second-year dental students. This exercise is part of a standard curriculum with a uniform format regarding supplies used and participants. Potentially infectious materials were not used during this exercise. RESULTS: In total, 26.6 kg of waste was discarded. Plastic was the largest contributor by mass (57.5%), followed by paper barriers (19.6%), then impression materials (6.5%). We found 894 gloves and 70 masks discarded. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, we categorized waste reduction opportunities into policy changes, purchasing sustainable materials, and increasing awareness through education. Specific suggested actions include: relaxing glove and gown requirements during laboratory simulations; replacing single use items with more sustainable options; increasing use of intraoral scanners; and posting informational signage with examples of what can be recycled.

Training future leaders: A qualitative study exploring leadership development in predoctoral dental curricula.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accreditation standard 2-19 states predoctoral dental schools must assess students' ability to function successfully as the leader of the oral health care team. This study aimed to explore how dental schools incorporate leadership training into their curriculum to better understand the leadership skills students learn, the ways students engage in leadership training, and the opportunities students have to practice leadership skills with their peers. METHODS: The aim of this 2022 qualitative phenomenology study was to use semi-structured interviews with academic Deans at CODA-accredited dental schools and one subject matter expert to uncover types of cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors influencing leadership training through the lens of social cognitive theory. All interviews were recorded on Zoom, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed for recurring themes using NVivo. Eight academic Deans and one subject matter expert participated in the study. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged from the data: leadership is essential for dental professionals, leadership is incorporated into the curricula in diverse ways, students most often engage in leadership training opportunities with dental peers and interprofessional opportunities could be expanded, and dental schools often face barriers to incorporating leadership training. Vertically integrated case presentations and team-based practice management simulations are meaningful leadership development activities. Prominent barriers include time constraints, lack of faculty champions with teaching leadership expertise, and prioritizing the development of hand skills. CONCLUSION: Standard practices for student leadership development and assessment do not appear to exist across dental school curricula. Findings support the need for a leadership development framework.

Exploring Students' Compassion Outcomes within a Dental School's Tobacco Treatment Training Program: A pilot study.

Purpose It has been suggested that compassion may decrease as students progress through their health care education and into clinical practice. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether an immersive curriculum thread of tobacco use disorder (TUD) cessation methodology, including behavioral techniques and communication skills, was associated with any change in dental hygiene and dental students perceived levels of compassion.Methods Dental hygiene (DH) and dental (DS) students (n=300) who had experienced an immersive TUD curriculum from West Virginia University were invited to complete the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale-Toward Others (SOC-O) online survey during the academic years 2022-2023. Possible scores on the SOC-O ranged from 20 (no or low compassion) to 100 (high compassion). The SOC-O scores for students who did not have clinical experience and limited TUD content (first- and second-year DH and DS students) were compared with SOC-O scores of students who had clinically applied the immersive tobacco cessation curriculum thread (third and fourth year DH and DS students) using t-tests.Results A total of seventy DH and DS students completed the SOC-O survey for a response rate of 23.3%. The overall mean SOC-O score was 83.0 for participants who lacked clinical experience (DH1, DH2, DS1, DS2) and 85.8 for participants with clinical experience using the TUD content (DH3, DH4, DS3, DS4) (p >0.05). For the SOC-O subscale analysis, both groups were similar in the recognition of suffering, universality of suffering, empathy/compassion for a person suffering, tolerance of uncomfortable feelings, and action/motivation to act to alleviate suffering.Conclusion A high level of perceived compassion among dental hygiene and dental students was associated with an immersive behavioral sciences curriculum thread for the assessment/treatment of TUD. Perceived levels of compassion were maintained for participants with and without clinical experience. Additional focus on compassion philosophy research within educational methodology is needed to maintain and improve compassion outcomes in the health care professions.

Dental Students' and Dental School Graduates' Practical Skills: An International Survey of Perceptions of National Dental Associations in Europe.

PURPOSE: Dental students learn knowledge and practical skills to provide oral health care to the population. Practical skills must be maintained or continuously developed throughout a professional career. This cross-sectional survey aimed to evaluate the perception of practical skills of dental students and dental-school graduates by national dental associations (NDAs) in international comparison in the European Regional Organization of the FDI World Dental Federation (ERO-FDI) zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire of 14 items collected information on pre-/postgraduate areas. RESULTS: A total of 25 countries participated (response rate: 69.4%), with 80.0% having minimum requirements for practical skills acquisition and 64.0% starting practical training in the 3rd year of study. In countries where clinical practical work on patients begins in the 2nd year of study, practical skills of graduates are perceived as average, starting in the 3rd year of study as mainly good, starting in the 4th as varying widely from poor to very good. In total, 76.0% of respondents feel that improvements are needed before entering dental practice. Improvements could be reached by treating more patients in dental school (32.0%), increasing the quantity of clinical training (20.0%), or having more clinical instructors (12.0%). In 56.0% of the countries, it is possible to open one's own dental practice immediately after graduation, and in 16.0%, prior vocational training is mandatory. CONCLUSIONS: All participating countries in the ERO-FDI zone reported practical training in dental school, most starting in the 3rd year of study. The perception of practical skills of dental students and dental-school graduates among NDAs is very heterogeneous. Reasons for the perceived deficiencies should be further explored.

Exploring the declared and the formal and informal taught curricula at a UK dental school through the lens of pulp management.

Introduction This paper explores the declared and formal and informal taught endodontic curriculum within an undergraduate dental programme in the UK as part of a wider study, which also investigates the learned curriculum. Management of the dental pulp was chosen due to the availability of clear internationally recognised guidelines.Method The declared curriculum was identified through existing course guides and seminar and practical session plans. The formal taught curriculum was identified by cataloguing all lectures, practical teaching sessions, seminars and handouts available to dental students. Questionnaires using clinical vignettes were used to explore the informal taught curriculum.Results Valid responses to the questionnaire were received from 25/40 (62.5%) clinical supervisors. Disparities between national guidelines and the declared and taught curriculum were primarily due to broad learning objectives and disparate information from lectures and supervising clinicians. Although the majority of formal teaching aligned with national guidelines, the main deviation occurred within the informal taught curriculum.Conclusion This study highlights disparities between current evidence-based guidelines and the declared and taught curriculum in relation to pulp management in a UK dental school. Recommendations are that all policies, procedures and protocols are updated and aligned to a contemporaneous evidence base annually, plus engagement with clinical lecturers, to enable more standardised teaching.

LGBTQ+ related curricular activities in Brazilian Dental Schools: Do institutional and/or deans' profiles matter?

PURPOSE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether the characteristics of dental schools and the profiles of their deans were associated with curricular activities related to LGBTQ+ in Brazilian dental schools. METHODS: A survey was mailed to the deans of all Brazilian dental schools for the purpose of assessing the development of pedagogical activities focused on the topic of oral health of the LGBTQ+ population, and the characteristics of the institutions and profiles of their deans. The data collected were analyzed with hierarchical multiple logistic regression models in order to analyze associations between variables of interest. RESULTS: Of the deans approached, 156 (response rate of approximately 32.4%) completed and returned the survey. The majority of dental schools (67.3%) of the sample were private institutions and 39% of them developed pedagogical activities directed toward the LGBTQ+. This percentage was much lower in public institutions (18%). The results of the hierarchical multiple logistic regression demonstrated that deans who attributed high relevance to the theme "oral health of the LGBTQ+ population" were more likely to develop pedagogical activities directed toward the LGBTQ+ population (odds ratio = 4.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.65-13.48), than those who attributed low or little importance to this topic (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A low percentage of activities aimed at the LGBTQ+ population was observed in the sample of Brazilian dental schools. Deans must be aware of the importance of the topic and be motivated to implement pedagogical activities for this population.

Variation in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at US dental school clinics.

PURPOSE: Although the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the same at different US dental schools, the response wasn't. There is no study that documents the variation in mitigation strategies, COVID-19 transmission, and clinical educational changes at US Dental schools during the ongoing pandemic that began in 2020 in the US. METHODS: The current study was approved as exempt research (project number HUM00199261). Our survey of Associate Dean's of Clinical Operations was individually emailed in July 2021. There were no reminders and descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: We received 46 completed surveys from the 68 sent out. Note that 65.2% of respondents reported requiring N95 masks for aerosol-generating procedures. Note that 38.9% of respondents said they required student partnering as chairside dental assistants for aerosol-generating procedures. Note that 37.7% of respondents began using alternate cubicles. A total of 6.52% of schools reported a transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus from patient to provider. There were no reported transmissions from provider to patient or from patient to patient. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found a lot of similarities between the approach taken by Dental School Clinics across the US to mitigate the risks of COVID-19, however, we also observed many differences.

Prevalence and reasons for referrals to the Endodontics Specialty Clinic at the Piracicaba Dental School.

Dental referrals to the Endodontics Specialty Clinic (ESC) are routine owing to the complexity of endodontic treatments. To obtain a better prognosis for treatment, students/dentists must perceive their technical limits. This study sought to investigate the referrals of patients to the ESC from different clinics of the Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - SP, Brazil, and check: a) the demographic profile of patients and the most commonly affected tooth; b) the clinic with the largest number of referrals; c) the reasons for referrals; d) the complexity of the cases; e) and the difficulty in assessing the referred cases based on the classification provided by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and Souza-Filho. The study sample consisted of patients' electronic dental referral records from February 2015 to June 2019. A total of 1,707 patients were referred to the ESC during the study period, and 62.4% were female. Lower molars were the most frequently involved teeth (34.8%), and 60.7% of the cases were referred due to the presence of root curvature. The AAE classification showed prevalence of highly difficult cases (71.3%), whereas Souza-Filho classification demonstrated a high rate of class III cases (85.8%). This study highlights the difficulties encountered by undergraduate students before or during endodontic treatments, reinforcing the need for clear criteria for selecting cases appropriate for each education level, thus improving endodontic treatment prognosis.

Effectiveness of blended pedagogy for radiographic interpretation skills in operative dentistry - a comparison of test scores and student experiences at an undergraduate dental school in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Utilizing Blended pedagogy (BP) in radiographic skills may prove to be an effective teaching strategy. However, studies on the use of BP in dentistry are quite limited in Pakistan, where teaching has mostly been via traditional Didactic Lectures (DL); and radiographic interpretation skills of undergraduate dental students are suboptimal. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether utilizing BP to teach radiographic interpretation skills is an effective teaching methodology in Pakistan. METHODS: This mixed-method study was conducted on final year dental students at Jinnah Medical and Dental College (JMDC). Two groups of students were utilized for this study, one taught by traditional DL and the other taught by BP for the same module. BP was conducted over six weeks. A post-module test was conducted in both groups. Additionally, the BP group completed a modified Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey tool and volunteered to discuss their experiences through a focused group discussion (FGD). Descriptive statistics were computed and independent sample t-test was used to analyse the difference between the scores of the two groups. Thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data. RESULTS: The mean post-test scores were found to be significantly higher in the BP group (61.0 ± 10.2) compared to the DL group (44.4 ± 12.3) (p = < 0.001, CI = 95%, Cronbach Alpha > 0.8). The mean scores for the modified CoI instrument were 4.0 ± 0.29 for the whole instrument; 4.25 ± 0.22 for Teaching Presence, 3.71 ± 0.23 for Social Presence and 3.97 ± 0.16 Cognitive Presence, with all three having a Cronbach's alpha > 0.75. Thematic analysis revealed that BP students mutually agreed that BP method was beneficial with the appreciation of strong support from the facilitator. However, challenges like interrupted power supply and increased effort requirement from students were pointed out. CONCLUSION: Students taught radiographic interpretation skills with BP in comparison to DL had higher test scores and expressed a positive experience demonstrated via a modified CoI survey and FGD. Considering the encouraging results found, dental schools should incorporate BP in their teaching methodology and follow-up studies are needed to further support the use of BP as an effective teaching methodology in Dentistry.

Diversifying the dental curriculum: A review of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree reading lists in a UK dental school.

INTRODUCTION: Analysis of the diversity of reading lists on courses offered by universities is one way to assess what is being taught and how it shapes our understanding of the world. Very little work has been carried out so far within dentistry on decolonising the curriculum. Existing work looks at the representation of women or ethnic minorities but not at the dental curriculum per se. This article starts to address this. METHODS: The reading lists within the 5 year Bachelor of Dental Surgery curriculum in a large UK dental school were collected and assessed. A data extraction spreadsheet was developed and journal articles on every course reading list across the 5 year curriculum were read in detail. Information on authorship and author affiliations, alongside patient and population representation within the article itself, were collected and collated. RESULTS: We found that there are 2.5 times more male authors than female authors, and almost three times more male lead authors in the articles evaluated. The majority of journal articles included in the reading lists are written by academics and/or clinicians affiliated with institutions in the United Kingdom and most articles are from the global north. In addition, 65% of articles do not specify the focus patient or population group studied. DISCUSSION: It is unlikely that current reading lists within dentistry fully reflect the composition of the profession itself, the variety of knowledge needed to provide evidence-based practice in a globalised oral health arena or the heterogeneous nature of the patient population.

Demographic disparities in dental school selection: An analysis of current UK practices.

INTRODUCTION: Specific social groups remain under-represented within dentistry. While the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) aims to widen participation in under-represented social groups, there is no evidence in dental education that this aim is being met. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data over two admission cycles (2012 and 2013), including 3246 applicants to 10 UK dental schools, were analysed. Applicant and selected pools were compared to the UK population. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association between demographic variables and UCAT and receiving an offer of a place at dental school. RESULTS: Over-representation of Female, Asian, least deprived and grammar school groups were found in applicant and selected pools compared with the UK population. White ethnic applicants were significantly more selected than Black (OR 0.25), Asian (OR 0.57) and Mixed (OR 0.80) ethnicities, while least deprived applicants were significantly more selected than most deprived (OR 0.59). Grammar school education increased odds of selection by 1.8 when compared to state school. The addition of UCAT to the model for applicants reduced ethnic disparities but led to disparities between other groups. CONCLUSION: Current widening participation practices focus on attracting applicants from lower socio-economic groups. However, this study showed that ethnicity, sex and educational background biases also affect demographic diversity in dentistry. The UCAT shows promise in levelling the playing field; however, widening access measures will only succeed if selection committees radically change selection processes to address the systemic biases, enabling the dentists of tomorrow to represent the society they serve.

Effectiveness of a manual test at the beginning of dental school.

INTRODUCTION: This study analysed whether the SAZAMED (Self-assessment for dentistry studies) manual test conducted as an exercise or examination in the first year of dental studies, and the official aptitude test for medical studies (EMS), can predict future performance of dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Students enrolled in the dental curriculum at the University of Basel between 2009/10 and 2019/20 were categorized: Group A conducted the SAZAMED in the third bachelor year (BA) and second master year (MA), group B practiced in the first and third BA and second MA and group C had to pass the test in the first BA with repetition in the third BA and second MA. SAZAMED comprised (i) wire bending, (ii) modelling sphere and cube, (iii) drawing mirror-inverted and (iv) indirect drawing over a mirror. Comparative variables were the EMS per cent rank and test scores in practical-clinical examinations in the third BA and the second MA. RESULTS: Data were available from 329 students over the 10-year period. Repeaters and dropouts had poorer performance in the first BA SAZAMED than students who did not (p < 0.001). Among the four SAZAMED exercises, mirror-inverted drawing was the strongest predictor of future student performance. The official aptitude test EMS correlated with the third BA certificate (p = 0.012), but failed to predict repeaters and dropouts. CONCLUSION: Since academic success was associated with significantly better scores on the first BA SAZAMED, it is considered a predictor and recommended in addition to the official EMS to identify students in need of intervention programmes or who should choose a different field of study.

Treatment deferral for elevated blood pressure at a dental school clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Current guidelines by the American Dental Association (ADA) recommend deferral of elective dental care for elevated blood pressure. However, it is unknown how frequently this impacts dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate rates of asymptomatic hypertension and treatment deferral at a dental school clinic. METHODS: This was a retrospective study with data extracted from a chart review of all patients presenting for care at a dental school teaching practice. Differences in dental procedures, the time between visits, and the number of antihypertensive medications were calculated between patients with and without a blood pressure reading exceeding current guidelines for elective treatment. RESULTS: Among 26,821 individuals, 1265 had a visit with elevated blood pressure. Blood pressure readings at the next visit were significantly lower (systolic blood pressure 137 [95% confidence interval {CI} 135-138] mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 82 [95% CI 81-83 mmHg], p < 0.001), although only 24 patients reported taking a new medication. Only 4.1% of these patients had a procedure deferred; for those that did, the average intervisit time was 88.2 days (95% CI 77.7-98.7 days). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with blood pressure readings exceeding current ADA recommendations for treatment were treated without evidence of harm. Patients were also unlikely to return to the clinic with new medications for blood pressure after a visit with an elevated blood pressure reading. Oral health providers must weigh the risks and benefits of care deferral and can consider an expanded role in hypertension management in dental settings when caring for patients with elevated blood pressure.