A model for cultivating dental hygiene faculty development within a community of practice.

There is a need to explore approaches in faculty development that will foster change in actual teaching practices. The literature suggests that there should be more deliberate use of theory in faculty development research. This study addressed this gap in the literature by exploring social learning theory in the context of communities of practice and applying this theory to a dental hygiene faculty development program. The purpose of the study was to determine if participation in a community of practice helped dental hygiene clinical instructors implement new teaching strategies by providing ongoing support for their learning. In addition, the study explored whether the level of participation in the community changed over time. A retrospective self-assessment questionnaire consisting of four open-ended questions was administered to a group of clinical dental hygiene instructors at the end of the 2010 academic year. The narrative data were analyzed thematically using qualitative methodology. The results indicated that participation in the community of practice helped clinical instructors make effective changes in their teaching practices by optimizing social learning opportunities. The responses also revealed that instructors became more comfortable participating in discussions as they identified with other members of this unique community.

Evaluation of outcomes for tobacco cessation counseling in the Dalhousie University dental hygiene curriculum.

As part of their curriculum, senior dental hygiene students at Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry provide tobacco cessation counseling (TCC). This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the TCC didactic curriculum and its clinical extensions. Research methods included a comprehensive literature search, an assessment of available resources related to TCC, and a structured telephone interview. The interview, consisting of ten summative questions, was conducted to determine the current tobacco use status of clients who had been counseled by a dental hygiene student for tobacco cessation. A target population of 132 subjects was extracted from axiUm, Dalhousie University dental clinic's patient database. The population represented clients who had TCC from 2001 to 2008. The investigators wanted to know if the client was 1) advised to quit tobacco use; 2) informed of the health risks of using tobacco; 3) still using tobacco; 4) taught self-examination techniques for oral cancer; and 5) if any post-counseling follow-up was initiated. A convenience size of fifty-one subjects was obtained. Survey results, along with the assessment of resources, revealed that the current TCC program needed improvement. As a result of the research, changes were implemented aimed at improving the effectiveness of the TCC program, and recommendations were made for further changes to enhance the overall program effectiveness.

Effect of magnification loupes on dental hygiene student posture.

The chair-side work posture of dental hygienists has long been a concern because of health-related problems potentially caused or exacerbated by poor posture. The purpose of this study was to investigate if using magnification loupes improved dental hygiene students' posture during provision of treatment. The treatment chosen was hand-scaling, and the effect of the timing of introduction of the loupes to students was also examined. Thirty-five novice dental hygiene students took part in the study. Each student was assessed providing dental hygiene care with and without loupes, thus controlling for innate differences in natural posture. Students were randomized into two groups. Group one used loupes in the first session and did not use them for the second session. Group two reversed this sequence. At the end of each session, all students were videotaped while performing scaling procedures. Their posture was assessed using an adapted version of Branson et al.'s Posture Assessment Instrument (PAI). Four raters assessed students at three time periods for nine posture components on the PAI. A paired t-test compared scores with and without loupes for each student. Scores showed a significant improvement in posture when using loupes (p<0.0001), and these improvements were significantly more pronounced for students starting loupes immediately on entering the program compared with students who delayed until the second session (p<0.1). These results suggest a significant postural benefit is realized by requiring students to master the use of magnification loupes as early as possible within the curriculum.

Corrosion potential recovery of dental amalgam restorations following prophylaxis.

OBJECTIVE: Dental amalgam restorations are subjected to abrasion during selective prophylaxis that can damage or remove the protective oxide and result in increased rates of corrosion and chemical dissolution of mercury. It was the objective of this research to study the corrosion potential change of dental amalgam restorations to obtain an indication of the time required for in vivo repassivation following prophylaxis. METHODS: The corrosion potentials of 27 Class I and Class II amalgam restorations were measured pre- and post-prophylaxis using a high impedance voltmeter and a Ag/AgCl micro-reference electrode. Prophylaxis was performed for approximately 2s on each amalgam surface using a slow-speed handpiece with a rubber-cup and commercial abrasive paste. Subjects thoroughly rinsed before the post-prophylaxis corrosion potentials were measured. The data were analyzed using a confidence interval, a t-test and correlation analysis. RESULTS: The pre- and post-prophylaxis mean corrosion potentials were, respectively, -132 (27)mV and -126 (27)mV. The mean of the differences between the pre- and post-prophylaxis corrosion potentials was 6.1 (28)mV, with an associated 95% confidence interval of (-4.8, 17)mV. A t-test showed the mean absolute difference in corrosion potential was less than 50 mV (p<0.0001). SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study show that the post-prophylaxis recovery of the corrosion potential of amalgam restorations occurred by at most 10-44 min, indicating that the period of elevated corrosion rate and elevated chemical dissolution rate of mercury, due to oxide damage or removal, may be short-lived.