Clase metodológica instructiva de la asignatura Sistema Masticatorio, orientada a la relación básico-clínica / Instructive methodological class of the Masticatory System subject, oriented towards the basic-clinical relationship

RESUMEN La preparación del personal docente en las universidades exige un alto nivel científico y de maestría pedagógica. Todo esto requiere un esmerado trabajo metodológico que garantice una planificación organización, regulación y control del proceso docente educativo. Para esto se diseñó una clase metodológica instructiva sobre mucosa oral, de la asignatura Sistema Masticatorio, en la disciplina Histología, con el objetivo de instruir al profesor en la utilización de la vinculación básico-clínica. Se indicó a los profesores cómo relacionar el contenido de la clase con la clínica, desde el punto de vista de las lesiones precancerosas y sus factores de riesgo. Se logró la instrucción de los docentes en la utilización del contenido de las asignaturas y disciplinas de las Ciencias Básicas con la relación básico-clínica, y así se contribuyó a ampliar el espectro científico metodológico de los docentes en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas (AU).

ABSTRACT Training the teaching staff in the universities demands a high scientific level and pedagogical expertise. All of these requires a careful methodological work guaranteeing the teaching-learning process planning, organization, regulation and control. For that the authors designed an instructive methodological lesson aimed to train the teaching staff in the use of the basic-clinical link during a lesson of the subject Masticatory System about Oral Mucosa, in the subject Histology. They indicate to professors how to relate the lesson content to clinic from the point of view of pre-cancer lesions and its risk factors. Training the teaching staff in the use of subjects and disciplines of the Basic Sciences with the basic-clinical relation, the authors contribute to widening the scientific methodological spectrum of the teaching staff of the Matanzas University of Medical Sciences (AU).

Characteristics of an excellent orthodontic residency program.

INTRODUCTION: Although unquantifiable features, such as faculty passion and dedication to teaching, play a vital role in defining the quality of residency education, determinable features that are fundamental to the definition of a "top tier" orthodontic residency program also exist. The objective of this study was to identify those features. METHODS: A survey with 32 items was developed and validated to assess the features of an excellent orthodontic program based on the following 3 major domains: faculty, education, and resident/graduate student/alumni. The survey was sent to 62 orthodontic residency programs in the United States. RESULTS: Thirty-nine programs (63%) completed the survey. Recurring attributes that were identified in what constitutes an excellent program included the following: an adequate number of full-time clinical orthodontic faculty, with each member providing 1 day per week clinic coverage. The average of all respondents was 4, and the range was 1-6; a healthy mix of part-time faculty members with ≥1 full-time faculty member who monitors every clinical session; 80% full-time faculty members who are American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certified; a craniofacial faculty member; 4 residents/graduate students per each faculty member who covers a clinical session; resident/graduate student exposure to a wide range of treatment modalities and appliances; approximately 70 new case starts per resident/graduate student (50%-60% of patients who are started are debonded by the starting resident/graduate student); patients with craniofacial anomalies and orthognathic surgery patients should be started by each resident/graduate student; 1.5 operatory chairs per resident or graduate student; 1 dental assistant per 4 residents/graduate students; 1 laboratory person; 1 receptionist/secretary per 4 residents; 100% of residents/graduate students successfully completing ABO written examination upon graduation; 60% of residents/graduate students obtaining ABO certification within 5 years of graduation; 50% of residents/graduate students presenting at national meetings would be ideal; and 50% of living alumni contributing financially to the department during the past 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the responses from the majority of the US orthodontic residency programs, this study has identified certain features that educators feel are ideal for an excellent orthodontic program.

Qualifications and Characteristics North American Dental Deans Seek in Department Chairpersons.

The aim of this study was to determine whether deans of North American dental schools perceived that one category of department chairperson skills (leadership or management) was more important than the other for their chairpersons to be successful. A secondary purpose was to determine the professional qualifications and personal characteristics these deans perceived contributed most to the success of department chairpersons and whether those differed by the research emphasis of the school. An email survey was sent in 2016 to all 75 deans of U.S. and Canadian dental schools with graduating classes. Section one of the survey was an open response section asking deans to list the five most essential characteristics of a successful department chairperson. Section two asked deans to rank the importance of eight listed professional qualifications, and the last section asked deans to rate the importance of four leadership and four management traits that could contribute to the success of their chairpersons. Questions about characteristics of the deans and the schools were also included. A response rate of 46.7% was obtained. The most frequent characteristics listed in the open response section were in the categories of vision, academic expertise, and integrity. The three most highly ranked professional qualifications were previous teaching experience, previous administrative experience, and history of external research funding. Four of the eight professional qualifications were ranked differently by deans of high compared to moderate research-intensive schools (p<0.05). Overall, the respondents rated leadership skills more highly than management skills (p=0.002) as important for departmental chairpersons.

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Dental Hygiene Clinical Teaching Effectiveness.

The development of strong interpersonal relationships between clinical instructors and students has been found to contribute to clinical teaching effectiveness (CTE). In addition, strong interpersonal relationships are more likely to occur in individuals who possess a high level of emotional intelligence (EI). However, an examination of the impact of a clinical instructor's EI on CTE has not been extensively investigated. The aims of this study were to measure the CTE and EI of dental hygiene clinical instructors and to identify any correlations between their CTE and EI. In this cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in 2017, dental hygiene clinical instructors in selected U.S. dental hygiene programs were invited to complete two online assessments: the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Nursing Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Inventory (NCTEI). Demographic data collected from participants was also included in the exploratory data analysis. A total of 42 clinical instructors from programs in 19 states completed both the MSCEIT and the NCTEI. The results showed statistically significant correlations between negative clinical teaching behaviors and MSCEIT outcomes. These results suggest that emotional intelligence may be linked to dental hygiene clinical instructors' teaching effectiveness, with low emotional intelligence being a predictor of negative teaching behaviors.

Is the dental clinical learning environment suitable? A survey of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical learning environment in dental institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. METHODS: The multi-centre cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to May 2017, and comprised students of three institutes affiliated with three different universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. These included the public-sector Khyber Medical University and two in the private sector: Gandhara University and Riphah International University. A validated Dental Clinical Learning Environment Instrument was distributed among the undergraduate and postgraduate students who were asked to record their perceptions using a six-item Likert scale. Data was analysed using non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: Of the 700 students approached, 553(79%) responded. Of them, 345(62.4%) were females. The mean score for the public-sector institute was 56.69% ± 26.88 (moderate) and 60.53% ± 27.94 (borderline-good) and 62.76% ± 26.02 (borderline-good) for the two private institutes respectively. Clinical teachers were significantly more approachable in private than public sector (p<0.05). The participants from public-sector institute reported lack of vigour, infrastructure, clinical resources and research opportunities. Those from the private sector felt more satisfied and confident about their clinical training but reported having patients for their appointments as a challenge. There were significant differences among those having different gender and levels of training (p<0.05). All participants found clinical seminars helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical learning environment was slightly positive than negative but borderline. The students from private institutes had higher satisfaction than those in public..

Dental Student and Faculty Perceptions of Uncivil Behavior by Faculty Members in Classroom and Clinic.

Uncivil behavior by a faculty member or student can threaten a classroom environment and make it less conducive to learning. The aim of this study was to explore faculty behaviors that dental faculty and students perceive to be uncivil when exhibited in the classroom and clinic. In 2015, all faculty, administrators, and students at a single academic dental institution were invited to participate in an electronic survey that used a five-point Likert scale for respondents to indicate their agreement that 33 faculty behaviors were uncivil. Response rates were 49% for faculty and 59% for students. Significant differences were found between student and faculty responses on 22 of the 33 behavioral items. None of the three category composite scores differed significantly for students compared to faculty respondents. The category composite scores were not significantly associated with gender, ethnicity, or age for faculty or students. Overall, this study found significant differences between students and faculty about perceived uncivil faculty behaviors, though not for categories of behaviors.

Should Student Evaluation of Teaching Play a Significant Role in the Formal Assessment of Dental Faculty? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Formal Faculty Assessment Should Include Student Evaluation of Teaching and Viewpoint 2: Student Evaluation of Teaching Should Not Be Part of Formal Faculty Assessment.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is often used in the assessment of faculty members' job performance and promotion and tenure decisions, but debate over this use of student evaluations has centered on the validity, reliability, and application of the data in assessing teaching performance. Additionally, the fear of student criticism has the potential of influencing course content delivery and testing measures. This Point/Counterpoint article reviews the potential utility of and controversy surrounding the use of SETs in the formal assessment of dental school faculty. Viewpoint 1 supports the view that SETs are reliable and should be included in those formal assessments. Proponents of this opinion contend that SETs serve to measure a school's effectiveness in support of its core mission, are valid measures based on feedback from the recipients of educational delivery, and provide formative feedback to improve faculty accountability to the institution. Viewpoint 2 argues that SETs should not be used for promotion and tenure decisions, asserting that higher SET ratings do not correlate with improved student learning. The advocates of this viewpoint contend that faculty members may be influenced to focus on student satisfaction rather than pedagogy, resulting in grade inflation. They also argue that SETs are prone to gender and racial biases and that SET results are frequently misinterpreted by administrators. Low response rates and monotonic response patterns are other factors that compromise the reliability of SETs.

What Should Oral Health Professionals Know in 2040: Executive Summary.

The "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century" project assesses current status and trends to prepare for the future. Section 3 of the project asks what knowledge and skills should dental and advanced dental education learners have to provide dental care in 2040 and how should educators be preparing them. This executive summary of five background articles in this section focuses on predoctoral education, advanced dental education, the provision of medical services within dental practice, the incorporation of oral health services into primary care and medical practice, and interprofessional education and practice. The changing environment and external forces are presented along with their implications for advancing dental education. These forces include changes in population characteristics (e.g., demographics, disease prevalence, health disparities, consumerism), treatment needs and modalities, care delivery, science and technology, educational methods, and medical and dental integration. Future oral health professionals (OHPs) will care for more diverse patient populations, older patients with complex medical and dental needs, and relatively dentally healthy younger cohorts who require fewer complex restorative and prosthodontic treatments. Increasing integration of medical and oral health education and patient care will require OHPs to have more medical knowledge and to practice in intra- and interprofessional teams. OHPs increasingly will be providing patient-centered care as employees in large group practices, health care settings, and safety net clinics with expanded types of OHPs and improved materials and technology. Educators need to implement innovative curricula and educational methods to prepare for and adapt to the disruptive changes that lie ahead.

The Effect of Calibration on Caries Risk Assessment Performance by Students and Clinical Faculty.

Caries management requires a complete oral examination and an accurate caries risk assessment (CRA). Performing Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) is inefficient when the caries risk level assignment is incorrect. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of faculty members and students at one U.S. dental school to correctly assign caries risk levels for 22 CRA cases, followed by calibration with guidelines on how to use the CRA form and a post-calibration test two months after calibration. Inter-examiner reliability to a gold standard (consensus of three experts) was assessed as poor, fair, moderate, good, and very good. Of the 162 students and 125 faculty members invited to participate, 13 students and 20 faculty members returned pre-calibration tests, for response rates of 8% and 16%, respectively. On the post-calibration test, eight students and 13 faculty members participated for response rates of 5% and 10%, respectively. Without guidelines and calibration, both faculty members and students when evaluated as one group performed only poor to fair in assigning correct caries risk levels. After calibration, levels improved to good and very good agreements with the gold standard. When faculty and students were evaluated separately, in the pre-calibration test they correctly assigned the caries risk level on average in only one-quarter of the cases (students 24.1%±13.3%; faculty 23.6%±17.5%). After calibration, both groups significantly improved their correct assignment rate. Faculty members (73.8% correct assignments) showed even significantly higher correct assignment rates than students (47.7% correct assignments). These findings suggest that calibration with a specific set of guidelines improved CRA outcomes for both the faculty members and students. Improved guidelines on how to use a CRA form should lead to improved caries risk assessment and proper treatment strategy for patients.

Do Standard Bibliometric Measures Correlate with Academic Rank of Full-Time Pediatric Dentistry Faculty Members?

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between quantitative measures of research productivity and academic rank for full-time pediatric dentistry faculty members in accredited U.S. and Canadian residency programs. For each pediatric dentist in the study group, academic rank and bibliometric factors derived from publicly available databases were recorded. Academic ranks were lecturer/instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Bibliometric factors were mean total number of publications, mean total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a single work, and h-index (a measure of the impact of publications, determined by total number of publications h that had at least h citations each). The study sample was comprised of 267 pediatric dentists: 4% were lecturers/instructors, 44% were assistant professors, 30% were associate professors, and 22% were professors. The mean number of publications for the sample was 15.4±27.8. The mean number of citations was 218.4±482.0. The mean h-index was 4.9±6.6. The h-index was strongly correlated with academic rank (r=0.60, p=0.001). For this sample, an h-index of ≥3 was identified as a threshold for promotion to associate professor, and an h-index of ≥6 was identified as a threshold for promotion to professor. The h-index was strongly correlated with the academic rank of these pediatric dental faculty members, suggesting that this index may be considered a measure for promotion, along with a faculty member's quality and quantity of research, teaching, service, and clinical activities.

The Effects of Faculty Calibration on Caries Risk Assessment and Quality Assurance.

Accurate caries risk assessment (CRA) plays a pivotal role in managing the disease of dental caries. The aim of this quality assurance study was to determine if faculty calibration training using a specific set of guidelines in a single session would improve the faculty members' CRA decision making. A calibration seminar was held in December 2014 at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, during which seven completed CRA forms for simulated patients were used to test 55 faculty members' risk assignment level before and after an instructional lecture was given. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of faculty members responding correctly for five of the seven cases on the pre- and posttests (p<0.01). One case showed no significant increase in correct responses (p=0.07), and on the seventh case, which presented low caries risk, there was a significant decrease in the percentage responding correctly (p<0.0001) due to an increase in the proportion overestimating caries risk. This study's findings were consistent with those in previous studies that, without calibration, faculty members are not necessarily accurate at CRA diagnosis. Since the calibration training improved these faculty members' caries risk assessment scoring, future studies should extend to evaluations for both faculty and students.

Development and Assessment of Discrimination Exercises for Faculty Calibration in Preclinical Operative Dentistry.

The aims of this study were to identify the level of interexaminer agreement among preclinical operative dentistry faculty members when grading Class II preparations performed by first-year dental students; to develop discrimination exercises for specific preparation components where interexaminer agreement was poor; and to evaluate if the discrimination exercises were able to improve inter- and intraexaminer agreement. In the preliminary phase of this study, 13 components of 32 Class II cavity preparations were assessed by eight course faculty members at one U.S. dental school. Analysis of average interexaminer agreement on these components revealed that six were below 60%. These were proximal contact clearance, retention groove placement, retention groove depth, preparation walls, preparation margins, and preparation toilet/debris. A 30-minute calibration session was subsequently developed to provide discrimination exercises utilizing 3-D models and digital images of various levels of student performance for five of the six components. Immediately following calibration, the course faculty assessed the same 32 preparations (Phase I) followed by a delayed assessment without calibration (Phase II) approximately six months later. The results showed that overall interexaminer reliability improved after calibration. Although there was a decline in interexaminer reliability after an interval of six months (Phase II), the degree of variation among examiners was lower than in the preliminary assessment. These findings support the use of discrimination exercises for preclinical operative dentistry course faculty to increase interexaminer agreement and thereby improve the consistency of faculty-student communication.

The Role of Organizational Context in the Creation and Sustainability of Dental Faculty Development Initiatives.

Dental faculty development programs exist for a variety of reasons: to improve teaching skills, develop and reinforce relationships among colleagues and mentors, foster career development, and support curricular initiatives and institutional priorities. These activities impact individual faculty members as well as the institutions in which they work. Each institution has a distinct culture that should be acknowledged and understood alongside conventional outcome measures. As such, this article provides an expanded view of faculty development programming, associated educational activities, and related organizational changes at the College of Dentistry, New York University (NYU) since 2005. Contextual factors include the existence of an Office of Professional Development established in 1999, an Academy of Distinguished Educators founded in 2010, and other programs for present and future educators that support the college's educational mission. Outcomes include a comparison study of one program, the creation of new courses, the sustainability and expansion of existing programs, participants' retention rate, and an increase in awards and other educational accomplishments such as publication of abstracts, oral presentations, and related activities by NYU faculty at national forums in dental education.

Faculty Development at One Midwestern Dental School: A Program Evaluation.

Most dental school faculty members arrive on campus with a wealth of clinical experience but little to no teacher training. For the past two decades, there has been a call for schools to educate their faculty on a wide variety of topics including educational methodology and cutting-edge educational techniques through faculty development programs. Drawing on theories of general program evaluation as well as evaluation specific to educational programming, the aim of this study was to investigate outcomes of the Faculty Development Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry between 2007 and 2014. A mixed-methods research design gathered quantitative data via email survey sent to all eligible teaching faculty members; it received an overall response rate of 54% (N=51). Qualitative data came from open-ended survey questions and a focus group with seven volunteer faculty participants. The survey data suggested that the stated outcomes of faculty development were being met for all stakeholder groups with varying degrees of success. Focus group results indicated a need for a more formal new faculty orientation and better communication with all about the specific charge of faculty development within the school. Evaluation of faculty development activities in academic dental institutions is a necessary component of the ongoing improvement of dental education. Suggestions for future evaluations include the idea of collaborating with other dental schools to increase sample sizes, which would increase participants' perception of the level of confidentiality and make statistical analyses more robust.

Inter- and Intrarater Reliability Using Different Software Versions of E4D Compare in Dental Education.

The problems associated with intra- and interexaminer reliability when assessing preclinical performance continue to hinder dental educators' ability to provide accurate and meaningful feedback to students. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the validity of utilizing various technologies to assist educators in achieving that goal. The purpose of this study was to compare two different versions of E4D Compare software to determine if either could be expected to deliver consistent and reliable comparative results, independent of the individual utilizing the technology. Five faculty members obtained E4D digital images of students' attempts (sample model) at ideal gold crown preparations for tooth #30 performed on typodont teeth. These images were compared to an ideal (master model) preparation utilizing two versions of E4D Compare software. The percent correlations between and within these faculty members were recorded and averaged. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to measure both inter- and intrarater agreement among the examiners. The study found that using the older version of E4D Compare did not result in acceptable intra- or interrater agreement among the examiners. However, the newer version of E4D Compare, when combined with the Nevo scanner, resulted in a remarkable degree of agreement both between and within the examiners. These results suggest that consistent and reliable results can be expected when utilizing this technology under the protocol described in this study.

Comparing dental students' perceptions of their educational environment in Northwestern Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the perceptions of dental students over a 5-year period. METHODS: This cohort study was carried at Taibah University, College of Dentistry, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2014. Data was obtained using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), which consists of 50 items, 4 of these were irrelevant to this cohort and were excluded. All students registered in 2009 were included and followed up in 2014. Their responses were compared using the paired student's t-test. RESULTS: Thirty-four students completed the questionnaire in 2009, and 30 of them participated in 2014 (12% drop out rate). The mean domain and total scores decreased over time. The mean scores for 6 items decreased significantly, while 4 of them had a significant increase. The lowest mean score in 2009 regarding support for stressed students increased (p=0.004) in 2014. However, the highest mean score in 2009 related to having a good social life, reduced (p=0.007) in 2014. This could be an indication of the high workload and its impact on their social lives. CONCLUSION: Student's perceptions were relatively low at the beginning, and remained low throughout the study. There were no significant changes in mean domain, and total scores and although scores of some items improved, most decreased over the study period.

Five practices of efficient factories applied to dental education.

Efficient factories, such as dental school clinics (DSC), are trying to improve the quality of their product by reducing inefficiencies, error rates, and wastage. Dental education is an expensive business for the student and the institution. Dental materials and equipment are costly, and students are novice providers who work slowly and inefficiently compared to an experienced dentist; this is not a good business model. The objective of this article was to present and apply five practices of efficient factories that could be applied to the DSC setting. I propose that this will lead to improved educational outcomes and improved patient outcomes in DSC.