Pilot study to evaluate a novel measure of self-perceived competencies among dental students.

BACKGROUND: PRISM is a novel approach to support self-reflection and learning appraisal in dental students, based on a visual metaphor. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether PRISM measurments would be reproducible and sensitive to detect learning progress in undergraduate dental students in their clinical years. METHODS: Voluntarily participating dental students were included. To evaluate reproducibility, a mixed cohort of 10 students each in 3rd, 4th and 5th year (total n = 30) was recruited and received three identically structured PRISM interviews within one week without any other teaching events. To assess perceived learning progress, 29 volunteer 3rd year students participated in three interviews during their clinical simulation course (beginning, middle, end). Distances between Subject and Objects was measured in millimeter; objects were classified into close or branched clusters depending on their distance from each other on the PRISM board. RESULTS: Values for perceived competencies within PRISM interviews during one week were comparable between the three time points in the mixed cohort (n = 30; p > 0.05). Comparing the three subgroups (3rd, 4th and 5th year, each n = 10), PRISM indicated that 3rd year students perceived their competencies are significantly lower than the 4th and 5th year students (p < 0.01). 3rd year students had less often a branched cluster of objects than the other two groups (p < 0.05). PRISM showed that over time, 3rd year students perceived a gain in their competencies in conservative dentistry and its sub-disciplines (p ≤ 0.01). The PRISM data indicated that by the end of the simulation course, the students appeared to show higher discrimination of their self-perceptions between sub-topics in conservative dentistry than at the start of the course (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: PRISM yields a reproducible measure of individual students' learning progress. It is a promising novel approach for appraisal in dental education. Further work is needed to confirm the generalisability of the findings.

Current State of Serious Games in Dentistry: A Scoping Review.

Objective: Over the past decade, serious games (SGs) have played a growing role in medical education and health promotion; however, little is known about their use in the field of oral health. This study provides a comprehensive synthesis about SGs developed for training oral health professionals or for health promotion in oral health. Material and Methods: A systematic search was conducted. The following electronic databases were reviewed: MEDLINE (1966 to September 2019), Embase (1980 to September 2019), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), LILACS and Scopus from inception to September 2019. Two reviewers independently screened and assessed the study's quality and extracted data. The Sardi and collaborators' tool was used to assess the quality of the evidence presented. Results: A total of 19 studies (25 articles) were selected. Games were divided into two categories: for specific educational purposes and for oral health promotion. Most studies involved oral health professions' students (n = 9) or school/preschool children (n = 9). Two studies included preschool children and parents. Interactive SGs were as effective as traditional noninteractive methods in improving oral health outcomes. Nonetheless, participants' feedback reflected a higher level of satisfaction in learning through games. The quality of the studies was limited due to the lack of a proper technical description of the games and the absence of discussion of the limitations and challenges of the games. Conclusion: The use of SGs in oral health is limited, and little valid empirical evidence is available to confirm their effectiveness. Further studies are required for using more rigorous designs, evaluation, and follow-ups.

Assessing the roles and challenges of librarians in dental systematic and scoping reviews.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the scope of experience, roles, and challenges that librarians face in participating in dental and oral health systematic and scoping reviews to inform outreach efforts to researchers and identify areas for librarian professional development. METHODS: The authors developed a twenty-three-item survey based on the findings of two recent articles about health sciences librarians' roles and challenges in conducting systematic and scoping reviews. The survey was distributed via electronic mailing lists to librarians who were likely to have participated in conducting dental systematic and scoping reviews. RESULTS: While survey respondents reported participating in many dental reviews, they participated more commonly in systematic reviews than in scoping reviews. Also, they worked less commonly on dental and oral health reviews than on non-dental reviews. Librarian roles in dental reviews tended to follow traditional librarian roles: all respondents had participated in planning and information retrieval stages, whereas fewer respondents had participated in screening and assessing articles. The most frequently reported challenges involved the lead reviewer or review team rather than the librarians themselves, with time- and methodology-related challenges being most common. CONCLUSIONS: Although librarians might not be highly involved in dental and oral health systematic and scoping reviews, more librarian participation in these reviews, either as methodologists or information experts, may improve their reviews' overall quality.

Anatomy education of medical and dental students during COVID-19 pandemic: a reality check.

PURPOSE: During this forced down-time of COVID-19 pandemic, shift to virtual anatomy education is the solitary solution to support the learning of students. The purpose of this study was to understand the visible and invisible potential challenges being faced by the 1st year medical and dental students while attending digital anatomy classes. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 81st year medical and dental students who were admitted to their respective college in August 2019 and were willing to participate in the study. A multiple choice close-ended questionnaire regarding their opinion on virtual classes was designed and feedback was taken from the students. RESULTS: Majority (65%) of the students agreed that they missed their traditional anatomy learning i.e., dissection courses, face to face lectures and interaction with mentors. The students strongly felt the lack of confidence and difficulty in the topics completed without dissections, models, microscopic slides and other modalities. 83% felt lack of proper gadgets, high-band width and strong internet connections, a potential barrier in their digital learning. Lack of self-motivation was felt by 69% students. CONCLUSIONS: The current situation of anatomy education is not intentional, and is not the long term silver bullet solution for a visual subject like anatomy. Though learners face a lot of challenges, however, a shift to online must be supported at this time of health crisis. As the digital learning may go for indefinite period, the feedback of students may be helpful for relevant and timely modifications in digital anatomy education.

Retrospective investigation of organization and examination results of the state examination in restorative dentistry, endodontology and periodontology under simulated conditions in times of Covid-19 compared to standard conditions when treating patients.

Objective: Primary outcome of this retrospective study was the comparison of state examination results under simulated treatment conditions in times of Covid-19 versus patient treatment under non-pandemic conditions. Additionally, correlation analysis was performed between students' self- and examiners' assessment of the treatment results. Methods: Within 4 hours, 22 examinees each had to place a multi-surface adhesive anterior and posterior restoration, performed an endodontic treatment on a maxillary premolar and a periodontal debridement of one quadrant. All treatments were performed on a model fixed in a phantom head. Compliance with the prescribed hygiene and social distancing guidelines and self-assessment of the practical performance was part of the practical examination as well. One examiner per examination part evaluated anonymously the final results. The historical control was based on the exam results of a cohort from 2019. Mean values (standard deviation), non-parametric correlations (Spearman's Rho) and group comparisons (Mann-Whitney) were calculated for statistical analysis. Results: Examination results under simulated treatment conditions were significantly worse (p<0.05) than in the cohort that took their state exam in patients, with exception of the endodontic partial exam. The overall scores in restorative dentistry and periodontology of both groups, which include a structured theoretical examination, did not differ. The majority of the candidates rated their performance worse than the examiners, and there was no correlation between self- and third-party assessment. Conclusion: In the comparison of two years, a simulated practical examination without patients in restorative dentistry, endodontics and periodontology resulted in matchable results compared with an examination on patients. Equal conditions for the candidates resulting in better comparability and avoidance of ethical dilemmas of patient treatment under examination conditions could also be arguments towards a state examination under phantom conditions in the future.

Changes of knowledge and practical skills before and after retraining for basic life support: Focused on students of Dental School.

Background: Considering the increasing possibility of emergency situations in dental clinics over time, we conducted this study to evaluate the changes in the knowledge and practical skills of students of dental school before and after retraining for 2 years after the initial education on basic life support (BLS) of the American Heart Association (AHA). Methods: All third-year students of dental school who had received the same education on BLS provider training of the AHA 2 years earlier were included in this study. Among them, 98 students were asked to answer a questionnaire about BLS knowledge and conduct a practical skills assessment of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation using Little Anne QCPR before and after retraining. Results: After retraining, the level of BLS knowledge increased in all 7 categories, and BLS performance increased in all 19 subcategories. Comparison of the QCPR numerical data items before and after retraining showed that all items after retraining met the criteria recommended by the AHA. Conclusion: Students of dental school had low levels of knowledge and practical skills of BLS before retraining after 2 years from the initial education and had high levels after retraining. Therefore, BLS training must be updated periodically, and more effective education methods are required to maintain BLS knowledge and practical skills.

Introducing a comprehensive high-stake online exam to final-year dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluation of its effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Dental education involves teaching and assessing the acquisition of verifiable domains that require superior psychomotor, communication, and cognitive skills. Evolving technologies and methods of assessment could enhance student learning environment and improve tutor assessment experience. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to introduce the application of a comprehensive high-stakes online exam to final-year dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate its effectiveness. DESIGN: A high-stakes exam was introduced and implemented online to the final-year dental students prior to their graduation. The exam consisted of four components: MEQs, MCQs, OSCE and an oral exam. The exam and invigilation were conducted using Blackboard and MS Teams programs. Stakeholders' views of the exam were obtained using two tailored surveys, one for students and another for faculty; both included closed- and open-ended questions. RESULTS: The exam was run successfully without untoward events. Both students and staff were satisfied with the online exam with the latter being more satisfied than the former. Students with previous experience in online learning system were more satisfied with the online exam compared with those with less experience (p < 0.05). The main issues raised by students' satisfaction with the exam were: inadequacy of time for the MEQ part, prevention of back tracking in the MCQ part and minor technological issues, whereas those raised by faculty members were increased time required to complete the exam setup and grading compared to the paper-based exam and minor technological issues. CONCLUSIONS: A newly introduced, multi-format, online high-stakes exam was implemented successfully to final-year dental students with minor technological issues and good satisfaction by students and staff alike.

Perception of Undergraduate Students at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Regarding Their Endodontic Education and Suggested Improvements.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the perception of undergraduate dentistry students at Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, the Czech Republic regarding their endodontic education within the context of the Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines for Endodontology by the European Society of Endodontology (ESE). The secondary aim was to compare this perception among students in the Czech and English groups. METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire survey was conducted among fifth year students at the very end of their studies. RESULTS: The students returned 60 filled questionnaires, making the response rate of 75.9%. More than two thirds of the respondents declared that they were competent at or had knowledge of most of the major competencies defined by the ESE. Eighty seven percent of respondents felt competent to perform a root canal treatment on anterior teeth; 86.7% on premolars; and 48.3% on molars. Nearly all respondents (98.3%) recommended more opportunities to practice on patients. CONCLUSIONS: The overall perception of the students was that their endodontic education was sufficient and largely conformed to the guidelines. Insufficient exposure to endodontic practice on patients was identified as a deficiency. There were no significant differences in perceptions between the two study groups.

Blended learning y predisposición al aprendizaje autodirigido en un programa de especialización dental / Blended learning and self-directed learning in a dental specialization program

INTRODUCCIÓN: Uno de los retos de la educación superior es formar un profesional capaz de mantener un aprendizaje permanente. Para ello, la integración de TIC mediante estrategias que involucran el aprendizaje en línea es esencial. Sin embargo, el éxito de su implementación depende de la capacidad que tenga el estudiante de autogestionar su proceso de aprendizaje. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio fue relacionar los niveles de predisposición al aprendizaje autodirigido de los alumnos de un programa de especialización al iniciar un taller en comunicación científica con el grado de satisfacción con la metodología implementada y con su efectividad sobre el desarrollo de competencias en comunicación científica. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se aplicaron 3 instrumentos: Escala de Fisher, King y Tague para la medición de la predisposición al aprendizaje autodirigido, Cuestionario de satisfacción con metodología b-learning y Cuestionario de autopercepción en competencias de comunicación científica. Se evaluó la relación entre los resultados de la medición de la predisposición al aprendizaje autodirigido y los resultados de los otros cuestionarios. RESULTADOS: Se observaron correlaciones positivas entre los niveles de deseo de aprender y las dimensiones actividades presenciales (p < 0,01), interacción en actividades presenciales (p < 0,05) y actividades de enseñanza aprendizaje (p < 0,05); entre los niveles de deseos de aprender y la dimensión lectura de artículos científicos (p < 0,01) y entre los niveles de autoconfianza y la dimensión lectura del artículo científico (p < 0,05). CONCLUSIONES: La autodirección en el aprendizaje cumplió un papel importante en la implementación de la estrategia educativa en esta cohorte en particular

INTRODUCTION: One of the challenges in higher education is to train professionals capable of maintaining lifelong learning. Because of it, the incorporation of ICT through strategies that involve online learning is essential. However, the success of its implementation depends on the ability of the student to self-manage their learning process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to relate levels of self-directed learning readiness of a specialization program students at the beginning of a scientific communication course with their satisfaction with the methodology implemented and it effectiveness on developing scientific communication competencies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three instruments were applied: Fisher, King & Tague's self-directed learning readiness scale B-learning strategy satisfaction questionnaire and Self-perceived scientific communication skills questionnaire. The relation between self-directed learning readiness and the results of the other questionnaires was evaluated. RESULTS: Positive correlations were observed between levels of willingness to learn and the dimensions of classroom activities (P < .01), interaction in face-to-face activities (P < .05) and teaching-learning activities (P < .05); between the levels of willingness to learn and the reading dimension of scientific articles (P < .01) and between the levels of self-confidence and the reading dimension of the scientific article (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Self-direction in learning played an important role in the implementation of the educational strategy for these particular students

Adaptation and validation of the Berlin questionnaire of competence in evidence-based dentistry for dental students: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this pilot study was to create a valid and reliable set of assessment questions for examining Evidence-based Dentistry (EbD) knowledge. For this reason, we adapted and validated for dental students the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), which assesses Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) abilities. METHODS: The Berlin Questionnaire was validated with medical residents. We adapted it for use in a dentistry setting. An expert panel reviewed the adapted BQ for content validity. A cross-sectional cohort representing four training levels (EbD-novice dental students, EbD-trained dental students, dentists, and EbM-/EbD-expert faculty) completed the questionnaire. A total of 140 participants comprised the validation set. Internal reliability, item difficulty and item discrimination were assessed. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the mean total scores of students to faculty and comparing proportions of students and faculty who passed each item. RESULTS: Among the 133 participants (52 EbD-novice dental students, 53 EbD-trained dental students, 12 dentists, and 16 EbM-/ EbD-expert faculty), a statistically significant (p < 0.001) difference was evident in the total score corresponding to the training level. The total score reliability and psychometric properties of items modified for discipline-specific content were acceptable. Cronbach's alpha was 0.648. CONCLUSION: The adapted Berlin Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument to assess competence in Evidence-based Dentistry in dental students. Future research will focus on refining the instrument further.

Dentofacial mini- and microesthetics as perceived by dental students: A cross-sectional multi-site study.

BACKGROUND: How dental education influences students' dental and dentofacial esthetic perception has been studied for some time, given the importance of esthetics in dentistry. However, no study before has studied this question in a large sample of students from all grades of dental school. This study sought to fill that gap. The aim was to assess if students' dentofacial esthetic autoperception and heteroperception are associated with their actual stage of studies (grade) and if autoperception has any effect on heteroperception. METHODS: Between October 2018 and August 2019, a questionnaire was distributed to 919 dental students of all 5 grades of dental school at all four dental schools in Hungary. The questionnaire consisted of the following parts (see also the supplementary material): 1. Demographic data (3 items), Self-Esthetics I (11 multiple- choice items regarding the respondents' perception of their own dentofacial esthetics), Self-Esthetics II (6 Likert-type items regarding the respondents' perception of their own dentofacial esthetics), and Image rating (10 items, 5 images each, of which the respondents have to choose the one they find the most attractive). Both the self-esthetics and the photo rating items were aimed at the assessment of mini- and microesthetic features. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.7% (861 students). The self-perception of the respondents was highly favorable, regardless of grade or gender. Grade and heteroperception were significantly associated regarding maxillary midline shift (p < 0.01) and the relative visibility of the arches behind the lips (p < 0.01). Detailed analysis showed a characteristic pattern of preference changes across grades for both esthetic aspects. The third year of studies appeared to be a dividing line in both cases, after which a real preference order was established. Association between autoperception and heteroperception could not be verified for statistical reasons. CONCLUSION: Our findings corroborate the results of most previous studies regarding the effect of dental education on the dentofacial esthetic perception of students. We have shown that the effect can be demonstrated on the grade level, which we attribute to the specific curricular contents. We found no gender effect, which, in the light of the literature, suggests that the gender effect in dentofacial esthetic perception is highly culture dependent. The results allow no conclusion regarding the relation between autoperception and heteroperception.

Development of an error-detection examination for conservative dentistry education.

OBJECTIVE: For dental students, textbooks and lectures provide basic knowledge, and simulated and actual clinical training provide learning in technical and communication skills. At our college, conservative dentistry is taught in the third and fourth years of a 6-year undergraduate degree. Clinical training is undertaken subsequently in the fifth year and includes cavity preparation and composite resin filling tasks. However, despite the clinical importance of a full understanding surrounding these procedures, sixth-year students occasionally provide incorrect answers regarding these procedures in assessments. Although they demonstrated a basic understanding of the procedures, they may have forgotten the acquired knowledge during their clinical training. Therefore, we developed an error-detection examination to evaluate and improve fifth-year students' knowledge. METHODS: Written detailed treatment procedures for standardized, typical, cases were presented to students. Some critical steps were intentionally written incorrectly, and students had to identify and correct these. After correcting the steps, students gave a presentation to their peers on their corrections. This was followed by a summary of the correct answers and a short lecture by the teacher. Students then completed a questionnaire investigating their experience of the examination. RESULTS: Students misunderstood some key treatment steps, such as pretreatment of composite resin filling, amalgam removal, and ceramic inlay fitting. The questionnaire revealed that this method of testing applied knowledge was new to students and helped them to identify knowledge gaps. The test also increased their motivation to study conservative dentistry. Students were open to taking similar tests in different areas. CONCLUSION: Although conservative dentistry is a basic field of dental treatment, mistakes in treatment can lead to early treatment failure or reduce the lifetime of a restored tooth. Therefore, students need to have a deep understanding of procedures. Error-detection examinations may help students identify knowledge gaps and provide useful feedback to teachers to identify areas that they should stress in earlier years.

Knowledge, application and how about competence? Qualitative assessment of multiple-choice questions for dental students.

Background: Many medical schools train their faculty members to construct high cognitive level multiple choice questions (MCQs) that demand a great deal of analytical and critical thinking, application, and competence. The purpose of this study is to determine the cognitive levels of MCQs by using Moore's Expanded Outcomes Framework and to understand whether the quality of MCQs has an effect on students' assessment performance.Methods: Four trained faculty members analysed 100 randomly selected questions developed at the University Clinic of Dentistry (UCD) and 100 questions developed by the National Board of Dental Examinations (NBDE). Moore's framework was applied to assist the review process.Results: The majority of questions was at the level of declarative knowledge followed by questions at the level of procedural knowledge. The cognitive level of UCD questions from 2002 to 2009 was significantly lower than that of NBDE questions but increased in questions written from 2010 to 2018. The improvement of quality of MCQs had no impact on assessment performance of students.Conclusion: The enhanced cognitive levels of UCD MCQs written 2010-2018 coincides with the implementation of a faculty training program for writing high-ordered MCQs. In addition, this study shows that the use of Moore's expanded framework is on par with other known taxonomies in supporting educators in writing items and reviewing the process.Abbreviations: MCQs: Multiple Choice Questions; UCD: University Clinic of Dentistry; NBDE: National Board of Dental Examinations.

Predicting professional school performance with a unique lens: are there other cognitive predictors?

BACKGROUND: We investigated the associations between admissions criteria and performance in four cohorts of pre-dental MS in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. Previously we have reported that OHS serves as a successful pre-dental pipeline program for students from underrepresented groups. METHODS: We evaluated academic variables that further affect overall graduate GPA and grades in the first year dental school courses taken by OHS students at Boston University between 2012 and 2016 as part of the MS curriculum. Demographic data, region of residency, undergraduate grade point average, number of science and math credits, major of study, dental admissions test scores and undergraduate institution were collected. The competitiveness of the undergraduate institution was scored based on Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. OHS-GPA was assessed and individual grades in two first year dental school courses taken as part of the OHS curriculum were collected. Analysis of variance, the Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact test were utilized to assess associations between academic performance parameters, successful program completion and matriculation to dental school. RESULTS: Results indicate that undergraduate major, age and number of science course credits taken had no impact on MS performance in the Boston University MS in Oral Health Sciences program; however, students who took an undergraduate course in Physiology performed better than those who did not (p = 0.034). This was not the case with courses in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. Students with DAT scores over 20 academic average (p = 0.001), 18 total science average (p = 0.001) and 22 reading comprehension (p = 0.004) performed better in dental school courses taken in OHS. CONCLUSION: We report that strong test scores, attending a mid or highly rigorous undergraduate institution and completion of an undergraduate Physiology course are positive predictors. We hope these findings will guide admission's decisions and improve recruitment to, and future success of, graduate student's pursuit of professional school. Understanding alternative predictors of success may help to reduce the intrinsic bias among applicants from underrepresented groups and continue to look beyond the DATs (or MCATs) to decrease the gap between professionals from underrepresented groups and those they serve.

Dentists Survey on Adverse Events During Their Clinical Training.

BACKGROUND: Adverse events (AEs) begin challenging the safe practice of dentistry early when students start treating patients at dental school. We assessed the frequency with which dentists caused common AEs during their undergraduate clinical training. METHODS: A convenience sample of dentists, graduated from more than 34 dental schools in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries, answered a confidential, self-administered questionnaire with closed-format questions on common AEs they caused and their active errors that could have led to AEs in the teaching clinics. RESULTS: Of 207 participants, 80% had graduated recently. As undergraduates, 79% caused AEs; 38% admitted to causing one adverse event, 41% to causing two or more, and 36% committed active errors that could have hurt patients. No significant associations between AEs and sex or type of school were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that dental students caused AEs or committed errors that placed patients at risk, during their clinical training. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dental schools must identify challenges to patient safety at their teaching clinics and introduce risk reduction strategies to protect their patients and foster a safety culture in dental education.

Conscious sedation in Spanish dental schools: Current situation.

The current Spanish curricula for degrees in dentistry include conscious sedation (CS) as a basic training competency. However, is the CS training delivered by Spanish dental schools a consensus-based educational framework enabling students to use this anesthetic technique after graduation? To answer this research question, a study was designed aiming to identify the strategies used to teach this competency in Spanish dental schools and the characteristics of teaching. The authors reviewed legislation concerning officially established requirements for a degree in dentistry as well as curricula currently taught in Spain. Our analysis identified clear discrepancies among the schools of dentistry studied. The only overlap was observed in reference to the level of proficiency imparted, which prevents Spanish dentistry students from using this anesthetic technique after graduation. Specific features of the normative framework and of the Spanish legislative system underlying the design of the present curricula of degrees in dentistry would explain the discrepancies in CS competencies taught at our schools of dentistry. Almost 10 years since its implementation and in light of the new demands of the complex society in which we live, Spanish universities must unify their educational criteria regarding CS training to ensure the appropriate qualification of our new dentists in this technique.

The relation of dental students' learning styles to their satisfaction with traditional and inverted classroom models.

BACKGROUND: The authors' medical school has adopted an inverted classroom model (ICM) for physiology classes. This study aimed to determine students' learning styles and investigate the relationship between learning style and satisfaction with different instruction approaches and components of the ICM. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one second-year dental students participated in this study, which had a 77.6% participation rate. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and a satisfaction survey were administered after course completion. RESULTS: In both the traditional and ICM classes, most of the participants were convergers (56.9 and 54%) and assimilators (20.7 and 25.4%), and the rest of the participants were accommodators (15.5 and 12.7%) and divergers (6.9 and 8%). Learning style did not influence participants' satisfaction and did not predict their satisfaction with the traditional and ICM approaches. The satisfaction scores for the four components of the ICM were not significantly different by learning style. The mean satisfaction scores of the ICM approach were higher than those of the traditional approach in all learning style groups. All of the participants in the ICM class were more satisfied with the online and teacher-student interaction components than the student group discussion and presentation components. CONCLUSIONS: Learning style may not be a potential contributing factor for optimizing the implementation of the ICM. Instead of focusing on learning styles, further research must investigate how to design more efficient online courses, determine appropriate levels of learning materials, provide more online instructional interaction, and help students overcome their feelings of fear.

Predoctoral Dental Education in Tooth Prognosis and Treatment Complexity: A Survey of U.S. Dental Schools.

The aim of this study was to determine the educational methods and tools used to teach tooth prognosis and treatment complexity determination in U.S. predoctoral dental programs. In 2018, an online survey was emailed to the academic deans of all 66 accredited U.S. dental schools. Of these, 42 schools responded (63.6%), and 36 schools completed the entire survey (54.5%). The methods reported for teaching tooth prognosis and case complexity determination varied widely among the participating schools. Among the respondents, 25% reported using the American Association of Endodontists' Endodontic Case Difficulty Assessment, while 10% reported having no specific method for teaching prognosis. The most common method for teaching overall treatment complexity was the Prosthodontic Diagnostic Index, which was used by 24% of the respondents. However, another 24% reported that their school did not have a specific method for teaching treatment complexity. Large percentages of the respondents reported that students sometimes or often made wrong tooth prognosis and case complexity determination (90% and 92%, respectively). The most prominent feedback provided by the respondents based on their experience was the importance of faculty standardization, the understanding of students' inexperience, and the need for an interdisciplinary approach. The majority of these respondents reported that their schools had specific methods of teaching prognosis and case complexity determination. However, there was a wide range of teaching practices related to the contents and levels of evidence.