Teaching of implant dentistry in undergraduate dental schools in the UK and Ireland

Awareness of peri-implantitis among general dental practitioners in the UK: a questionnaire study

Introduction Dental implants are a predictable prosthetic option for replacement of missing teeth with good survival rates. Peri-implant diseases are the main reason for implant failure by causing bone loss around the implant leading to implant loss. General dental practitioners see patients with dental implants routinely and therefore, awareness of risk factors for peri-implant disease and early diagnosis is essential for appropriate management. The aim of this study is to assess the awareness of general dental practitioners in diagnosing peri-implantitis, with a view to identify any potential training needs.Design, setting, materials and methods A quantitative study method was designed using an online questionnaire sent to closed social media groups in the UK. The significance level was taken as p <0.05. The chi-squared tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used with IBM SPSS software. Descriptive statistical analysis of data was also done.Results and conclusion A total of 224 responses were received. The results show that there is lack of awareness of diagnostic criteria of peri-implantitis among general dental practitioners. However, majority of practitioners are aware of the legal implications of failing to diagnose this condition. There is a perceived need for more undergraduate training in diagnosing peri-implant diseases.

Knowledge and attitude in implant dentistry training courses amongst undergraduate dental students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences

INTRODUCTION

Due to the increase of implant treatments in daily practice, graduates should be well acquainted with appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge in implantology. This study sought to assess the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate students towards the benefits of their courses in the implant dentistry curriculum.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This survey study was performed on all senior dental students at Pardis International Campus, School of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire containing various items on knowledge and attitude. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were already approved. Collected data were coded, entered in Microsoft Excel 2019, and analysed by t-test (α = .05).

RESULTS

Forty questionnaires were filled out by 28 female and 12 male students. Only 7.5% and 12.5% of students reported that they had adequate knowledge to conduct the surgical and prosthetic steps of dental implant treatment, respectively. The majority of students had a positive attitude towards the quality of theoretical education. However, less than 50% of them perceived the same about their practical education. No significant difference existed between male and female students regarding their responses to the knowledge and attitude questions (p = .458 and p = .288, respectively). Ninety percent of the students felt the need for further education regarding dental implant treatment in the undergraduate curriculum.

CONCLUSION

Despite the satisfaction of the theoretical knowledge, most senior students believed that they did not achieve adequate expertise to practice after graduation and were willing to receive further practical training in implantology.

Progress and challenges in the harmonisation of European undergraduate dental education: A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis

INTRODUCTION

Harmonising education to support workforce mobility has been a policy objective for the European Union. However, alignment across varied national contexts presents challenges in dental education.

METHODS

A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis. Searches of the electronic databases Embase [Ovid]; MEDLINE [Ovid]; Scopus; CINAHL; AMED and PsycINFO were conducted for relevant material published between 2000 and 2019 on undergraduate curricula, quality standards and learning outcomes in dentistry.

RESULTS

Seventy-six papers met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-three papers were commentaries or editorials, twenty-one were research studies, and two were literature reviews on specific dental subfields. Eighteen of the research studies reported surveys. The literature contains extensive proposals for undergraduate curricula or learning outcomes, either broadly or for subfields of dentistry. Included papers demonstrated the importance of EU policy and educator-led initiatives as drivers for harmonisation. There is limited evidence on the extent to which proposed pan-European curricula or learning outcomes have been implemented. The nature and extent of dental students' clinical experience with patients is an area of variance across European Union member states. Arrangements for the quality assurance of dental education differ between countries.

DISCUSSION

Harmonisation of European dental education has engaged educators, as seen in the publication of proposed curricula and learning outcomes. However, differences remain in key areas such as clinical experience with patients, which has serious implications if graduate dentists migrate to countries where different expectations exist. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications between countries relies on education which meets certain standards, but institutional autonomy makes drawing national comparisons problematic.

Current Undergraduate Dental Implantology Teaching in UK

Dental Implants are a popular treatment option for tooth replacement, with documented long-term success and survival rates of more than 95% over a period of 10 years. However, incorporating dental implantology into an undergraduate dental curriculum has issues associated. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine and evaluate current undergraduate dental implantology education in the UK, investigate the amount of time allocated to this subject and analyse the barriers that are currently impeding the development of the programmes. An online questionnaire hosted by Online Surveys was designed, piloted, and sent to 16 dental schools providing undergraduate education in the UK. Ethical approval was gained from The University of Salford to conduct the study. Out of the 16 dental schools contacted, eight questionnaire responses were received, hence a response rate of 50% was achieved. The hours dedicated to the implant teaching programme varied from 3 h to 25 h, with a mean average of 11 h. It was identified from the results that no teaching of dental implantology was conducted in year 2; 12% of the schools responded that the subject was taught in year 1, 37% in year 3, 75% in year 4 and 50% in year 5. The methods used to deliver the programme were mainly lecture-based teaching, with only one dental school allowing students to place implants on patients. The main barriers to progression of the programme were financial (75%), followed by time limitations imposed by the curriculum (37%) and liability insurance (37%). However, there appears to be a consensus that further training beyond bachelor’s degree level is required to teach implantology effectively.

Current trends in removable partial prosthodontics education in dental colleges of Pakistan

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the current trends in undergraduate teaching of removable partial prosthodontics in various dental colleges of Pakistan.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was conducted in which a questionnaire was sent by email to head of Prosthodontics department of thirty-one dental institutes of Pakistan. The survey included multiple questions regarding current trends in removable partial prosthodontics education in undergraduate dental colleges.

RESULTS

Out of thirty-one questionnaires, twenty-six were completely filled and returned. In 19 (73%) dental colleges, removable partial denture is taught over a period of at least two years of undergraduate education. Students of only six dental colleges fabricate 10-12 removable partial dentures during their Prosthodontic rotation. Lectures and live clinical demonstration for construction of removable acrylic dentures are reported to be carried out in all the dental schools. Simple hinge articulator is the articulator of choice in 22 (84.6%) colleges. Even though twenty-four out of twenty-six colleges (92.3%) teach fabrication of cast partial dentures in lectures, none of the student fabricate these dentures during their Prosthodontic rotation.

CONCLUSION

This survey is the first to comprehensively report the teaching practices of removable denture Prosthodontics in undergraduate dental colleges of Pakistan. Faculty of all twenty-six colleges give clinical demonstrations of acrylic partial denture construction before students start working in the dental OPD. Most of the dental colleges report use of similar impression materials and techniques in removable partial denture fabrication. More than 90% of dental colleges teach cast partial dentures theoretically, but their construction is grossly neglected in all the dental colleges. It is important that this skill is taught and practised by students in order to have the necessary skill set, so they can provide comprehensive treatment to partially dentate patients once they graduate.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Dental Interns and Dentists on Implants and Implant-Retained Restorations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Objectives:

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of dental interns and dentists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, about Cement-Retained Restoration (CRR), Screw Retained Restoration (SRR), and implant restoration.

Methods:

A total of 530 dentists and students participated in the study. Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire modified from previous studies. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software for t-test, linear regression, and ANOVA.

Results:

Participants had a mean score of 5.01 (SD = 1.50) for a total of nine implant-retained restoration (IRR)knowledge questions (lowest score = 0, highest score = 9), and general implant knowledge had a mean score of 3.12 (SD = 1.25) for five questions with scores of 0 to 5. The participants’ knowledge about implants significantly differed in relation to gender, place of work, and work status. Also, participant knowledge about IRR showed significant differences in relation to participants' knowledge, age, gender and place of work. The dental interns and dentists were in agreement in considering SRR to be better than CRR for six out of nine factors. Those factors were cost effectiveness, expertise required for provision, retrievability, retention, fracture resistance, and passivity of fit.

Conclusion:

The overall knowledge of dental interns and dentists regarding implants and IRR was fair and needs to be improved, given the tendency of general dentists to engage in implant dentistry. Both dentists and interns considered CRR to be aesthetically superior, easier to fabricate, and requiring comparatively less expertise in comparison to SRR.

Teaching of implant dentistry in dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the current status of implant teaching within dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland.Methods An online questionnaire relating to current and future possible trends in dental implantology education was developed and distributed to programme directors in each of the 23 dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland.Results All responding schools (response rate of 60%) provided implant training for their students. The teaching is mainly delivered in lecture-based or phantom head room settings. The majority of schools provided direct clinical experience in procedures relating to peri-implant maintenance, although in some schools it was stated that not every student was guaranteed to receive such experience. In 86% of schools, students gained experience in oral hygiene and scaling, while 71% and 64% provided experience of non-surgical management of patients with peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, respectively. The main barrier to developing the implant programme was an insufficient number of suitable cases.Conclusions Although all responding schools provide implant training, the overall findings show that further development and improvement of implant teaching in dental hygiene and therapy schools within the UK and Ireland is required, particularly with respect to direct clinical experience. This will ensure that newly qualified dental hygienists and therapists are sufficiently prepared for managing implant patients in their clinical practice.