Reforming teaching methods by integrating dental theory with clinical practice for dental students

Comparison of virtual clinical scenario and role play in learning oral pathology among dental students

In oral pathology, virtual clinical scenario illustrating dentist-patient interactions can be utilized by both students and health professionals to deliver/gain knowledge and make clinical diagnosis of oral lesions. Role play is also an educational technique which is designed to engage and motivate students in classrooms. This study aimed to compare usefulness of virtual clinical scenario and role play in learning oral pathology among second-year dental students. The students were randomly divided to one of the two groups: virtual clinical scenario group (n = 50) and role play group (n = 50). Virtual clinical scenario group was provided with virtual clinical cases of oral lesions through Google Forms whereas role play group was exposed to virtual clinical cases of oral lesions through role playing activity. Both groups underwent assessments before and after the intervention. Students' perceptions on usefulness of both techniques in terms of diagnosis, visual parameters and impact on learning were evaluated by feedback questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27.0. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre-test and post-test scores. Additionally, the scores and students' responses from both groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. A P-value of < 0.05 was set as statistically significant. Students in both groups showed significantly higher post-test scores compared to their pre-test scores (P < 0.001). However, the role play group outperformed the virtual clinical scenario group, with a significantly higher post-test score (P = 0.04). Furthermore, feedback concerning role play was significantly higher than that for the virtual clinical scenario across multiple aspects (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that role play emerges as the preferred method, significantly enhancing dental students' learning experiences in oral pathology.

Clinical competency development with handmade simulator in highly realistic paediatric dentistry scenarios

INTRODUCTION

The use of simulation is extremely useful in pregraduate students. However, there is a very small number of simulators adapted to paediatric dentistry. A paediatric simulator was created to use in simulated scenarios for paediatric dentistry using an actress in the role of mother. The objectives of the present study were three. First, to analyse the perception of clinical competencies acquired by the students. Second, to examine the realism perceived by the students. Finally, to analyse the influence on the perception of clinical competencies after the integration of a handmade simulator in the Paediatric Dentistry III course.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight clinical scenarios were carried out with a modified Erler Zimmer simulator for children, a professional actress in the role of the mother and two students (in the roles of dentist and assistant) on a paediatric dentistry case of pulpal pathology. The educational intervention was evaluated on 114 students by means of questionnaires with Likert-type answers applied pre- and post-simulation.

RESULTS

The perception of clinical competence in the students increased an average of 0.956 points in relation with the initial clinical evaluation, finding a strong correlation between the perception of subsequent competence and all the perceived realism, with significant statistical differences in all cases. The realism of the simulated participant (professional actress) was the best rated by the students, although not significantly. The realism of the mannequin was positively and strongly correlated with the perceived realism of the cabinet.

CONCLUSION

Simulation using a handmade mannequin with a professional actress in a simulated dental office increased the perception of clinical competence in 4th year dental students and raised the level of overall realism perceived by the student.

Quality assessment of paediatric education and research in southwest China: A cross-sectional study

Currently, there is a limited analysis of medical education research both domestically and internationally. To enhance, improve the quality of medical education, this study conducted a quantitative analysis of teaching project data from an affiliated hospital during the period 2016-2022. The results indicated that a total of 133 teaching projects were initiated during this period, with an average age of project leaders being 42.73±6.45 years. Regarding professional ranks and titles, municipal-level project leaders had a high concentration of seniors (48.15%), while at the university-level, most project leaders held the title of deputy seniors (58.82%). At the university-level, project leaders were mainly distributed between deputy senior titles (37.08%) and intermediate titles (38.20%). In terms of research content, nearly half of the studies (46.62%) focused on teaching methods and models. Further regression analysis revealed that professional ranks and titles were an independent factor influencing the project level (P<0. 05). These findings suggest the need for improvement in medical education research, including addressing the uneven distribution of research topics, enhancing the research capacity of junior and mid-career medical education teachers, and improving the dissemination of research results.

Evaluation of the efficacy of a simulation model used in oral and maxillofacial surgery education

BACKGROUND

The traditional teaching methods of dental education are gradually being replaced with futuristic education methods based on the usage of educational tools such as mannequin-based simulation models and virtual reality. However, the effectiveness of mannequin-based simulation models as a learning method in the field of oral surgery remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of training on a tooth extraction model (TEM) in view of undergraduate dental students' experience and perception of their education.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental trial was implemented with two consecutive year classes, totaling 136 students at the Dentistry Faculty of Altinbas University, Turkiye. Two cohorts were created from dental students in the classes of 2023 and 2022 graduates. Cohort 1 (n = 71) received 14 h of theoretical education followed by 10 h of preclinical education on TEM. Cohort 2 (n = 65) received only 14 h of theoretical education. An anonymous questionnaire was prepared with four main sections including the preferences of learning style, participants' perceptions of the preclinical training methods, the students' competency and free text comments. Students' opinions were quantified with both 7-point Likert scales and thematic analysis. Anxiety levels were measured with the interval scale of anxiety response (ISAR). Descriptive statistics, inferential statistical and thematic analyses were conducted according to survey responses. Student characteristics were summarized and compared for two cohorts using a t-test. For all statistical analyses, the significance level was set atP ≤ 0.05.

RESULT

Cohort 1 was more comfortable with sequential motions performed with the forceps (P = 0.033) and felt more ready for their first clinical tooth extraction experience (P = 0.028). Cohort 2 showed a significantly higher preference for textbooks among supplementary materials (P = 0.04); however, they tended to exhibit lower self-confidence and higher anxiety levels, though without any statistical significance (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

It is clear that the students who have yet to start seeing patients benefit from increased practice with training models, which adequately reflect and represent real-life situations encountered in everyday practice.

Measuring satisfaction with dental education among dentists and dental students in Croatia: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

The study aimed to determine satisfaction level with the quality of education among dental students and dentists in Croatia based on the acquired knowledge and clinical and soft skills.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 533 dentists and dental students. The questionnaire consisted of four sections with closed-ended questions. The first section included personal and professional data, whereas the second to fourth sections assessed satisfaction with learned basic dental, professional technical or clinal and interpersonal social or soft skills on a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and linear regression analysis. The significance level was set at .05.

RESULTS

When comparing satisfaction scores between dentists and dental students in terms of basic dental knowledge and skills learned, students showed higher satisfaction scores for the categories of "Emergency Medical Situations" (p = .005) and "Ergonomic Principles of Work" (p = .004). Dentists, on the other hand, showed higher satisfaction for the categories "Selection and use of local anaesthetics and local antibiotics" (p = .005, p = .026; respectively). For the type of technical skills from the different areas of dentistry, dentists were most satisfied with "Oral Surgery" (4.26 ± 0.85), while students were most satisfied with "Oral Medicine" (4.29 ± 0.89). Finally, when comparing satisfaction scores with social skills, dentists had lower satisfaction scores in all categories studied (p ≤ .05).

CONCLUSION

Dental students showed higher overall satisfaction than dentists. The most significant satisfaction was expressed in technical skills learned, and the most considerable dissatisfaction was recorded in the unmeasurable skills category focused on "Career management".

Education's impact on primary care dentists' confidence in treating patients with special health care needs

INTRODUCTION

Special care dentistry (SCD) is still developing in XX. This study aimed to clarify whether primary care dentists are treating patients with special health care needs (SHCN), to know if they have had previous education on SCD (on an undergraduate or postgraduate level), whether their training level impacts their confidence when treating patients with SHCN, and to assess their opinion on SCD as a relevant topic in undergraduate education.

METHODS

A survey was answered by 149 primary care dentists working for the National Health Service of the XX region in XX, including information on their daily clinical practice, undergraduate, and postgraduate training in SCD, and their opinions on them.

RESULTS

Most interviewees would like to complement their training and believed that SCD should be formally incorporated into undergraduate programs. There was a significant association between confidence in treating patients with SHCN and the rating of their undergraduate training, and between confidence and the number of hours of continuous development courses.

CONCLUSION

Most primary care dentists treat patients with SHCN regularly. Therefore, including training in the undergraduate curriculum and afterward becomes necessary to increase their confidence when facing this challenging group of patients.

Dental Education: A Guide for Novice Tutors

The primary objective of undergraduate-level dental education is to produce proficient dental practitioners who can effectively address the oral health needs of the community and enhance the overall oral health of the population. The field of dental education is subject to continuous change that is shaped by many factors, including changing societal norms, shifting responsibilities of dental practitioners, changing healthcare environments, and rapidly evolving dental science. Learning theories significantly impact the advancement of dental education, and educators must recognize and acknowledge their influence. Dental faculties must be adequately prepared and motivated to use innovations, which enable them to impart knowledge in a practical and organized manner. This review provides an overview of teaching methodologies that have gained acceptance in recent years. It highlights the importance of their implementation in facilitating an effective teaching and learning process in consideration of their history, style, and core focus. A clearer understanding of these techniques can enhance education standards, help establish dental instructors' responsibilities and career advancement, and provide insights for future research.

Dental students' knowledge of and attitudes towards prescribing medication in Western Australia

INTRODUCTION

Dentists can prescribe medications for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. In Australia, dental graduates can autonomously practise within the scope of their qualifications without needing to undertake an internship post-graduation. Although previous research has identified knowledge gaps amongst dental students in Australia on pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutic knowledge, there has been no published research that qualitatively highlights dental students' knowledge of medication prescribing in Australia. This study aimed to undertake a qualitative analysis of Western Australian dental students' attitudes towards and knowledge of medication prescribing.

METHODS

This qualitative case study design employed semi-structured interviews as means of collecting data. It utilised a purposive sampling in penultimate and final year dental students at the University of Western Australia.

RESULTS

Twenty dental students participated in the study. Five key themes were identified in the data: current and previous education, application when delivering pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, teaching to ensure patient-centred care, supervision and referral to relevant resources. Participants agreed that having previous knowledge in the area provides students with confidence regarding medication prescribing. Furthermore, students in this study valued having guidance when prescribing medications.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the complexity of medication prescribing for dental students. It also highlights their experience with the current pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics curriculum. All students interviewed valued application-based teaching, making it specific to dentistry. If curriculum were to be redeveloped, considering their perceptions may be a valuable tool.

Critical aspects of educating clinical management and clinical reasoning in primary teeth pulpotomy: A qualitative study based on the perspectives of experts and novices

INTRODUCTION

In dental education, students must learn to integrate and coordinate complex knowledge, skills and attitudes and to transfer this learning to clinical practice. One major issue of concern in education in general and dental education, in particular, is to fill the gap between knowledge and practice.

METHODS

The purpose of this study was to explore the problems that dental students have in transferring knowledge from the classroom to the real clinical setting. More specifically, we investigated the factors that complicate clinical management and clinical reasoning for these novices, including their common errors, in order to design an educational simulation programme in primary teeth pulpotomy. To this end, we conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with experts and novices, performing a thematic analysis of the data obtained. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.

RESULTS

For each major skill-clinical management and clinical reasoning-we identified complicating factors and common errors that related to the child (the patient), parents and dental student (the three main themes). For each theme, we identified further sub-themes.

CONCLUSION

The data obtained provided valuable insights into the factors that affect dental students' performance on clinical management and clinical reasoning in primary teeth pulpotomy.

Effectiveness of virtual simulation and jaw model for undergraduate periodontal teaching

BACKGROUND

The current study explored the effect of virtual simulation and jaw model on development of preclinical periodontal skills in undergraduate students. The study also sought to explore effectiveness of VR in periodontal preclinical training and determine adequate performance mode in basic periodontal education to improve future preclinical training strategies.

METHODS

Sixty volunteer sophomores and juniors from the stomatology department in Lanzhou university were enrolled to the current study. Participants were randomly assigned into four groups (each group, n = 15) including the traditional jaw model group (Group J) which was the control group, virtual reality group (Group V), virtual-jaw group (Group V-J), and jaw-virtual group (Group J-V). Participants received training on uniform basic periodontal knowledge before completing the first theoretical assessment. Participants further underwent a total 8 h of operation training and completed a second theoretical assessment. Performance of participants was evaluated using the supragingival scaling processes, and clinical operation scores were graded by a blinded professional using an established standard scoring system.

RESULTS

The findings showed no significant difference in the first theoretical outcomes between the four groups (P > 0.05). The scores of the second theoretical assessment were significantly improved for the V-J and J-V groups (60.00 ± 4.47, 58.33 ± 4.35) compared with the scores of the first theoretical exam (49.67 ± 4.81, 48.00 ± 4.93, P < 0.05). The operation process scores of students in Group V-J and J-V (72.00 ± 5.92; 70.00 ± 3.05) were significantly higher compared with the scores in the other two groups (V: 61.67 ± 7.85; J: 60.67 ± 2.58). The scaling process performance of students in Group V-J and J-V (53.00 ± 3.05; 63.40 ± 4.39) was improved compared with that of students in the other two groups (V: 41.90 ± 5.23; J: 47.40 ± 4.31).

CONCLUSION

The findings show that combination of virtual reality and jaw model during periodontal preclinical training increases students' grades and improves acquiring of professional skills. Findings from the current study indicate that the jaw model should be applied prior to virtual reality to ensure high efficacy.