Will Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Be the Predominant Setting for Oral Health Care by 2025? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be the Setting in Which the Majority of Oral Health Care Is Delivered by 2025 and Viewpoint 2: Increases in DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be Offset by Models Allowing Dentists to Retain the Independence and Freedom of a Traditional Practice

This Point/Counterpoint article discusses the transformation of dental practice from the traditional solo/small-group (partnership) model of the 1900s to large Dental Support Organizations (DSO) that support affiliated dental practices by providing nonclinical functions such as, but not limited to, accounting, human resources, marketing, and legal and practice management. Many feel that DSO-managed group practices (DMGPs) with employed providers will become the setting in which the majority of oral health care will be delivered in the future. Viewpoint 1 asserts that the traditional dental practice patterns of the past are shifting as many younger dentists gravitate toward employed positions in large group practices or the public sector. Although educational debt is relevant in predicting graduates' practice choices, other variables such as gender, race, and work-life balance play critical roles as well. Societal characteristics demonstrated by aging Gen Xers and those in the Millennial generation blend seamlessly with the opportunities DMGPs offer their employees. Viewpoint 2 contends the traditional model of dental care delivery-allowing entrepreneurial practitioners to make decisions in an autonomous setting-is changing but not to the degree nor as rapidly as Viewpoint 1 professes. Millennials entering the dental profession, with characteristics universally attributed to their generation, see value in the independence and flexibility that a traditional practice allows. Although DMGPs provide dentists one option for practice, several alternative delivery models offer current dentists and future dental school graduates many of the advantages of DMGPs while allowing them to maintain the independence and freedom a traditional practice provides.

Does faculty development enhance teaching effectiveness?

Academic dentists and members of the practice community have been hearing, for more than a decade, that our educational system is in trouble and that the profession has lost its vision and may be wavering in the achievement of its goals. A core of consistently recommended reforms has framed the discussion of future directions for dental education, but as yet, most schools report little movement toward implementation of these reforms in spite of persistent advocacy. Provision of faculty development related to teaching and assessment strategies is widely perceived to be the essential ingredient in efforts to introduce new curricular approaches and modify the educational environment in academic dentistry. Analyses of the outcomes of efforts to revise health professions curricula have identified the availability and effectiveness of faculty development as a predictor of the success or failure of reform initiatives. This article will address faculty development for purposes of enhancing teaching effectiveness and preparing instructors for potential new roles associated with curriculum changes. Its overall purpose is to provide information and insights about faculty development that may be useful to dental schools in designing professional growth opportunities for their faculty. Seven questions are addressed: 1) What is faculty development? 2) How is faculty development accomplished? 3) Why is faculty development particularly important in dental education? 4) What happens when faculty development does not accompany educational reform? 5) Why are teaching attitudes and behaviors so difficult to change? 6) What outcomes can be expected from faculty development? and 7) What does the available evidence tell us about the design of faculty development programs? Evidence from systematic reviews pertaining to the teaching of evidence-based dentistry, strategies for continuing professional education, and the Best Evidence in Medical Education review of faculty development outcomes are presented to answer this question: does faculty development enhance teaching effectiveness? Characteristics consistently associated with effective faculty development are described.

The dental education environment

The second in a series of perspectives from the ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI), this article presents the CCI's view of the dental education environment necessary for effective change. The article states that the CCI's purpose is related to leading and building consensus in the dental community to foster a continuous process of innovative change in the education of general dentists. Principles proposed by CCI to shape the dental education environment are described; these are critical thinking, lifelong learning, humanistic environment, scientific discovery and integration of knowledge, evidence-based oral health care, assessment, faculty development, and the health care team. The article also describes influences external to the academic dental institutions that are important for change and argues that meaningful and long-lasting change must be systemic in nature. The CCI is ADEA's primary means to engage all stakeholders for the purpose of educating lifelong learners to provide evidence-based care to meet the needs of society.

Educational strategies associated with development of problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-directed learning

This article was developed for the Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI), established by the American Dental Education Association. CCI was created because numerous organizations within organized dentistry and the educational community have initiated studies or proposed modifications to the process of dental education, often working to achieve positive and desirable goals but without coordination or communication. The fundamental mission of CCI is to serve as a focal meeting place where dental educators and administrators, representatives from organized dentistry, the dental licensure community, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure, and the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations can meet and coordinate efforts to improve dental education and the nation's oral health. One of the objectives of the CCI is to provide guidance to dental schools related to curriculum design. In pursuit of that objective, this article summarizes the evidence related to this question: What are educational best practices for helping dental students acquire the capacity to function as an entry-level general dentist or to be a better candidate to begin advanced studies? Three issues are addressed, with special emphasis on the third: 1) What constitutes expertise, and when does an individual become an expert? 2) What are the differences between novice and expert thinking? and 3) What educational best practices can help our students acquire mental capacities associated with expert function, including critical thinking and self-directed learning? The purpose of this review is to provide a benchmark that faculty and academic planners can use to assess the degree to which their curricula include learning experiences associated with development of problem-solving, critical thinking, self-directed learning, and other cognitive skills necessary for dental school graduates to ultimately become expert performers as they develop professionally in the years after graduation.

The case for change in dental education

This article introduces a series of white papers developed by the ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation (CCI) to explore the case for change in dental education. This preamble to the series argues that there is a compelling need for rethinking the approach to dental education in the United States. Three issues facing dental education are explored: 1) the challenging financial environment of higher education, making dental schools very expensive and tuition-intensive for universities to operate and producing high debt levels for students that limit access to education and restrict career choices; 2) the profession's apparent loss of vision for taking care of the oral health needs of all components of society and the resultant potential for marginalization of dentistry as a specialized health care service available only to the affluent; and 3) the nature of dental school education itself, which has been described as convoluted, expensive, and often deeply dissatisfying to its students.

Scope of practice comparison: a tool for curriculum decision making

The proportion of claims filed for specific dental procedures (ADA codes # 05110, 05120, 03320, 03330, 04260, 02150) between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2004 by Texas general practitioners participating in a preferred provider network was compared to the proportion of these procedures performed by students graduating from the three Texas dental schools during the same period. Analysis of the data revealed that Texas dental students provide class two amalgam restorations in permanent teeth (02150) at approximately the same frequency as Texas general practitioners. Both groups provide periodontal osseous surgery (04260) at an extremely low frequency (<0.02% of total procedures). Bicuspid endodontic procedures (03320) were performed at a slightly higher frequency by students (0.43% of all procedures) than by general practitioners (0.36% of all procedures), and molar endodontic procedures (03330) were performed at a slightly higher frequency by general practitioners (0.65%) than by students (0.36%). Significant discrepancies between the groups were noted for the two complete denture procedures (05110, 05120). Students provided these procedures at frequencies fifteen times (05110) and twenty-five times (05120) greater than general practitioners. Dental schools should use data provided by scope of practice analyses to help determine an appropriate breadth and depth for their educational programs.

The UTHSCSA Dental School in the new millennium

The UTHSCSA Dental School, just short of 30 years in existence, has made great strides to be a leader in dental education. Although increased use of computers has the greatest potential for revolutionizing dental education, there are other components that must constantly be evaluated and improved. A major curriculum review is in progress. The process is a grass roots effort to allow input from faculty, students, alumni and outside consultants. The school's competencies are being reevaluated to assure they are contemporary and the methods to assess them are valid and reliable. The way we evaluate applicants is an ongoing evolution. Our appropriate role in the community (local, national, and international) continues to be a challenge. Success will be measured by how well we continuously evaluate our mission and goals, identify problems and find and implement solutions.

How the licensure process will evolve

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

All aspects of dental licensure are continuing to evolve. This article describes the changes that are occurring in the licensure process and projects the direction and magnitude of future changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The author predicts that national board examinations will continue to move away from recall of facts and toward assessment of basic science and clinical principles as they apply to clinical decision making and delivery of care. Clinical examinations will continue their evolution to become even more reliable and valid. Licensure by credentials will be adopted by more states, thus addressing concerns about mobility that are expressed by many practitioners.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Despite all of this projected progress, the dental profession should expect elevated public pressure for greater accountability unless it takes a proactive position to ensure the continued competency of all practitioners.

Long-term prognosis following resectional and regenerative periodontal procedures

The ultimate goal of both resective and regenerative periodontal procedures is the creation of soft- and hard-tissue architecture that is consistent with periodontal health. Osseous resective procedures predictably produce minimal clinical probing depth, but sacrifice periodontal support. An alternative method to treat anatomic defects not easily managed through resection is guided tissue regeneration (GTR). GTR provides clinicians with the opportunity to reverse the disease-related loss of periodontal attachment. However, at present, the outcomes of GTR procedures have not been shown to be predictable. Continued improvements in techniques and materials, and identification of patient-related factors significant to the success of the GTR procedures, should enhance the consistency of the clinical outcomes. An evidence-based approach to the use of both regenerative and resective therapies will enhance the clinical results achieved through these procedures.

Continued competency--a responsibility of the profession

For the past decade the Continued Competency Committee of the American Association of Dental Examiners has explored issues in continued competency for the dental profession. The efforts have focused on creating policy and standards which must be met by any continued competency assessment mechanisms. Nine potential systems are under review. Some, such as examination for diplomate status in a recognized dental specialty are already in place. The development and pilot testing of four new mechanisms--simulations, continuing education with measurable outcomes, case presentation, and in-office audit--is being encouraged.

Levels of cigarette consumption and response to periodontal therapy

Seventy-four patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis were classified by cigarette consumption at the initial exam: heavy smokers (HS) > or = 20 cigarettes/day (n = 31); light smokers (LS) < or = 19 cigarettes/day (n = 15); past smokers (PS) had a history of smoking but had quit by the initial exam (n = 10); and non-smokers (NS) had never smoked (n = 18). All patients were treated with four modalities of periodontal therapy followed by supportive periodontal treatment (SPT) for a period of up to 7 years. Clinical parameters including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), recession (REC), presence of bleeding on probing (BOP), and supragingival plaque (PL) were assessed at six sites around each tooth. Horizontal probing attachment level (HAL) was obtained at molar furcation sites. Data were collected initially, 4 weeks after non-surgical therapy, 10 weeks after surgical therapy, and yearly during SPT. HS and LS demonstrated less PD reduction and less CAL gain than PS and NS following active treatment and throughout SPT. Following active treatment, HAL changes were similar for all groups, but during 7 years of SPT, HS and LS experienced greater loss of HAL. There were no differences in BOP among the four groups. HS demonstrated a higher percentage of PL positive sites compared to the other groups. In summary, HS and LS responded less favorably to therapy than PS and NS. A past history of smoking was not deleterious to the response to therapy.

Assessing continued competency: an approach for dentistry

Holding a license in a given profession does not guarantee competency. To help define criteria for periodic competency assessment of dentists, the American Association of Dental Examiners assembled a committee in 1993. In this article, the authors outline the criteria the committee established for such assessments and discuss several assessment models proposed by the committee.

Long-term evaluation of periodontal therapy: I. Response to 4 therapeutic modalities

Eighty-two periodontal patients were treated in a split mouth design with coronal scaling (CS), root planing (RP), modified Widman surgery (MW), and flap with osseous resection surgery (FO) which were randomly assigned to various quadrants in the dentition. Therapy was performed in 3 phases: non-surgical, surgical, and supportive periodontal treatment (SPT) < or = 7 years. Clinical data consisted of probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession (REC), bleeding on probing (BOP), suppuration (SUP), and supragingival plaque (PL). Because of the necessity to exit many CS treated sites due to breakdown, data for CS were reported only up to 2 years. All therapies produced mean PD reduction with FO > MW > RP > CS following the surgical phase for all probing depth severities. By the end of year 2 there were no differences between the therapies in the 1 to 4 mm sites. There were no differences in PD reduction between MW and RP treated sites by the end of year 3 in the 5 to 6 mm sites and by the end of year 5 in the > or = 7 mm sites. FO produced greater PD reduction in > or = 5 mm sites through year 7 of SPT. Following the surgical phase, FO produced a mean CAL loss and CS and RP produced a slight gain in 1-4 mm sites. RP and MW produced a greater gain of CAL than CS and FO following the surgical phase in 5 to 6 mm sites, but the magnitude of difference decreased during SPT. Similar CAL gains were produced by RP, MW, and FO in sites > or = 7 mm. These gains were greater than that produced by CS and were sustained during SPT. Recession was produced with FO > MW > RP > CS. This relationship was maintained throughout SPT. The prevalences of BOP, SUP, and PL were greatly reduced throughout the study and were comparable between sites treated by RP, MW, and FO while the CS sites had more BOP and SUP.

Long-term evaluation of periodontal therapy: II. Incidence of sites breaking down

Eighty-two patients were treated in a split mouth design with coronal scaling (CS), root planing (RP), modified Widman surgery (MW), and flap with osseous surgery (FO) which were randomly assigned to the various quadrants in the dentition. Following phase I and phase II therapy, the patients received supportive periodontal treatment (SPT) at 3-month intervals for up to 7 years. Clinical attachment level (CAL) was determined initially, post-phase I, post-phase II and prior to each SPT appointment. If a site lost > or = 3 mm of CAL from its baseline, it was classified as a breakdown site. Baselines were the initial exam for sites treated by CS and 10 weeks post-phase II for sites treated by RP, MW, and FO. Data were grouped by probing depth (PD) severity at the initial exam and at post-phase II. The breakdown for CS sites was assessed separately from RP, MW, and FO sites because of different baselines and retreatment protocols. Sites treated by CS had a higher incidence of breakdown than the other therapies through year 1 of SPT. The breakdown incidences/year for RP and MW sites were similar and greater than for FO sites in 1 to 4 mm and 5 to 6 mm PD categories. Breakdown incidence of RP sites was greater than MW sites which was greater than FO sites initially > or = 7 mm. Differences in incidence of breakdown between therapies after recategorizing data by post-phase II PD were the same as above, except no difference was present between RP and MW sites > or = 7 mm. Breakdown incidences were greater in increasing PD severities regardless of when they were categorized. There was no further loss of CAL one year after retreatment in 88% of sites. Patients with higher breakdown incidences tended to be smokers at the initial exam.

The effect of smoking on the response to periodontal therapy

This study evaluated the effect of smoking on the clinical response to non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy. 74 adult subjects with moderate to advanced periodontitis were treated according to a split-mouth design involving the following treatment modalities: coronal scaling, root planing, modified Widman surgery, and flap with osseous resectional surgery. Clinical parameters assessed included probing depth, probing attachment level, horizontal attachment level in furcation sites, recession, presence of supragingival plaque and bleeding on probing. Data were collected: initially, 4 weeks following phase-I therapy, 10 weeks following phase-II therapy and on a yearly basis during 6 years of maintenance care. Data analysis demonstrated that smokers exhibited significantly less reduction of probing depth and less gain of probing attachment level when compared to non-smokers immediately following active therapy and during each of the 6 years of maintenance (p < 0.05). A greater loss of horizontal attachment level was evident in smokers at each yearly exam during maintenance therapy (p < 0.05). There were no differences between groups in recession changes. In general, these findings were true for the outcomes following all 4 modalities of therapy and were most pronounced in the deepest probing depth category (> or = 7 mm). Statistical analysis showed a tendency for smokers to have slightly more supragingival plaque and bleeding on probing. In summary, smokers responded less favorably than non-smokers to periodontal therapy which included 3-month maintenance follow-up.

A review of longitudinal studies that compared periodontal therapies

There have been numerous longitudinal periodontal studies that have compared the effects of two or more therapies on various clinical parameters. These studies are reviewed and their results are compiled. Both surgical and non-surgical therapy produced improvement in periodontal health. Surgical therapy tended to create greater short-term probing depth reduction than non-surgical therapy; however, the advantage was lost in some studies over time. In shallow probing depths, surgery produced a greater loss of probing attachment than non-surgical therapy. In deeper probing sites, the short-term results comparing mean probing attachment change following non-surgical and surgical therapy were mixed. In most studies, no long-term differences in mean probing attachment level change were present between non-surgical and surgical therapy. There were no differences between surgical and non-surgical therapy in any of the gingival inflammatory indices.

Gingival fluid IL-1 and IL-6 levels in refractory periodontitis

Selected gingival bacteria and cytokine profiles associated with patients who did not respond to conventional periodontal therapy (refractory) were evaluated. 10 subjects with a high incidence of post-active treatment clinical attachment loss (> 2% sites/year lost > or = 3 mm) were compared to 10 age-, race-, and supragingival plaque-matched patients with low post-treatment clinical attachment loss (< 0.5% sites/year) relative to the following parameters at 2 sites/patient with the deepest probing depths: (1) presence of 3 selected periodontal pathogens (Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Eikenella corrodens) in subgingival plaque as determined by selective culturing, and (2) gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of 3 cytokines associated with bone resorption (IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6) as determined by two-site ELISA. Results indicated no significant differences in any clinical measurement (except incidence of clinical attachment loss), in the presence of any bacterial pathogen, or in GCF cytokine levels between refractory subject sites versus stable subject sites. However, when sites producing the greatest total GCF cytokine/patient were compared, sites from refractory patient produced significantly more IL-6 (30.1 +/- 4.0 versus 15.4 +/- 2.8 nM, p < 0.01). The subgingival presence of each of the 3 bacterial pathogens was associated with elevated GCF IL-1 concentrations. These data suggest that gingival IL-1 and IL-6 production is different in response to local and systemic factors associated with periodontitis, and that IL-6 may play a role in the identification and mechanisms of refractory periodontitis.

Patient preference regarding 4 types of periodontal therapy following 3 years of maintenance follow-up

It has been shown that certain types of periodontal therapy result in greater post-therapy gingival recession. It has been suggested that this recession may lead to maintenance complications for patients. This study evaluated patient perceptions 3 years following the completion of 4 types of periodontal therapy (coronal scaling (CS), root planing (RP), modified Widman surgery (MW), and flap with osseous resectional surgery (FO)). 75 individuals completed split-mouth therapy and 3 years of maintenance follow-up. An interview survey of all patients categorized their perception for each treatment of their mouth concerning difficulty in cleaning, sensitivity to temperature, general "feeling" of the region, prevalence of localized symptoms, food retention, comfort of oral examination, and attitude toward repeating therapy. Responses to questions showed no statistically significant differences between treatment regions. Patterns demonstrated that FO-treated regions were perceived to have less food retention, but were more difficult to clean. It was generally found that at the end of 3 years of maintenance, patients felt their mouths were "normal", they experienced few localized symptoms, and were very willing to repeat any of the treatment regimens if necessary.

Evaluation of gingival suppuration and supragingival plaque following 4 modalities of periodontal therapy

This study evaluated the effect of coronal scaling (CS), root planing (RP), modified Widman surgery (MW) and flap with osseous resectional surgery (FO) upon the presence of gingival suppuration and supragingival plaque. 75 patients completed split-mouth therapy and 2 years of maintenance care. Data were collected prior to the initiation of therapy, following initial therapy, following surgical therapy and yearly during 2 years of maintenance care. All 4 types of therapy reduced the prevalence of suppuration with RP, MW and FO producing a greater reduction than CS in sites greater than or equal to 5 mm. Sites were grouped according to presence of suppuration at 2 consecutive examinations. The mean changes in probing depth and probing attachment level for each time period were compared. Sites that began to suppurate between 2 exams or were suppurating at both exams had a less favorable response in mean probing depth reduction and mean probing attachment gain when compared to sites that stopped suppurating between exams or did not suppurate at either exam. The prevalence of supragingival plaque decreased during active therapy and 2 years of maintenance. There was no difference in the prevalence between the therapy groups except for FO-treated sites showing more plaque accumulation after surgical therapy. The presence or absence of supragingival plaque at specific sites was dynamic, frequently converting to a new status between 2 examinations.

Relationship of gingival bleeding, gingival suppuration, and supragingival plaque to attachment loss

This study evaluated the relationship between the presence of gingival bleeding, gingival suppuration, and supragingival plaque at 3 month appointments to the incidence of probing attachment loss during a 2-year period of maintenance therapy. The data included in this report were taken during the second and third year of maintenance from 75 periodontal patients who had previously received active therapy in an ongoing longitudinal study. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for different frequencies of positive responses for each clinical parameter in relation to sites demonstrating greater than or equal to 2 mm probing attachment loss. Gingival bleeding and plaque were not prognosticators and gingival suppuration was a weak prognosticator of attachment loss during a 2 year maintenance period.

Responses of four tooth and site groupings to periodontal therapy

The responses of four tooth/site groupings to periodontal therapy were evaluated. Eighty-two patients with periodontitis were treated in a split mouth design with coronal scaling, root planing, modified Widman surgery, and flap with osseous resectional surgery. Patients were evaluated prior to therapy, 4 weeks post-Phase I therapy, 10 weeks post-Phase II therapy, and at yearly intervals during 2 years of maintenance therapy. The tooth/site groupings evaluated were: 1) interproximal sites of single rooted teeth (T1), 2) facial and lingual sites of single rooted teeth (T2), 3) nonfurcation sites of molar teeth (T3), and 4) furcation sites of molar teeth (T4). Following 2 years of maintenance, no clinically significant differences in probing depth reduction or probing attachment loss were present between the four tooth/site groupings in 1 mm to 4 mm sites. T2 had the greatest decrease of probing depth in 5 mm to 6 mm sites followed by T1, T3 and T4. T1 and T2 showed a greater gain of probing attachment followed by T3 and T4. T1 and T2 had the greatest decrease of probing followed by T3 which was greater than T4 in greater than or equal to 7 mm sites. T4 had significantly less probing attachment gain than the other groups. There was a trend for T1 and T2 to have less gingival bleeding post-therapy and for T2 to have less plaque accumulation than the other groups at both pre- and post-therapy examinations.

Impaired tooth root development after treatment of a cerebellar astrocytoma: a case report

A young man, previously treated by surgical resection of a grade III cerebellar astrocytoma in combination with irradiation and chemotherapy, was found to display severe generalized root agenesis. This patient also exhibited secondary hypothyroidism and decreased levels of growth hormone. These factors are discussed in relation to their possible role in impaired root development.

Evaluation of gingival bleeding following 4 types of periodontal therapy

This study evaluated the effects of 4 types of periodontal therapy (coronal scaling (CS), root planning (RP), modified Widman surgery (MW), and flap with osseous resectional surgery (FO] and subsequent maintenance care upon bleeding on probing (BOP). 75 individuals completed split mouth therapy and 2 years of maintenance followup. Data were obtained by 1 calibrated examiner prior to the initiation of therapy, following the hygienic phase and surgical phase of active therapy and yearly during maintenance care. All types of therapy reduced the prevalence of BOP. At the end of 2 years of maintenance therapy, regions greater than 5 mm treated by CS demonstrated a significantly (p less than 0.05) greater prevalence of BOP sites than regions treated by the other modalities. Generally, sites associated with deeper probing depths exhibited a greater tendency to bleed and sites with associated plaque accumulation bled more frequently. RP resulted in a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher % of bleeding sites that stopped following active therapy than did CS. Throughout the study, BOP was extremely dynamic, with 15-88% of sites converting to a new status between any 2 examination periods. This dynamic nature may explain the inability of previous investigations to establish BOP as a reliable predictor of periodontal breakdown.