Special Operations Forces (SOF) medics trained to deliver comprehensive dental care (extractions and fillings) to a population in a contested area can be one of the more important elements in a successful UW campaign. This article will highlight and review an inexpensive, lightweight, highly portable dental system that allows the SOF medic to deliver these vital dental services in the field. (+info)
Quantifying light energy delivered to a Class I restoration.
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PURPOSE: To measure the amount of light energy that dental students actually deliver to a Class I preparation in a dental mannequin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Approval for the study was obtained from the Dalhousie University Health Sciences Research Ethics Board. Each of 20 third-year dental students light-cured a Class I preparation in tooth 27 in a mannequin head. A photodetector located at the bottom of the cavity preparation measured how much light would be received by a restoration. Each student cured the simulated restoration for 20 seconds using a quartz-tungsten-halogen curing light (Optilux 401). The irradiance received (mW/cm2) was recorded in real time, and the energy per unit area (J/cm2) delivered to the detector by each student was calculated. The students were then given detailed instructions on how to effectively use the curing light, and the experiment was repeated. RESULTS: When the curing light was fixed directly over the tooth, the greatest amount of light energy delivered to the detector in 20 seconds was 13.9 +/- 0.4 J/cm2. Before instruction, the students delivered between 2.0 and 12.0 J/cm2 (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]: 7.9 +/- 2.7 J/cm2). After receiving detailed instructions, the same students delivered between 7.7 and 13.4 J/cm2 (mean +/- SD: 10.0 +/- 1.4 J/cm2). A paired student"s t test showed that instruction resulted in a significant improvement (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although instruction yielded improvements, the mean energy delivered was much less (7.9 J/cm2 before instruction and 10.0 J/cm2 after instruction) than the expected 13.9 J/cm2. To maximize the energy delivered, the operator should wear eye protection, should watch what he or she is doing and should hold the light both close to and perpendicular to the restoration. (+info)
Impact of computerized dental simulation training on preclinical operative dentistry examination scores.
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Simulation training may be useful in the preclinical operative dentistry curriculum; however, the optimal timing and duration of training have not been defined. This study compared eight hours of adjunctive computerized dental simulator (CDS) training at two different time points to traditional teaching alone. First-year dental students (n=75) were randomized to CDS training (n=39) or traditional preclinical dental training alone (n=36). Of thirty-nine students in the CDS group, twenty-six were trained before exam 1 (pre-exam group) and thirteen after exam 1 (post-exam group). The primary outcome was performance on three practical examinations. The secondary outcome was the influence of timing on exam performance. CDS-trained students performed significantly better than controls on exams 1 and 2 and were higher but not significantly so on exam 3. There were no differences between CDS groups. These results suggest that eight hours of CDS training administered early in the preclinical operative dentistry may improve student performance. (+info)
Impact of the University of Colorado's Advanced Clinical Training and Service (ACTS) Program on dental students' clinical experience and cognitive skills, 1994-2006.
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The University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine has operated a community-based dental education program for all of its students since 1985. A database of student productivity has been maintained in a standardized format, capable of multiyear compilation, since 1994. This study utilizes twelve years of these data to profile the type and amount of clinical treatment that can be provided by a typical fourth-year dental student during a 100-day community-based training experience. Between 1994 and 2006, the school's 423 graduates provided a mean of 922 treatment procedures per student at a mean of 498 patient visits per student. During a typical four-week clinical affiliation, each student provided a mean of approximately twenty-seven restorations on permanent teeth, sixteen restorations on primary teeth, and twenty-four oral surgery procedures (extractions). Students also gained considerable experience in periodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, and endodontics. Self-assessed competency ratings tended to increase after completing the program, as did willingness to treat underserved populations after graduation. About 16 percent of graduates reported planning to practice in the public sector after completing dental school. A community-based experience such as this appears to offer an opportunity to substantially augment dental students' clinical training experiences. (+info)
Electromyography: its potential as an adjunct to other monitored parameters during conscious sedation in children receiving dental treatment.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a combination of a low dose of chloral hydrate and hydroxyzine on the frontalis muscle electromyogram in addition to other physiologic parameters in pediatric dental patients. A double blind, two-appointment cross-over design was used. Either a placebo or a combination of chloral hydrate and hydroxyzine was given to children during the first visit with the sequence of placebo/drug conditions being randomly determined. During the second visit, the children received that agent not given during the first visit. Baseline physiologic data was obtained at the beginning of each visit and the physiologic measures were again recorded during topical and local anesthesia administration, high-speed tooth preparation, and at the end of the dental appointment. The results indicated that the frontalis muscle activity and cardiovascular parameters were significantly affected by the drug and dental procedures. Oxygen saturation was least affected. The frontalis muscle appears to be a sensitive physiologic parameter to monitor during conscious sedation as an index of the amount of patient relaxation. (+info)
Review of outcomes from a change in faculty clinic management in a U.S. dental school.
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Dental schools use a variety of clinic management models with the goals of promoting patient care, student education, and fiscal responsibility. In 2004, the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry transitioned to a more generalist model with these goals in mind. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of this clinic model change relative to the quantity of specific procedures completed by students. The quantity of procedures completed by each student from the classes of 1995 through 2009 were compiled from our electronic clinic management system and analyzed. The post-transition group (2004-09) showed a greater number of completed oral diagnosis and treatment planning and root planing procedures per student compared to the pre-transition group (1995-2003), but fewer crowns, root canals, operative procedures, and dentures. Because the higher procedure numbers were for low-cost procedures, our transition to a generalist model did not necessarily enhance clinic income but may support student learning and enhanced patient care. (+info)
Preliminary assessment of faculty and student perception of a haptic virtual reality simulator for training dental manual dexterity.
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Virtual reality force feedback simulators provide a haptic (sense of touch) feedback through the device being held by the user. The simulator's goal is to provide a learning experience resembling reality. A newly developed haptic simulator (IDEA Dental, Las Vegas, NV, USA) was assessed in this study. Our objectives were to assess the simulator's ability to serve as a tool for dental instruction, self-practice, and student evaluation, as well as to evaluate the sensation it provides. A total of thirty-three evaluators were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of twenty-one experienced dental educators; the second consisted of twelve fifth-year dental students. Each participant performed drilling tasks using the simulator and filled out a questionnaire regarding the simulator and potential ways of using it in dental education. The results show that experienced dental faculty members as well as advanced dental students found that the simulator could provide significant potential benefits in the teaching and self-learning of manual dental skills. Development of the simulator's tactile sensation is needed to attune it to genuine sensation. Further studies relating to aspects of the simulator's structure and its predictive validity, its scoring system, and the nature of the performed tasks should be conducted. (+info)
Three-year clinical performance of composite restorations placed by undergraduate dental students.
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