Cleaning and shaping curved root canals: Mtwo vs ProTaper instruments, a lab comparison. (33/81)

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Evidence-based patient education: knowledge transfer to endodontic patients. (34/81)

Evidence-based treatment is emphasized in oral health care, but there has been less focus on empirically demonstrating the effects of patient education. Attempts to educate patients must be empirically demonstrated in order to provide evidence-based guidance to practitioners and educators. We conducted two studies that assessed information acquisition during five-minute audiovisual films on oral hygiene procedures, endodontic procedures, and fear about pain during root canal therapy. A fifteen-item Dental Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), with three subscales each focusing on the content of one of the films, was developed and psychometrically evaluated. Study 1 included 268 undergraduates; study 2 involved 104 endodontic patients. Participants completed the DKQ, viewed one of the three films, and repeated the questionnaire. The effects of information on knowledge were assessed using 3 (film group) X 3 (subscale of the DKQ) X 2 (time) repeated measures ANOVAs. Scores improved in a content-specific fashion relevant to the film viewed among undergraduates, F(4, 263)=211.33, p<.001, partial eta(2)=.62 and endodontic patients, F(4, 99)=87.22, p<.001, partial eta(2)=.63. The results provide evidence for using brief informational film as an efficacious method to increase patient knowledge, at least in the short term. The DKQ is proposed as a tool to assess patient knowledge in the arenas of oral hygiene and endodontics.  (+info)

Evaluation of a 3-D interactive tooth atlas by dental students in dental anatomy and endodontics courses. (35/81)

Advances in information and communication technology continually offer innovations to assist faculty in their efforts to help students learn new information or develop new skills. However, faculty members are often hesitant to incorporate these innovations into their courses out of fear that these new methods may not provide the anticipated outcomes. Hence, students are often the subjects of educational trials to evaluate curriculum innovations by comparing a new teaching/learning method to traditional lecture-based instruction. The most typical finding is that students can learn equally well by either method. However, two questions that have not been studied extensively in dental education are whether dental students will actually use computer-based educational resources made available to them and whether students perceive these materials to provide a value-added learning experience. Accordingly, the goals of this study were to determine whether first-year dental students (D1), second-year dental students (D2), and third-year dental students (D3) would 1) use an interactive tooth atlas, available on a DVD, as a study aid and 2) perceive that the atlas provided sufficient value-added benefit for their dental anatomy (D1), preclinical laboratory endodontics (D2), and clinical endodontics (D3) courses to recommend adding it to their school's comprehensive electronic resources. A low percentage of the students (14 percent; 40/289) voluntarily downloaded the atlas from a DVD to their laptops prior to the addition of incentives in the form of atlas-related examination questions. Even after incentives were added, only 43 percent of the students (126/289) downloaded the DVD. After using the atlas, students responded to the statement "Using the 3D Interactive Tooth Atlas was beneficial for me" on a 0 to 10 scale with 0 representing strongly disagree, 5 representing unsure, and 10 representing strongly agree. The mean rankings were 5.34 for D1s, 6.79 for D2s, and 7.28 for D3s. Students also responded to the statement "The atlas should be added to our school's VitalBook" (digital library of curriculum materials). The mean rankings for this statement, using the same 0-10 scale, were 5.15 for the D1s, 6.63 for the D2s, and 7.26 for the D3s. Based upon these findings, the course directors decided not to add this atlas to the students' electronic resources.  (+info)

Clinical care provided on post-graduate dental clinical training course at Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital, Department of General Dentistry. (36/81)

Number of patients assigned to dental residents, course of treatment and number of various technical tasks performed as described in the Reports on Clinical Training of Dentists published by the Department of General Dentistry, Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital since its establishment in 2002 were compared between before (2003-2005) and after (2006-2007) clinical training was made mandatory, and the state of clinical residency evaluated. Number of patients assigned generally increased, and mean number of patients treated by each resident in 2007 (15.08) was approximately 2 times higher than that in 2003 (8.47). Total number of treatments was 1.38 times higher in 2007 than in 2003, and periodontal treatment accounted for approximately 40% of all treatment both before and after clinical training became mandatory. Number of technical tasks in 2004-2007 was less than half the peak in 2003. To further improve clinical training, evaluation and implementation of effective approaches is necessary to secure an adequate number of patients, widen the variety of cases and increase the number of technical tasks.  (+info)

A systematic review of computer-assisted learning in endodontics education. (37/81)

Results of the efficacy and time efficiency of computer-assisted learning (CAL) in endodontics education are mixed in the literature. The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy and time efficiency of CAL with traditional learning methods or no instruction. The search strategy included electronic and manual searches of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) completed in English up to June 2009. The intervention comprised any method of CAL, while the control group consisted of all traditional methods of instruction including no further instructions. Various outcome measures of CAL efficacy were considered and were categorized using Kirkpatrick's four-level model of evaluation: reaction, learning, behavior, results, with the addition of return on investment as a fifth level. The time efficiency of CAL was measured by the time spent on the learning material and the number of cases covered in a unit period. Seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Overall, students' attitudes were varied towards CAL. Results from the knowledge gain outcome were mixed. No conclusions can be made about students' performance on clinical procedures or cost-effectiveness of CAL. Better time efficiency was achieved using CAL compared to traditional methods. CAL is as efficacious as traditional methods in improving knowledge. There is some evidence to suggest that CAL is time efficient compared to traditional methods. Overall, the number of studies included in this review was small, thus warranting the need for more studies in this area and the exploration of various CAL techniques.  (+info)

A review of pediatric dentistry program websites: what are applicants learning about our programs? (38/81)

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine website content provided by U.S. and Canadian pediatric dentistry residency programs, and 2) to understand aspects of program websites that dental students report to be related to their interests. Sixty-eight program websites were reviewed by five interprofessional evaluators. A thirty-six-item evaluation form was organized into 1) program descriptive items listed on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) website (n=21); 2) additional program descriptive items not listed on the AAPD website but of interest (n=9); and 3) items related to website interface design (n=5). We also surveyed fifty-four dental students regarding their interest in various aspects of program descriptions. The results of this study suggest that pediatric dentistry residency programs in general tend to provide identical or less information than what is listed on the AAPD website. The majority of respondents (76 percent) reported that residency program websites would be their first source of information about advanced programs. The greatest gap between the available website information and students' interests exists in these areas: stipend and tuition information, state licensure, and program strengths. Pediatric dentistry residency programs underutilize websites as a marketing and recruitment tool and should incorporate more information in areas of students' priority interests.  (+info)

The effect of funding cuts on the utilization of an oral pathology diagnostic service. (39/81)

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Review of outcomes from a change in faculty clinic management in a U.S. dental school. (40/81)

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)