Rubber dam use among a subpopulation of Nigerian dentists.
(33/59)
In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, we surveyed the attitudes toward, knowledge of, and use of rubber dams (RDs) among dentists in southern Nigeria. The questionnaire, which was distributed and collected by one of the authors, requested information on the dentists' background characteristics, attitudes, and knowledge. Data were analyzed with SPSS, and the chi-square was used to assess differences in categorical variables. A total of 100 out of 108 dentists responded (92.6% response rate). The prevalence of RD use was 18%. Dentists in the government sector used RDs more often than did dentists in the private sector. About 77% of dentists had not used RDs or were unaware of how to use them. All specialists had seen RDs, but only 56% had used one in their practice. All dentists believed in the effectiveness of RDs. We conclude that rubber dams are underutilized in this population, and that dentists need to be made aware of the possibility of rubber dam use through an awareness campaign. (+info)
Methods used by accredited dental specialty programs to advertise faculty positions: results of a national survey.
(34/59)
The various reasons for the current and projected shortages of dental faculty members in the United States have received much attention. Dental school deans have reported that the top three factors impacting their ability to fill faculty positions are meeting the requirements of the position, lack of response to position announcement, and salary/budget limitations. An electronic survey sent to program directors of specialty programs at all accredited U.S. dental schools inquired about the number of vacant positions, advertised vacant positions, reasons for not advertising, selection of advertising medium, results of advertising, and assistance from professional dental organizations. A total of seventy-three permanently funded full-time faculty positions were reported vacant, with 89.0 percent of these positions having been advertised in nationally recognized professional journals and newsletters. Networking or word-of-mouth was reported as the most successful method for advertising. The majority of those responding reported that professional dental organizations did not help with filling vacant faculty positions, but that they would utilize the American Dental Association's website or their specialty organization's website to post faculty positions if they were easy to use and update. (+info)
Contribution of dentist anesthesiologists to dental anesthesiology research.
(35/59)
Informational resources utilized in clinical decision making: common practices in dentistry.
(36/59)
This study investigated current trends of Iowa dental practitioners with regard to acquisition and utilization of scientific information resources to support decision making in the clinical practice of dentistry. A survey questionnaire regarding the utilization of various sources of information to support clinical decisions was mailed in September 2009 to all dentists licensed and practicing in the state of Iowa. Dentists appointed full-time within the University of Iowa College of Dentistry were excluded from this study. Continuing education courses were the most frequently utilized and preferred information source by respondents, followed by print journals and consultation with other health care professionals. Practice patterns according to decade of dental school graduation as well as scope of practice were noted. The results of this study demonstrate that dental practitioners utilize a variety of evidence-based and non-evidence-based information resources to support decisions in clinical practice. The habits of newer graduates vary somewhat from those of earlier graduates; the habits of specialists vary from those of general practitioners. (+info)
Perspectives on a new educational system for dental hygiene students in Japan.
(37/59)
The purpose of this article is to report changes to dental hygiene education in Japan and to evaluate the successful implementation of these changes in 2010. The legislative change that began in 2005 revised the length of education for dental hygiene students from two years to three or four years (the mandate was three years), which has led to a dramatic change in program curriculum. After a five-year moratorium, a new curriculum has been established for dental hygiene education in Japan. The new curriculum provides students the requisite knowledge to effectively perform the latest dental hygiene procedures. Although the change of the educational system from the present mandatory three-year to the new four-year programs poses many administrative problems, we believe this shift will ultimately provide a more thorough and in-depth education for students. (+info)
Application data as an indicator for post-Katrina recovery of LSU Postdoctoral dental programs.
(38/59)
Devastated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the New Orleans campus of the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry was closed for two years. With help from the university's Systems Office, the school created a temporary campus in Baton Rouge, seventy-five miles from the New Orleans campus. The eight postdoctoral education programs, however, were forced to find clinic and seminar space in other facilities and cities. Of the seventy-nine students in these programs, only sixteen did not continue after the storm. This article describes how each program maintained its curriculum while the main campus was closed. By comparing numbers of student applications to these programs in each year since Hurricane Katrina with the average baseline for each in the ten years preceding the storm, this article illustrates the current viability of these residency programs. Total applications in 2005-07 were significantly lower than baseline measures, but applications in 2008 and 2009 have returned to pre-storm levels. A comparison of these application numbers with national trends also demonstrates that these programs have rebounded from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. (+info)
Increasing predoctoral dental students' motivations to specialize in prosthodontics.
(39/59)
This study provides data about factors that influence dental students' decision of which specialty to pursue and describes program changes in prosthodontics designed to expand student interest in a prosthodontics training program. Of 176 current and recently graduated students at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 167 responded to the e-mail survey for a 94.9 percent response rate. Using the Pearson chi-square analysis, we analyzed nine factors to determine their contribution to these students' choice of specialty. Two factors, lecture and faculty/mentoring, were highly significant (p<0.006) regarding impact on the students' introductory experience with prosthodontics. When choosing a specialty, 44 percent of all students ranked "enjoyment of providing the specialty service" as the most important factor. Students wishing to specialize in prosthodontics, however, ranked four significant factors: enjoyment of providing the specialty service (p<0.037, p<0.057); faculty influence (p<0.0002, p<0.0001); length of program (p<0.039, p<0.006); and cost of program (p<0.023, p<0.004). Respondents also ranked the nine American Dental Association-recognized specialties regarding their perceptions of future salary and impact on the dental profession. They ranked prosthodontics fourth for future salary and fifth for impact on the profession. At the same time that this study was being conducted, key changes were being made in the graduate prosthodontics program; those appear to have had a positive impact on students' interest in pursuing prosthodontics as a specialty. (+info)
The graduate entry generation: a qualitative study exploring the factors influencing the career expectations and aspirations of a graduating cohort of graduate entry dental students in one London institution.
(40/59)