Developing an index of restorative dental treatment need.
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The process undertaken to establish an initial pilot index for restorative dental treatment is described. Following consultation with a wide range of clinicians and others, an outline framework for the index was developed and comprised three main components: 1. Patient identified need for treatment: the data from the patient perceived need questionnaire were inconclusive; 2. Complexity of treatment (assessed by clinicians): this was found to be a practical tool capable of being used by a range of dentists. A booklet has been produced which describes the process of using the scoring system; 3. Priority for treatment (assessed by clinicians): three levels of priority were identified; the highest priority was assigned to patients with inherited or developmental defects that justify complex care (eg clefts of the lip and palate). The initial development of the index has had some success in a difficult area. The treatment complexity component is the most developed and may allow both referrers and commissioners of specialist restorative dentistry to determine appropriate use of skilled clinicians' expertise. (+info)
The use of real time video magnification for the pre-clinical teaching of crown preparations.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect on the undergraduate learning process of using an alternative method designed to enhance the visual demonstration of taper on full veneer crown preparations (better understanding of the value of taper on preparations early in the teaching programme in restorative dentistry). DESIGN: A comparison between the conventional teaching of full veneer crown preparations and the same teaching with the additional use of a magnified real time video display using a surgical microscope was investigated in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: The degree of taper was measured for replica full crown preparations and results compared between different cohorts of undergraduates and experimental conditions. RESULT: Undergraduates taught using the real time video produced more accurately tapered preparations. This ability was retained over one year. CONCLUSIONS: A possible explanation for the result was that the use of magnification improved the undergraduates' precise understanding of taper by enhancing their ability to evaluate this critical measurement during the teaching process. (+info)
The use of specific dental school-taught restorative techniques by practicing clinicians.
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In 1995, a survey requesting information about the utilization of certain prosthodontic techniques was mailed to 3,544 graduates of a midwestern dental school. Responses were received from 1,455 alumni, representing a 41 percent return rate. In general, the results are consistent with international and national trends and show significant disparity in the utilization rates of certain procedures between general dentists and prosthodontists, as well as a disconnect between what is taught in the undergraduate dental educational program and what is applied in practice. For example, while prosthodontists typically apply what was taught in their educational program, utilization rates of general dentists for the facebow was 29.64 percent; the custom tray 68.48 percent; border molding 58.67 percent; altered casts 24.10 percent; custom posts 49.29 percent; prefabricated posts 67.54 percent; and semi-adjustable articulators 50.64 percent. While no solutions to this disconnect are offered the authors do pose important questions that must be addressed by the dental educational community. (+info)
The partially edentulous adult offers a unique and problem-rich resource as a basis for a case-based learning scenario in clinical dentistry in the field of planning oral rehabilitation. However, there is little resource material available to help students negotiate the territory between diagnosis and treatment options of discrete conditions and treatment sequencing once decisions have been made. To address the educational void surrounding the teaching and learning of oral rehabilitation strategies, the authors have developed a CD-ROM 'Interactive Learning in Dentistry: Decision making in the oral rehabilitation of the partially edentulous adult'. The disc emphasises the distinction between 'doing' and 'planning to do' in the decision-making process. After using the disc the students should be able to apply a generic framework to formulate a custom oral rehabilitation plan for their own patient. The disc was evaluated by final-year students from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney. Response to the program was essentially positive and comments from students have impacted on further development. (+info)
As treatment expectations of dental patients continue to escalate we, as restorative dentists, must provide an interdisciplinary treatment approach to ensure optimum results for our patients. In recent years the disciplines of periodontics, endodontics and oral surgery have continued to develop closer working relationships with the field of restorative dentistry. Unfortunately, this is not the common relationship that exists with the discipline of orthodontics. Most orthodontic therapy is directed at the treatment of malocclusion and is conducted with limited or no input from the restorative dentist. Orthodontics offers countless ways of assisting the restorative dentist in achieving treatment goals. Several of these orthodontic opportunities to enhance the restorative treatment plan are reviewed. (+info)
Use of simulation technology in dental education.
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Simulation is becoming very beneficial in the area of health care education. Dentistry has used various types of simulation in preclinical education for some time. This article discusses the impact of the current simulation laboratories on dental education and reviews advanced technology simulation that has recently become available or is in the developmental stage. The abilities of advanced technology simulation, its advantages and disadvantages, and its potential to affect dental education are addressed. (+info)
Preliminary evidence for a general competency hypothesis.
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Although predoctoral dental education is generally taught and evaluated by disciplines, there is no evidence bearing on whether the competencies necessary to begin independent practice are learned and practiced as a general set of skills, understanding, and values or as groups of discipline-specific skills, understanding, and values, which together constitute graduation competency. There is some support in the literature for each view In this preliminary investigation, 64,000 faculty ratings of student clinical competency were analyzed in a Year x Quarter x Discipline x Model design. The dependent variable was predictive validity of graduation quarter competency ratings using R-values from four prediction models. Results of a multiple repeated measures ANOVA show that models based on technical skills other than the one being predicted, clinical judgment and patient management, and the combination of these two models all predict graduation competency in each of four disciplines better than do ratings in the disciplines being predicted. As the time gap between predictive and predicted competence decreases, predictions become more accurate, but an asymptote is reached by the middle of the final clinical year. By using general models to evaluate students rather than discipline-specific ones, students needing intervention and remediation and those who could benefit from enrichment experiences can be identified as accurately at the beginning of their clinical careers as they can near the graduation deadline. This study provides preliminary support for a general competency hypothesis and suggests that research is necessary to better understand how students and dentists learn and practice rather than how they are taught. (+info)
Assessment of the use of problem-orientated, small-group discussion for learning of a fixed prosthodontic, simulation laboratory course.
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AIM: To evaluate a simulation laboratory course that used student-centred small-group problem-orientated discussion activities as the main medium of instruction. METHODS: A structured questionnaire using a six-point Likert scale with 30 statements relating to a fixed prosthodontics course was distributed to 4th-year and 5th-year students who had completed the course. RESULTS: A 93% response rate was achieved for both years with a mean score for the 4th-year being 94.2 (+/- 13.7) and the 5th-year 107.5 (+/-16.9). The differences between the scores of both years are highly significant (P = 0.0006) indicating that the 5th-year were more favourable about the course and learning approach used. Consistency and reliability of the questionnaire was judged reliable according to Cronbach's alpha (4th-year = 0.7, 5th-year = 0.83). Many aspects of the small-group student-centred activities were highly valued by students however, students expressed a preference for learning and interacting with teachers than colleagues. CONCLUSION: Small-group student-centred learning activities were reported as creating an active, safe learning environment with beneficial opportunities for peer-peer interaction such as questioning, teaching and learning from students. However, students expressed a preference for teacher-centred information dissemination and activities. An understanding of the rationale of student dependence to teacher-centred learning may allow improved modifications in a student-centred learning environment. (+info)