Use of surgical telescopes by senior dental students: A survey

This survey examined the use of surgical telescopes (STs) in a large senior dental student class. The percentage of students who purchased STs, factors that influenced those purchases, frequency/patterns of use, and purchase satisfaction were investigated. The survey return rate was 85.3% (128 of 150). Among the respondents, 86% had purchased STs and 14% had not. The most frequent motive for ST purchase was advice received from others (43%); ergonomic reasons were cited by 21% of users. Fixed-lens designs were selected more frequently (70%) than flip-down systems (30%). Nearly all ST purchases were made during the first year of dental school (95%), and low-power magnification (x 2-2.5) was chosen by 88% of purchasers. STs were used more often for operative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics, endodontics, and pediatric dentistry than for practice in other disciplines. ST users expressed a high level of satisfaction with their purchases (84%). The most common reason given for not purchasing STs was being able to see well enough without them (9 of 18; 50%).     

A patient-instructor program to promote dental students' communication skills with diverse patients

This article describes the design and evaluation of a patient-instructor (PI) program that was developed to teach and assess dental student communication skills with patients, with an emphasis on cross-cultural patient encounters. The PIs were individuals from the community trained to portray specific simulated patients. One hundred eighteen dental students (three graduating classes) completed two half-day rotations that occurred in the junior year; seventy-nine of those students (two graduating classes) also completed a third rotation that occurred in the senior year. On each rotation, students worked with several simulated patients in mock clinic appointments. PIs used a standardized rating scale and case-specific content checklists to assess students' ability to elicit and provide essential information. Across counterbalanced cases, students improved as they progressed through encounters. Rate of improvement varied by rotation, but students improved most during their first rotation. Overall performance was best on the final rotation. Qualitative review of content checklist items indicated areas of strengths and weaknesses in communication regarding medical, dental, psychosocial, and cultural content. Results can direct curriculum changes to improve communication skills. Future research should address the effects of the PI program on students' diversity-related attitudes and behaviors.     

Child abuse and neglect: dental and dental hygiene students' educational experiences and knowledge

The objective of this study was to explore dental and dental hygiene students' educational experiences and knowledge concerning child abuse/neglect. Questionnaire data were collected from 233 dental (116 male/117 female; response rate=54.82 percent) and seventy-six dental hygiene students (all female; response rate=76.77 percent). Of those surveyed, 94.7 percent of the dental hygiene and 70.5 percent of the dental students reported having learned about child abuse/neglect in classroom settings, and 15.8 percent of the dental hygiene and 29.3 percent of the dental students reported having learned about it in clinical settings. Dental students reported more minutes of instruction about this topic than dental hygiene students (184.48 vs. 112.90 minutes; p=.006). Only 5.5 percent of the dental and 16.7 percent of the dental hygiene students defined child abuse correctly; 32.2 percent of the dental and 13.2 percent of the dental hygiene students did not know their legal responsibility concerning reporting child abuse; and 82.4 percent of the dental and 78.9 percent of the dental hygiene students did not know where to report child abuse. Dental care providers are likely to encounter child abuse and neglect in their professional lives and are legally required to respond to these matters. Dental and dental hygiene curricula should be revisited to ensure that students are adequately prepared for this professional task.     

A model for selection and assessment of community-based sites for dental students' extramural clinical experiences

As a recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson's Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community-Based Dental Education grant, the Extramural Education Program (EEP) at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry was charged with developing partnerships with community-based oral health programs throughout Illinois. These programs are to be used for clinical service-learning rotations for fourth-year dental students, relying on the utilization of the dentists employed at the community site as preceptors for the students. Because the College of Dentistry had essentially no community-based service-learning experiences prior to the Robert Wood Johnson grant, procedures and protocols needed to be developed to standardize a process for site and preceptor selection. An administrative process was developed to engage, recruit, and partner with community-based oral health programs that provided direct clinical services. This article will discuss the development of criteria used to select sites and preceptors for extramural clinical rotations; the development of a set of standardized assessment instruments; and the credentialing process for community-based adjunct faculty that leads to the affiliation agreements. These community-based rotations have been integrated into the College of Dentistry curriculum as a required extramural service-learning course referred to as Extramural Clinical Experience (DADM 325).     

Patients with special needs: dental students' educational experiences, attitudes, and behavior

Accreditation standards require U.S. dental schools to prepare their graduates for the diagnosis of treatment needs of patients with special health care needs (SHCN). The objective of this study was to explore dental students' perceptions of their education about these issues, their satisfaction with this education, and their professional attitudes and behavioral intentions concerning treating patients with SHCN in the future. Web-based survey data were collected from forty-nine dental student leaders in thirteen U.S. dental schools and paper-and-pencil survey data from 397 dental students at a Midwestern dental school. Most respondents agreed that it is important to be educated about providing care for patients with SHCN and that they will provide care for these patients in the future. However, their satisfaction with their education was not equally positive. Their perceived quality of their dental education was correlated with their confidence concerning treating SHCN patients; their confidence was in turn correlated with their intentions to include these patients in their patient families in their future professional lives. In conclusion, dental students are strongly motivated to learn about providing care for patients with SHCN. The better their dental education prepares them for this task, the more confident they will be when treating these patients and the more likely they will be to provide care for these patients.     

Pennsylvania dental establishments in 2001

Census Bureau reports for 2001 were used to develop data for "average" dental establishments in the counties of the state of Pennsylvania. There have been marked decreases in the number of residents per establishment and the proportional representation of smaller dental establishments (less than five employees) since 1980. Dental establishment "average" employee salaries ranged from $17,400 to more than $37,100 in the various counties. The need to monitor dental establishment activities beyond the confines of one's own facility is emphasized.     

A self-reported survey of Alzheimer's centers in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Directors of nursing at 23 nursing homes with Alzheimer's units in Southwestern Pennsylvania completed a self‐reported survey of 12 questions. Responses from the self‐administered questionnaires (100% response rate) revealed a wide variation in the staff categories assessing the oral health status of newly admitted residents with AD. The respondents described oral examinations that were incomplete when compared to the oral indicators listed in the Minimum Data Set. All nursing homes reported that oral hygiene was provided each day. The number of residents in a facility had a significant effect on the frequency of oral hygiene provided. Only 52% of the facilities reported yearly oral examinations for this population. According to the respondents, dental treatment was typically performed on‐site. The oral health care costs were paid by Medicare, Medicaid, the residents/family members, or by other undescribed resources. Insufficient time, staff, and training, as well as uncooperative behavior, were identified as barriers to optimum oral health care for residents with AD. Additional staff, specialized training, and increased government reimbursement were suggested to improve the oral health care for this group of older adults. For future studies, review of medical records and on‐site evaluation of the oral health care at these facilities should be required to verify the reported practices.     

Survival of dental restorations in young patients

The aim of this study was to show how the survival of restorations placed in teeth of young patients varied with the age of the patient at the time of treatment. Data from the treatment records of 113 regularly attending patients at one practice were collected, and the fate and survival of 1327 restorations was determined from the sequences of treatment of each permanent tooth. Occlusal restorations occurred most frequently (37.6%) and together with the MO and DO restorations (22.6%) accounted for more than half of the restorations in the study. The proportion of replaced restorations increased with increasing patient age at the time of treatment, from 33% to 56%. The survival of all restorations improved the older the patient at the time of treatment, from 40% to 77% surviving 5 yr. The implications for the treatment of carious young permanent teeth are considered.     

A report of dental findings in a survey of geriatric patients

A survey carried out in 300 geriatric patients showed that there was a considerable need for dental treatment but that the state of the mouth, the dental care, and standards of prostheses worn was better in subjects from the higher socioeconomic groups.The majority of prostheses worn required replacement those patients who were partially dentate required extensive treatment but there was no apparent sex difference in the type or extent of treatment required. The number of pathological lesions in the mouth that required further investigation or treatment was high.     

The experiences of women pediatric dental residents: a survey.

A survey of 430 female pediatric dentists in the United States determined concerns and experiences they had during their advanced training programs. The return rate was 54%. Up to 83% (24) of the women who were pregnant during their residencies asked not to be exposed to certain environmental hazards during pregnancy and the postpartum period. They requested that program directors establish policies on known environmental hazards. Eighty-eight women (41%) commented that programs should offer flexible, preestablished and preannounced maternity leave policies. Survey respondents also expressed concerns about personal safety (5%), the lack of female role models (9%), and the need for more information on business management (30%). When the women were analyzed according to age, the following were significant (P less than .05): professional acceptance was of greatest concern to women ages 41-48; pregnancy and maternity leave, and balancing career with parenthood, significantly concerned women 25-32; and women ages 33-40 said business management was the issue causing the greatest frustration as a practicing pediatric dentist. While most respondents felt that they have the same professional opportunities as men, their greatest frustrations are a lack of acceptance by the professional and lay communities and trying to balance a career and motherhood.