Journal of dental education
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This skills-building workshop at the 5(th) American Dental Education Association (ADEA) International Women's Leadership Conference engaged participants in a series of structured experiences designed to support learning about personal leadership strengths and areas for development, as well as setting and attaining leadership goals. The session was introduced with a brief reflective exercise focused on developing statements of personal goals for professional growth. An Appreciative Inquiry process then was used to explore participants' areas of strength, examining both self-perceptions and the perceptions of others who listened to their descriptions of "peak experiences" in work settings. ⋯ This exercise allowed further exploration of individual competencies and characteristics and provided an opportunity for participants to visualize the potential for development in new areas. Finally, two very different peer coaching strategies were employed to expand on participants' learning. The experience proved to be a lively, socially engaging, and personally meaningful one for participants, whatever the stage of their careers or their country of origin.
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Dental diseases are a major burden on health; however, they are largely preventable. Dental treatment alone will not eradicate dental disease with a shift to prevention required. Prevention of dental diseases is a role of dental professionals, with most countries having formalized health promotion competencies for dental and oral health graduates. ⋯ However, for all studies the health promotion content was focused on health education. In terms of evaluation of outcomes, only two studies evaluated the health promotion content using student reflections. More good-quality information on health promotions training is needed to inform practice.
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Revised accreditation standards for dental and dental hygiene education programs have increased emphasis on faculty development that can improve teaching and learning, foster curricular change including use of teaching and learning technologies, and enhance retention and satisfaction of faculty. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL) established the Institute for Allied Health Educators (IAHE) in 2007 to address faculty development needs for allied dental and allied health educators. In 2009, it was transitioned to an online program, which resulted in increased enrollment and diversity of participants. ⋯ In addition, 83% agreed or strongly agreed the program helped them develop new skills and confidence with technology, with 69% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it helped them incorporate technology into their own educational setting. Nearly 90% were highly positive or positive in their overall assessment of the program; 95% indicated they would recommend it to a colleague; and 80% agreed or strongly agreed they had discussed what they learned with faculty colleagues at their home institutions who had not attended the program. Positive findings from this evaluation provide evidence that the IAHE has been able to meet its goals.
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The aim of this pilot study was to assess adult patients' ability to read and understand two communication tools at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry: the dental school clinic website and a patient education brochure pertaining to sedation in children that was written by dental school personnel. A convenience sample of 100 adults seeking treatment at the school's general dental clinic during 2012-13 completed a health literacy screening instrument. They were then asked to read clinic educational and informational materials and complete a survey. ⋯ Health literacy was not associated with age or gender, but was associated with education and race/ethnicity. The SMOG Readability Index determined that the website and the sedation form were written at a ninth grade reading level. These results suggest that dental schools and other health care organizations should incorporate a health-literate approach for their digital and written materials to enhance patients' ability to navigate and understand health information, regardless of their health literacy.
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Grand Rounds are widely used in medicine for educating students comprehensively about clinical issues. The aim of this study was to explore the value of Grand Rounds for introducing first- (D1) and second-year (D2) dental students to an interdisciplinary approach to dental care. The objectives were to explore how interested students were in various topics, which topics they would like to see addressed in future sessions, which aspects they liked/disliked, how they evaluated the program components, and how they evaluated the outcomes. ⋯ The closed-ended responses showed that the students appreciated the in-class presentations by experts and evaluated the course as helpful in informing them about the complexity of issues and the importance of the interplay between basic and clinical sciences. Educating future dentists in a way in which they embrace interdisciplinary approaches is challenging. Using the Grand Rounds concept could be one approach to increasing students' awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary work.