Journal of dental education
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Comparative Study
Teaching alternatives to the standard inferior alveolar nerve block in dental education: outcomes in clinical practice.
Surveys were sent to Harvard School of Dental Medicine students and graduates from the classes of 2000 through 2006 to determine their current primary means of achieving mandibular anesthesia. Orthodontists and orthodontic residents were excluded. All subjects received clinical training in the conventional inferior alveolar nerve block and two alternative techniques (the Akinosi mandibular block and the Gow-Gates mandibular block) during their predoctoral dental education. ⋯ The confidence interval for the Gow-Gates method excludes this value, while the confidence interval for the Akinosi technique includes zero percent. We conclude that, in the study population, formal clinical training in the Gow-Gates and Akinosi injection techniques lead to a small but significant increase in current primary utilization of the Gow-Gates technique. No significant increase in current primary utilization of the Akinosi technique was found.
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By all outward signs, the dental profession is prospering. However, signs of a looming crisis in dental education threaten the future effectiveness of the profession. Transforming dental education through the application of principles espoused by the ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI) is essential for securing the future of the profession. ⋯ To accomplish this, both the curricular content and the environment and approach to dental education must change. Besides the knowledge and abilities needed to care for a more diverse and aging population, future practitioners must possess tools needed to thrive in the world of small business and have the ethical foundation to conduct themselves as responsible professionals. Ensuring the future of the profession is a leadership challenge to be shared by both dental educators and practitioners.
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Comparative Study
Problem-based learning at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine: self-assessment of performance in postdoctoral training.
Problem-based learning (PBL) was implemented into the dental curriculum at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) in 1994 with an expectation that this pedagogy would enhance students' critical thinking and communication skills as well as general professional competencies. Previous studies have described several aspects of the outcome of PBL curricula at the predoctoral level. However, there is no information available on the perceptions and performance of PBL graduates during their postdoctoral training in dentistry. ⋯ The HSDM graduates' capacity for independent learning was rated as "excellent" by 65.31 percent of the directors and 80.95 percent of the HSDM graduates themselves. These findings suggest that the performance of HSDM graduates during their postdoctoral training met expectations and were similar to non-HSDM graduates for traditional residency program competencies. However, the PBL training appears to provide HSDM graduates with enhanced abilities in independent learning, communication, and cooperation skills.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparing fourth-year dental student productivity and experiences in a dental school with community-based clinical education.
Reports and articles by the Institute of Medicine, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (CCI), and the Macy Foundation have examined the challenges confronting dental education and reached the conclusion that U. S. dental education is on the brink of major change. A recent "case for change" article by the CCI makes the argument that dental education, as currently structured, is quickly becoming obsolete, overpriced, and lacking in its ability to provide the education that future practitioners will need. ⋯ In comparison, the same students treated 19,344 unique patients and completed 28,680 procedures during ninety-three clinic days at the school. Each student treated 190 patients and completed 281 procedures. Fourth-year dental students completed as many procedures and generated similar revenue-equivalents in community sites as they did in a dental school clinic in half the time.
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This study examined the factors influencing the proportion of underrepresented minority students (URM) in dental schools. Using a comprehensive recruitment model, it considered the relative importance of community characteristics (population demographics, oral health policies, dental care system, and university environment), dental school characteristics (Pipeline-supported, mission, and financing), and community-based dental education (CBDE) characteristics of the dental school on recruitment of URM students. Data come from a national survey of dental school seniors and a variety of publicly available sources. ⋯ For a higher percent of African Americans in the first-year class, the most important factors were a higher proportion of blacks in the county, support from the national Pipeline program, and graduating students' perceptions of better preparedness to integrate cultural differences into treatment planning. Higher total financial aid awarded by the school was negatively associated with recruitment of African Americans. Results suggest some improved URM recruitment strategies for dental schools.