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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a highly discussed subject, and its integration into our daily lives has grown significantly. This research evaluated how dental students in North Cyprus perceive and feel about artificial intelligence, with a focus on identifying educational needs to enhance their professional skills. A self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire with 24 questions was conducted. 5 questions focused on gathering basic demographic information, such as gender, age, academic year, AI knowledge self-assessment, dental news sources, and experience in AI development. The remaining 16 questions pertained to AI-related topics. In general, students stated that they have little knowledge about AI (71.4%), and usually get the latest medical and dental news and information through the Internet (65.7%). 43,6% of the participants were strongly agree that AI-related lectures should be included in the regular curriculum for dental hygiene. Male students showed that they have significantly more knowledge about AI than female students. (p<0.05) In general, participants demonstrated diminished confidence in AI. It is seen that the dental education curriculum provided minimal information about AI and most of the students stated that AI-related lectures should be included in the regular curriculum for dental hygiene. Based on these findings, it is important to arrange lectures and seminars aimed at enhancing dental students' comprehension of AI.

Learning in a clinical environment is central to a health professionals' educational journey including Dentistry. Implementation of curriculum within the clinical learning environment (CLE) prepares dental undergraduates for professional practice. Evaluation is an important part of curriculum design which provides the evidence to support improvements and continuous development. Engaging learners in evaluation process creates a learner centered approach which has well documented benefits to inform educators if learning needs are being met from their perspective. To explore dental student's perceptions of their CLE to evaluate the implementation of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) curriculum. Four focus groups were undertaken with a total of 16 participants to explore their learning experiences. Students were asked to identify what they perceived as enablers and barriers which affect their learning and make suggestions for improvement. Transcripts of audio data were thematically analyzed, coded and themes identified. The themes identified related to teachers' attributes and improvements in physical facilities that enable their learning and pressure to perform the required quantity of clinical procedures, perceived inadequate supervision of chairside teaching, and lack of specific feedback on performance. Suggestions for improvements provided useful insights on issues related to perceived challenges. Learning could be improved by exploring quality of consultations over quantity to mitigate low patient availability, lack of treatment materials to meet clinical procedure requirements, and utilising simulation to gain valuable experience. Finally, developing small units of dental communities of practice (CoP) to facilitate learning opportunities could enhance the learner's experience.

Acknowledging the critical role of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in shaping professional and academic success across various fields, the research delves into the nuanced interplay between gender and academic discipline in shaping the ESP needs of higher education students. The investigation investigates the impact of gender and academic discipline on Chilean dentistry and business administration students' perceived lack, want, and need for English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Drawing on sociocultural theory and self-determination theory, a mixed-methods model that involved data collected from 94 dentistry and 121 business administration students was adopted. Findings revealed significant gender differences: males reported greater perceived lack, whereas females exhibited higher want and need for English, suggesting gender influences ESP perception and necessitates customized learning strategies. Contrarily, academic discipline did not significantly affect ESP perceptions, challenging assumptions that ESP needs are strictly discipline-dependent and highlighting a generalized demand for English proficiency across fields. The findings demonstrate the importance of gender-sensitive and flexible ESP programs that cater to diverse learner needs while considering broader educational and individual factors. The study implies that educational practitioners should develop ESP curricula that not only address specific professional terminologies and situations but also reflect an understanding of the roles gender and discipline play in language learning. This approach could foster more effective and inclusive language education tailored to the varied aspirations and requirements of students in different fields.

Researchers have revealed the advantages of experiential learning for students and professionals at all levels of the health care delivery system. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the use of head simulators in dental school in acquiring proficient periodontal knowledge, dental skills, and confidence by practicing oral health professionals. Of the 117 purposive sampled participants surveyed using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, 60 respondents used head simulators during their dental school education. On the effect of the head simulator enhancing knowledge. The findings regarding the effect of the head simulator in dental school revealed varying perspectives. A significant majority of participants agreed the head simulator had a beneficial effect on their skills. Among these findings, a third of participants strongly agreed the use of the head simulator notably enhanced their skills. When considering the influence on knowledge, the responses were more evenly distributed. Almost 40% of participants agreed the head simulator positively affected their knowledge, while almost 20% of participants generally disagreed. Examining the effect on confidence, findings also depicted varying viewpoints among the participants with 42% acknowledging the head simulator had a positive effect on their confidence. The findings suggest that head simulators positively affect dental education, particularly in enhancing knowledge, skills, and confidence.

In recent decades, a noticeable trend has emerged in medical and dental schools to adjust their curricula to promote learning strategies and habits geared towards long-term knowledge retention. This systematic review therefore sought to examine whether different teaching methods influence students' preferred learning approaches (deep, strategic, and surface approach) and indirectly affect their academic performance. Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive overview of the inconsistencies evident in previous literature regarding the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance of medical and dental students. A thorough search across eight databases yielded 49 relevant studies published between the years 2000 and 2023. The majority of studies revealed that whilst deep and strategic learners tend to excel at medical or dental school, surface learners appear to struggle under intense workload and pressure. Hence, a common consensus emerged amongst the existing literature that there is a relative benefit in attempting to guide students towards deep and strategic learning habits and to minimise surface-related learning strategies. However, results also conveyed that merely modifying the teaching methods used in medical and dental schools has limited merit. As such, the results emphasised the lack of a 'one-size-fits-all' teaching method. Common factors influencing learning approaches were subsequently identified, and based on these findings, an outlook was put forth to integrate a cognitive neuroscience approach into higher education. These directions for future investigations aim to help students reach their full potential by understanding the processes underlying efficient learning and by being mindful of respective encouraging and discouraging factors.

Student engagement while learning a new, unfamiliar vocabulary is challenging in health science courses. A group role-play activity was created to teach students medical terminology and learn why its correct usage is important. This activity brought engagement and relevance to a topic traditionally taught through lecture and rote memorization and led to the development of an undergraduate and a stand-alone introductory course to teach students medical terminology. The undergraduate course was designed to be a fully online medical terminology course for health science students and a face-to-face course for first-year dental students founded in active learning and group work. The course's centerpiece learning activity focused on using published case studies with role-play. In this group activity, students are challenged to interpret a published patient case study as one of the members of a healthcare team. This course models the group work inherent in modern health care to practice building community and practicing professional skills. This approach gives students the capacity to work asynchronously in a team-based approach using our learning management system's wiki tool and requires students to take responsibility for their learning and group dynamics. Students practice identification, writing, analyzing, and speaking medical terms while rotating through the roles. Students in both classes self-reported a 92% to 99% strong or somewhat agreement using a five-point Likert scale that the course pedagogy was valued and helpful in their learning of medical terminology. Overall, this method has proven to be an engaging way for students to learn medical terminology.

Skull anatomy is a difficult region for anatomy students to learn and understand but is necessary for a variety of health professional students. To improve learning, a 3D-printed human skull was developed, produced, and distributed to a course of 83 dental students for use as a take-home study tool over the 10-week anatomy course. The 70% scale human skull derived from CT data had a fully articulating mandible, simulated temporomandibular joint, and accurate cranial structures. At the course end, students completed a perception survey and responses were compared with those who made a grade of A, B, or C in the course. Students overall reported using the model less than 3 h per week, but those who scored an A in the course reported using the model more frequently than those who scored a B or C. Free responses revealed that students used the model in a variety of ways, but found that the model was quick and easily accessible to check understanding while studying at home in the absence of direct observation by faculty. Overall, this study provides evidence on the feasibility of large-scale 3D printing and the benefits of the use of a 3D-printed model as a take-home study aid.

Assessment of learners in the anatomical sciences is a complex task as it not only tests students' fact knowledge, but also the analysis of visual information. Sometimes, novice histology learners must acquire image recognition skills of microscopic structures in a short time frame. This paper describes a strategy of offering first year dental students at the University of Michigan a short, non-grade contributing, formative assessment quiz in order to better prepare them for a high-stakes, final summative histology examination. Data collected over 7 years indicate that students, who made use of this formative assessment opportunity, performed significantly better in their summative examination than students, who did not. Especially early practice quiz users profited most. Students, who used the practice quiz until they achieved a perfect score, also had statistically higher final examination scores. Students, who did not use the practice quiz, had a significantly lower cumulative D1-year Grade Point Average (D1-GPA) than students, who did, indicating that academically weaker students often underuse supporting learning resources. In general, scores from the Dental Admission Test (DAT) were weak predictors of learning success in the DENT 510 histology course. In contrast, the D1-GPA values had a medium strength positive correlation with final histology examination scores. The major problem that was encountered with this practice quiz strategy was that many students waited until close to the day of the final examination before taking advantage of this feedback opportunity, thereby reducing its potential benefit for improving their overall learning strategy for histology.

Dental anatomy education for dental technology students should be developed in alignment with digital dental laboratory practices. We hypothesized that a virtually assisted sketching-based dental anatomy teaching module could improve students' acquisition of skills essential for digital restoration design. The second-year dental technology curriculum included a novel virtual technology-assisted sketching-based module for dental anatomy education. Pre- and post-course assessments evaluated students' skill sets and knowledge bases. Computer-aided design (CAD) scores were analyzed after one year to assess how the skills students developed through this module impacted their subsequent CAD performance. Participants who undertook the dental sketching-based teaching module demonstrated significantly improved theoretical knowledge of dental anatomy, dental aesthetic perception, and spatial reasoning skills. A partial least squares structural equation model indicated that the positive effects of this module on subsequent CAD performance were indirectly mediated by dental aesthetic perception, spatial reasoning, and practice time. A virtually assisted sketching-based dental anatomy teaching module significantly improved students' acquisition of skills and knowledge and positively mediated dental technology students' CAD performance.

Digital transformation in education and relevant calls for action are recognised global priorities aimed to support education and training in the digital age. The experiences from the emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent research findings reveal relevant advantages, challenges, as well as different students and teaching staff perspectives which should be carefully considered and integrated into institutional strategies and policies to improve and enrich students' learning experience. The present study aimed to explore health sciences students' perspectives on online teaching and learning (T&L) in four domains--"Satisfaction", "Motivation", "Interaction" and "Challenges", and to identify the preferred T&L models or tools. A total of 1,041 responses were collected, including 476 dental medicine (45.7%), 399 pharmacy (38.3%), and 166 medical students (15.9%). Overall "Satisfaction" was quite high (4.0 ± 1.2; out of 5), followed by satisfactory Interaction (3.4 ± 1.4), whereas "Motivation" was quite low on average (3.0 ± 1.5). "Challenges" in online T&L were not markedly expressed (3.0 ± 1.6). The majority of students (46.6%) opted for the blended model as the preferred T&L model. Moodle lessons were perceived as the most useful online T&L tool (45.5% of students), followed by video materials (32.2%). Other T&L tools which require more active student's role, such as short test/quiz, and group or team assignment were declared as less favourable. The findings from the current study may contribute to raising the awareness of academic staff and higher institutions management about the student attitudes and needs related to online T&L and inform institutional planning, decision-making and policy development.

Engagement through the use of technology requires a level of vulnerability and trust amongst teachers and learners. The emotional and social aspects of engagement can be significantly affected by the nuances of the learning setting. The study goal was to explore learner needs related to uploaded lecture-captured recordings and examine how the use of a commenting feature might enhance learning experiences. Building on self-determination theory, we postulated that affording commenting opportunities would increase engagement (relatedness), with learners choosing to engage in the potential learning value from comment over the vulnerability that could come with making public comments (autonomy), and improved learning outcomes (competence). Using a pre/post survey design, 100% (N = 190) of second year undergraduate medical and dental learners participated in this study. Pre-survey results demonstrated that 65% (n = 94) perceived value in seeing what others asked; 59% (n = 94) of participants wanted to view the responses of others. Post-survey results demonstrated that 6% (n = 12) indicated that commenting made them feel vulnerable. Twenty-nine percent (n = 55) preferred anonymous commenting. Engagement was impacted by technical issues with the new system, learners not perceiving significant 'value-add' due to alternative mechanisms in receiving answers to questions, and the timing of our technology change. Learners still perceived value in creating opportunities to ask questions and seek responses, though it must be balanced with ensuring that the learning environment allows vulnerability. Meaningful connections can be found in various ways throughout the learning environment in both the formal and parallel curricula.

Undergraduate courses such as biochemistry were prompted to embrace online distance learning triggered by the incursion of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study worked to help solve the issues and concerns related to teaching biochemistry as a foundational course for dental and other health-sciences programs in the status of the educational system. The case study method was deemed a good way to focus on the objectives of this research because the theme was dentistry students' perceptions and experiences dealing with the opportunities and difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it in this circumstance. 11 purposively sampled dentistry students served as the participants of the study. Data were gathered through an online platform with open-ended questions which were thematically analyzed afterward. The identified opportunities were lumped into ROTE: Research works, Open and independent learning, Technology for education, and Education for health. Challenges encountered were grouped as DARE: Demand for technology, Acquisition of knowledge, Remote learning, and Environmental condition for studying. It is worth noting that the participants were enlightened on the academic and personal benefits of biochemistry online distance learning. The researchers appeal to future researchers and policymakers to anchor forthcoming steps to further augment the online teaching and learning experiences of teachers and learners.

We compared the influence of open-book extended duration versus closed book time-limited format on reliability and validity of written assessments of pharmacology learning outcomes within our medical and dental courses. Our dental cohort undertake a mid-year test (30xfree-response short answer to a question, SAQ) and end-of-year paper (4xSAQ, 1xessay, 1xcase) in pharmacology. For our first year medical cohort, pharmacology is integrated within a larger course, contributing 20xclinical vignette questions (to select the single best answer (SBA) to each question from a choice of 5 plausible answers) to a mid-year test and 3-5xSAQ to an end-of-year paper. Our experience indicates that SAQ are as reliable as SBA for closed-book time-limited assessments; reliability correlates with number of questions employed. We have found good correlation between mid-year and end-of-year performance (predictive validity), between questions (factorial validity) and between pharmacology and other subjects within the assessment (concurrent validity). Adoption of open-book extended duration assessments resulted in only modest reduction in reliability and validity.

The Noval Coronavirus left a considerable negative impact on education worldwide in 2019. Therefore, different measures were implemented by governments to eliminate or minimize the risk of disease spreading. These measures included travel restrictions, mandatory quarantines for travelers, social distancing, bans on public gatherings, schools and universities closures, business closures, self isolation, asking people to work remotely from home, curfews, and lockdown. Many universities and colleges worldwide suspended classroom teaching due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, and switched to online teaching. Iraq was one of those countries that followed the lockdown rules and resorted to online education. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the dentistry teaching staff as well as psychological health and educational status of students who experienced the lockdown last year in Iraqi colleges. The study participants were divided into two groups: the first group included a total of 1250 participants from 28 different colleges of dentistry (public and private), who answered the questionnaire with a response rate of 71.76%; the second group included a total of 776 students (474 females and 302 males) with a gender ratio of 1.6:1. The results showed that COVID-19 pandemic lockdown affected the academic performance of most participants (82.2%) with varying degrees. Overall, the mean evaluation score for online education was 31.3±6.9, while that for the practical subjects was 68.6%±6.9. Although online education provided the students with an opportunity for self-study, it faced a serious challenge when offering the students the practical subjects in medical science. Since majority of the courses in medical science included practical subjects, the students experienced real difficulties receiving online education. As the result, academic staff and students found it difficult to fulfill the medical science requirements adopting online education system alone.

The system of continuous professional development of doctors in Ukraine needs detailed analysis and comprehensive dynamic monitoring to become a process that includes the possibility of a doctor's professional growth. The research aims to monitor approaches to the continuous professional development of dentists for the formation and improvement of professional competence skills by highlighting the role of individual educational trajectory based on the priority of work formats with professional information, methods of familiarization with it and its receiving. 2216 respondents took part in the research, filling out a questionnaire during scientific and practical events of professional schools for dentists in online mode in March 2023, which included questions on the definition and objectification of forms, formats, ways of implementing continuous professional development and the vision of approaches to acquiring new knowledge and skills. The data obtained was processed using the StatSoft Inc licence program. Analytical research methods and structural-logical analysis were applied. According to the survey results, an individual's educational trajectory should include attending lectures, professional seminars, working with scientific and practical publications. The main quality requirement for publications is their good illustration of clinical cases and algorithms for working with patients. The analysis results of the rating parameters of professional dental journals declare the request of the dental community to improve the quality of material content, visual design and a possible change in positioning.

Soft skills, essential for patient care, are relatively unfamiliar to dentists, necessitating investigation for the development of continuing education strategies. This study aimed to map the literature on soft skills usage in dental practice, based on dental professionals' perceptions, acknowledging the importance of conducting a scoping review to understand the current research landscape and identify areas needing attention from researchers and educators. The research question was: "What are the soft skills investigated in dental practice?". Searches were conducted from November to December 2022 in the following electronic databases: virtual Health Library (BVS), National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE/PubMed), American Psychological Association (APA PsycNET), Scopus (Elsevier), and Portal Capes. Studies with dentists (public) who utilize soft skills (concept) in dental practice in both public and other settings (context), without language restrictions, between 2012 and 2022, were included. After applying the inclusion criteria, 266 articles were included. There was an increasing trend in publications over the last decade (R2 = 0.699). The non-public sector was the most addressed (60.15%). The dimension of intrapersonal skills was the most investigated (37.22%), followed by interpersonal skills (27.44%), communication skills (22.56%), professional ethical values (9.4%), and managerial skills (3.38%).Research on soft skills in dental practice has surged in recent years, with a notable focus on intrapersonal skills. Nonetheless, the scarcity of literature on certain soft skills may impact the continuous education of professionals, highlighting the importance of stimulating further research in this area.

As a strategy to carry out a better achievement in the Biochemistry course, undergraduate dentistry education manage a traditional course on the basic concepts of general chemistry necessary in the understanding of Biochemistry. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of learning outcome, we aimed to develop an evaluation tool that was applied to first-year dental students before and after receiving the general chemistry classes. Randomized trial consisted of 50 items distributed in 10 categories. The evaluation was applied to the students who took the Oral Biology course in the periods comprising 2020, 2021, and 2022 to a population of 109 students. Our results showed that after receiving the course the improvement rate was 20.71% with significant differences in each category. In conclusion, the introductory course allows students coming from different school systems to attend Biochemistry with similar knowledge of general chemistry.

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy of a desensitization program developed by dentists and occupational therapists, targeted at autistic adults, to encourage their cooperation in the dental setting. The study group consisted of 18 individuals with autism (10 men and 8 women, aged 18 - 45 years). The patients underwent a baseline examination, after which they were progressively exposed to oral examination maneuvers and ultimately dental procedures. To this end, the participants engaged in a weekly desensitization session performed by an occupational therapist and a monthly assessment session by a dentist applying the Frankl scale, for a maximum period of 30 weeks. During the first session, 44% of the participants completed all oral examination procedures, reaching 94% by the fourth visit and 100% by the seventh visit. None of the participants completed a simple dental treatment up to the third session, subsequently increasing the percentage progressively until reaching a maximum of 61% in the seventh visit. In conclusion, a dental desensitization program implemented by dentists and occupational therapists could help in performing oral examinations and simple therapeutic procedures for a considerable percentage of adults with autism, without having to resort to pharmacological behavioral control techniques.

Background: Flipped classroom (FC) model has become increasingly popular in dental education (DE) with its strengths for students. However, major concerns are lack of interaction, unwillingness to complete the assignments, low engagement during the pre-class activities because of an unwell-designed instructional setting of FC. Objectives: The recent study aims to investigate the effects of video-driven discussions integrated into the flipped classroom (VdDs-FC) model on dental students' (DSs) learning achievement, practical performance, and higher-order thinking skills in a restorative dentistry course. Methods: This study adopted a sequential explanatory design from mixed-methods research. A total of 96 DSs participated in a dentistry faculty of Türkiye. They were randomly divided into two groups: VdDs-FC group and the conventional flipped classroom (c-FC) group. Results and conclusions: The results showed that the VdDs-FC model had significant positive effects on the practical performance of DSs in practical subjects and their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in learning achievement and creativity. The use of FC in the c-FC group did not lead to any difference in the students' achievements. Moreover, the qualitative results indicated that the VdDs-FC model has the potential for enhancing peer learning, practical classroom activities, and higher-order thinking skills. Implications: This study also includes several instructional implications and suggestions for educators, researchers, and practitioners on use of FC in dentistry.

Background: School-based dental sealant programs are noted to increase sealant uptake among children, especially those from low-income families and those living in rural and underserved areas. However, nationally school-based dental sealant programs are substantially underutilized. This paper describes a partnership approach to a school-based dental sealant program for Title 1 public schools in Hawaii. Methods: The Hawaii Keiki--Healthy and Ready to Learn program partnered with the Hawaii Dental Service to develop and implement an interprofessional, school-based sealant program (SBSP). This article describes the development of key factors, such as partnerships, an interprofessional team, team roles, policies, and marketing tools to optimize program success. Results: The SBSP has completed over 3 academic years of implementation in Hawaii public schools. In its initial year (school year [SY] 2019-2020), which presented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it served 6 schools (106 students screened) on 1 island. It expanded to 14 schools on 1 island (193 students screened) in its second year (SY 2020-2021), 28 schools on 3 islands (653 students screened) in its third year (SY 2021-2022), and during the Fall of the fourth year, the program reached 50 schools on 3 islands (1821 students screened) and is projected to reach over 70 schools by the end of SY 2022-2023. Conclusion: Taking advantage of strategic partnerships and key interprofessional team members, a school-based dental sealant program can help to improve the oral health of children in public schools by helping to decrease barriers to care.

Like other health care practices, the increasing complexity in dentistry signals the need for a reconceptualisation of dentist professional learning. Professional dental bodies, at large, still privilege formal continuing professional development (CPD) provisions focusing on off-the-job activities despite growing evidence that much invaluable learning occurs through and at work. In exploring the two common dentist CPD approaches, this article critiques the narrow conceptions of learning inscribed in these frameworks, which are individualistic and acquisition oriented. Drawing on a vignette of dentists' professional practice at work, this paper argues for a shift in discussion from an emphasis on which CPD models work best to what counts as professional learning for dentists. To flesh out these arguments, the paper proposes using an innovative conceptual approach through the lens of 'complexity thinking' and the concept of 'co-present group'. Through this lens, the reframing of thinking brings out two key features of learning: Emergent learning cannot be specified in advance and much significant learning is typically beyond an individual's learning. Given the learning potentials of group practice and group learning, the paper concludes with suggestions to support dentists' lifelong learning at work.

By 2040, more than one in four Europeans is expected to be over 65. Despite improvements in older patients' care, oral healthcare is still neglected. One of the major obstacles could be the negative representations associated with aging: ageism. The present study aims to quantify and qualify ageism for general and specific representations of aging associated with the mouth of an older patient compared to a young patient in dental students. Undergraduate students at the French dental school of Clermont-Ferrand were invited to participate in the study. Ageism was quantified by asking the students to estimate how many older adults have some negative conditions, which were then compared to real data. Representations of the mouth of a young vs. an older adult were collected by asking each student to write the first five words that came to their mind when they thought about the mouth of a young person and then the mouth of an older person. The students exhibited a large overestimation of health problems in the older adult population. The words given for a young adult were positive 49% of the time (vs. 23% negative), whereas 69% of the words were negative for an older adult (vs. 8% positive). The students in the second year were less negative than students in higher years. Our study contributes to assessing how dental students could exhibit implicit ageism. They show very negative representations of aging from the beginning of their training, which get even worse after they are exposed to clinical training with older patients.

Autism spectrum disorder requires a careful approach from professionals and a favorable clinical environment for dental care and assistance. This article aims To perform a literature review about oral health among people with autism spectrum disorder and dental management strategies for this group. An integrative literature review was carried out in three databases, associating the descriptors: (autism or autism spectrum disorder) with (oral health or oral diseases) and (dental care or dental services). After identification and screening steps, 32 articles were included in the study. The most prevalent subjects were oral health conditions, parents' understanding and practical attitudes about oral health, treatment and management strategies, and the use of technology. The principal barriers to dental care were the scarcity of specialized professionals, unpreparedness in the referral system, poor accessibility of the clinics, and lack of specific care protocols. The world literature on the subject is scarce, and there is still a need for investment and scientific production due to the incidence of autism in the world population and the maintenance of difficulties and barriers in offering quality health care to this group.

The interaction between dentists and patients has been a common issue. Nevertheless, the study regarding the Critical Discourse Analysis on utterances used by dentists when taking care of patients remains unknown. This study aims to discover: (1) the experience of fresh-graduate dentists in learning how to interact or communicate with patients in their undergraduate program (past experience); and (2) how they use utterances in taking care of patients (current experience). In achieving the goals of the study, researchers employed narrative inquiry as the design of this study and used open-ended questions as a means of collecting data. The collected data was then analyzed in regard to the Critical Discourse Analysis to find whether the utterances used in taking care of patients were relevant to the knowledge they obtained in the undergraduate program. The outcome of this study reveals that the experience regarding communication between dentists and patients, both in the undergraduate program and in current practice, are interconnected to each other.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at higher risks of developing chronic oral health conditions. This trial compared the efficacy of two tooth-brushing educational interventions on the oral hygiene status {Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S)} among 7-15-year-old students with ASD in Tehran. Four schools were divided to intervention (video modeling) and comparison (social story) school groups. The OHI-S of 137 participants had been evaluated at baseline and 133 were analyzed finally after one month. Baseline characteristics were similar between both groups. OHI-S improvement was significantly higher in intervention group. We concluded that tooth-brushing educational intervention using video modeling based on modern technologies would improve oral hygiene status more than traditional social stories (standard education) in individuals with ASD. Trial registration number: IRCT20200208046413N1, Registration date: 2020-07-05.

When the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was established in 1905, universities in Canada and Newfoundland were eligible for participation in a pension fund for faculty and grants to universities. Canadian universities were quick to seek access to the Carnegie pension plan and for support from the Corporation. Access to both programs came with strings attached, including recommendations of educational studies commissioned by the Foundation, six of which addressed Canadian higher education specifically. As attractive as the prospect of Carnegie support was, it posed a dilemma for many universities and self-regulated professions associated with them in regard of mandate and autonomy. This study investigates how Canadian universities and the professional societies associated with them responded to the studies, found ways to take advantage of the reports, or in some cases make compromises to manage the internal conflicts that arose from them, and finally their embryonic introduction of the concept planned systems of higher education.

Over a half century ago, researchers found that so-called classic professions attract socially advantaged recruits with better labour market outcomes; however, as semi professions become increasingly institutionalized, and classic professional programs expand, differences between these two groups may be less pronounced. Using Statistics Canada's 2018 National Graduate Survey, we compare inputs and outcomes of four classic professions (law, pharmacy, medicine, and dentistry) and three semi-professions (teaching, social work, and nursing). Bivariate statistics show semi-professions have more non-traditional graduates who invest less in training. Multiple linear regression models also show that after controlling for demographics, classic professions have stronger education-job matches and higher earnings three years after graduation. We interpret these findings as being consistent with our theory of intensifying logic, where classic professions have tight training-job connections, and accommodating logic which suggests semi-professions have looser labour market connections. We end by discussing directions for future research on the classic and semi-professions.

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown disrupted every human endeavour including the world of medical education, halting pre-clinical and clinical trainings as well as graduation of physicians for the healthcare workforce thus posing a double jeopardy at a time of dire need for increased healthcare personnel. The adaptability and preparedness of training curricula for emergencies such as natural and man-made disasters ultimately determine the degree of disruption in medical education. This study explored students' insights on the efficacy and suitability of two curriculum pathways before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted between 2020 and 2021 in a public medical school using 102-item questionnaire administered online to 300 medical and dental students exposed to different training curricula- a "Traditional Curriculum", and a new "SPICCES Curriculum" that emphasizes student-centred designs. The questionnaire response rate was 93.3% comprising 55.7% and 44.3% female and male respondents, and 78.6% and 21.4% medical and dental students respectively with a mean age of 22.1 ± 2.39 years (range: 18-33 years). A total of 65.4% and 34.6% respondents were on the SPICCES and Traditional curriculum pathways respectively. More respondents in the SPICCES curriculum compared with the traditional curriculum track (70.5% vs 52.6%; X[superscript 2] = 8.862, p = 0.003, [phi] = -0.178) had favourable perspectives on the relevance of their program and the overall quality of the curriculum in preparing them to be rounded physicians for the 21st-century (59.0% vs 27.8%). Approximately 47.0% and 33.0% (X[superscript 2] = 3.990, p = 0.046, [phi] = -0.119) respondents in dentistry and medicine respectively had unfavourable perception about the relevance of the SPICCES curriculum. Findings in this study echo the need for student-centred curriculum designs and conducive educational environments that are resilient to emerging and established threats to educational pedagogy and programs. The study highlights the need for programs that support social and extracurricular activities for students.

Health professions students can increase their understanding of how social determinants impact health equity through experiential learning opportunities. Using key informant interviews with faculty and staff familiar with experiential education programs in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work, we sought to identify key features and best practices to inform the broader implementation of these programs. Interviews were recorded and compiled notes were reviewed to identify common themes across programs. Experiential learning helped teach students competencies related to health equity. However, many programs were challenged by limited infrastructure and the need for faculty training on health equity topics. Key informants noted that programs should be linked to accreditation and curricular requirements. Strong community partnerships also facilitated successful program implementation. Our findings can help guide other schools considering experiential learning programs, as well as future research in this area.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perspectives on a newly implemented program of Interprofessional education (IPE) in terms of its effectiveness in increasing the awareness about other health care professionals and providing tools to emerging dental professionals for comprehensive health care needs. Methods: A new IPE course was incorporated in the second year of the predoctoral dental curriculum, and educators and students from various health professionals came together to provide a collaborative learning environment. The study evaluated the survey data from the graduating classes of 2019 and 2020 in the predoctoral program at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. The students were surveyed during and at the end of the course to obtain their perspectives on the effectiveness of the program. Result: The results of the surveys showed most student respondents agreed strongly that they liked getting information from other health professionals and 93-95% agreed that collaborating with other members of the health care team can help facilitate patients' overall health care. The IPE sessions helped bring about awareness of interprofessional relations and communications within the health care team and prepared the students for holistic patient care. Conclusion: The IPE methods facilitated an interactive and interprofessional learning environment to assist students in developing awareness of interprofessional relations and communications within the health care team. The connections between oral and systemic health were reinforced, thus giving predoctoral dental students a wider view of patient treatment and consideration for their patients' comprehensive health care needs.

As traditional education transitioned from face-to-face interactions to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty and staff in dental hygiene, nursing, and exercise science programs placed students at the center of every educational decision and promoted stability in learning with their commitments to excellence in teaching and the delivery of content using educational and communication technology. This experiential narrative review explains how faculty members and administrators addressed online education with technology specific to health professions and how universities managed to assist students with innovative services for mental health. It also provides an insight into how degree-specific academic personnel embraced technology-based hands-on activities in community health clinics and clinical laboratories, with sustainable and impactful lessons in equity, affordability, and transformative education. Finally, health administrators gather their top-10 leadership recommendations to continue moving forward during the pandemic and present a unique self-reflection on the process of caring considerations required for a successful experience for faculty members, staff, and students.

The purposes of this study were (1) to introduce a virtual dental lab designed to support students' virtual clinical examinations in a dentistry program in South Korea and (2) to determine how dental students' levels of expertise (low, medium, or high) influence their clinical performance in terms of dwell time on each tooth location, total examination time, and perceived task load in the virtual dental lab. A total of 93 students participated in the study. Participants were assigned to one of three groups based on their expertise levels and performed virtual reality simulation tasks of detecting and diagnosing dental caries in two clinical cases. The outcome variables were participants' clinical examination performance (total dwell time on the virtual dental mirror and total examination time) and perceived task load (separated into six subcomponents: mental demands, physical demands, temporal demands, effort, performance, and frustration). The results suggest that the level of expertise significantly affected the performance of dental examinations in all areas except the anterior maxillary teeth. Both total dwell time on the dental mirror and total examination time were significantly shorter for the high expertise group than for the medium and low expertise groups. In addition, the high expertise group rated task load significantly lower for mental demands (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.70) and effort (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.75) than did the low expertise group.

Children and adults with developmental disabilities often experience oral health problems such as excessive plaque accumulation and dental restorations related to caries. Researchers have examined the efficacy of a variety of behavioral intervention packages to teach preventative strategies (brushing, flossing) and to decrease challenging behaviors such as aggression and non-compliance associated with dental examinations and restorative procedures for both typically developing and persons with IDD. This paper reviews these peer-reviewed studies for both typically developing individuals and those with developmental disabilities (e.g., intellectual disability and autism). Additionally, this paper highlights areas for future research, makes recommendations related to the integration of behavior analysis with the practice of dentistry, and provides recommendations related to clinical practices and research.

Students at the Monastir Faculty of Dental Medicine were required to remain inside during the COVID-19 pandemic for their own safety and in accordance with official directives. It is evident that learners' perceptions are a recognized indicator of the efficiency of any teaching approach. Therefore, we focused on students' input on the validity of online biochemistry laboratories to assure their preferences with the finest teaching approaches. The study included 116 undergraduate dental students from the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Monastir. The survey has 40 questions. This investigation covered (i) information technology tool accessibility, (ii) course presentation, interactions in a virtual classroom, teachers' availability, and (iii) preferred learning styles. The percentages were then determined for each item and assessed. Our results showed that almost students were equipped with computers, smartphones and tablets but have encountered some connectivity issues. Moreover, participants find courses well presented, approved class interactions, and were satisfied with teachers' availability. Nevertheless, students were not already prepared for entirely online learning. Despite, the overall positive perception among students toward remote education during the COVID-19 outbreak; they preferred considering shared learning between face-to-face and online once the pandemic is over.

In September of 2020, a group of dental students (DDS) and motivated faculty at the University of Western Ontario came together in response to the pandemic and established a real-time feedback model. The goal of this model was to address technical challenges following the quick transition from in-person courses to a fully online format for student learning. This initial offering formed the foundation of the Students as Partners (SaP) program to identify and address technical and curricular issues. We used an action research approach to evaluate and refine the innovation's delivery. Preliminary data from the first cycle suggested that students were unaware of the impact of their feedback and the actionable items from their feedback. Thus, for the second iteration we focused on making the entire process more transparent by using Padlet as a way to streamline posting and responding to feedback. To evaluate the refined system, we distributed surveys to student and faculty participants to obtain feedback on their awareness and satisfaction and effectiveness of the program. For students who utilized the system, the majority indicated that they were informed of changes based on their feedback. Furthermore, students reported that our innovation provided a platform for the student voice. Faculty impressions were generally positive, and the majority of faculty respondents indicated that they implemented changes to their content/curriculum based on feedback. These results demonstrate that the SaP program's real-time feedback system closed the feedback loop and facilitated real-time improvements based on actionable feedback. To our knowledge, this is the first study to design, implement, and evaluate a real-time feedback system for the purpose of modifying how an instructor teaches.

Computer-based learning applications and mobile technology have transformed many aspects of the educational experience over the last decade, producing software aimed at improving learning efficiency and streamlining the presentation of course materials. One such class of software, purpose-created to take advantage of spaced learning and spaced testing principles, are electronic flashcard applications. We provide a perspective on the novel use of the Quizlet flashcard application in a tertiary educational setting. To reduce cognitive load for international graduate dental students taking a pharmacology review course, we implemented Quizlet, which integrates both spaced learning and self-testing, to improve the student learning experience. This study assessed students' perceptions of the Quizlet flashcard system in a student cohort comprised of two consecutive years' classes (n = 51 students in total). Results indicated broad acceptance of Quizlet based on ease of use of the software and ease of study of the material. Our data provide insight into the use of this common software in a professional healthcare tertiary education setting and further demonstrate the successful application of electronic flashcards for a mixed international student cohort. Further research should include an assessment of the impact of flashcard on long-term knowledge retention in this setting.

Background: Blended learning is growing in popularity particularly following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. One of the fields that the pandemic has substantially affected is dental education. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the online dental education. Students' perceptions and experiences of blended learning were also investigated. Methods: A 28-question online survey was designed to gauge students' perceptions of the effect of blended learning on their academic performance. Results: 314 participants in preclinical and clinical years completed the questionnaire (223 females and 91 males). The majority of students (89%) believed that clinical and practical courses cannot be given by the internet. In terms of students' opinion in the assessment process, more females (65.8%) preferred traditional exams than males (50.5%) (p < 0.05). Most clinical students (83%) preferred a combination of online and traditional teaching compared to 72% of preclinical students (p < 0.05). Clinical year students were more willing to communicate electronically with their classmates and instructors. The majority of dental students (65%) reported that future dental courses should be blended. Conclusions: In the pandemic era, blended learning, should become the preferred method of education whereby theoretical knowledge is delivered through online tutorials and clinical training is resumed on-site, to ensure competency of dental graduates while maintaining safety of the dental team. Current facilities and course designs should be improved in order to improve students' experiences with blended learning.

Background: Student feedback obtained through traditional end-of-course evaluations may not provide information needed to make substantive adjustment to course curricula. Mid-point student evaluations could potentially provide greater insight for improved teaching and instructional changes. Purpose: This paper describes the use of mid-course feedback to modify the structure and enhance student experience for a service-learning (SL) program. Methodology: Dental students completed mid-course surveys during four academic years, ranking their perceptions of level of preparedness for, and value of, the SL program components as well as suggestions for program improvement. Results were analysed for differences by academic year. Qualitative analysis was conducted for open-ended questions. Findings: Students' rankings varied by SL activity but were primarily positive for all academic years. Statistically significant increases in student value for specific program activities were observed in later years in response to course changes. Over time, student recommendations changed from an early focus on logistics to an emphasis on program content and value. Implications: Actively seeking timely and specific feedback from students enabled course faculty to make changes that lead to improvement in students' experience and a greater appreciation of the purpose of SL.

The provision of undergraduate statistics teaching varies across UK dental schools, but some challenges are faced in all schools. These include the need to (i) demonstrate the relevance of statistics to dentistry, (ii) address the phenomenon of statistical anxiety likely to be experienced, and (iii) deliver the teaching with a limited number of statistically trained staff. Our objective was to design a research methods course that combined epidemiology and statistics teaching for undergraduates at Bristol Dental School (University of Bristol) that was clinically relevant, focused on concepts and interpretation rather than calculation, and was sustainable, using new technology to enhance learning. The research methods course was introduced in 2008, extensively developed over the next two years based on student and tutor feedback, and has run with only minor updates ever since. The aim of the course is to introduce year 2 dental students to the skills needed to practice evidence-based dentistry, i.e. understand and critically appraise published research. Basic epidemiological concepts, different types of study design, summarising and interpreting data, and choosing appropriate statistical analyses are covered. The course is introduced by a face-to-face lecture. This emphasises the relevance to future careers, and pre-empts the feelings of statistical anxiety by presenting evidence that exam results for this course are not associated with having achieved an A-level in mathematics. The rest of the course is delivered using the flipped classroom approach. Didactic teaching is in the form of nine e-lectures, each lasting 20-25 minutes. These are split into chapters to allow easy navigation, and include pop-up questions. Small group (up to 10 students) structured tutorials (one per e-lecture) are used to reinforce the material covered in the e-lectures, drawing on real clinical examples from research publications. They are interactive, and also include e-voting quizzes to allow the tutors and students to gauge the level of understanding that is being achieved. At the end of the course there is a revision session and written assessment, which must be passed before students can progress to year 3 of the dental degree. Approximately 70 students take the course each year, split into eight groups, and tutorials are based on pre-prepared materials. Tutoring on this course provides an attractive opportunity to gain teaching experience, with only a modest investment in time. Therefore, it has always been possible to recruit enough statisticians or epidemiologists in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol to act as tutors. At least 89% of the students have passed the exam on first sitting each year, and all students have passed their re-sit exam. Marks ranged from 50-86% in 2019, and similar ranges were seen in previous years. Student feedback is consistently high, with virtually all students rating all components of the course at least satisfactory, and high percentages rating them good or excellent (e-lectures and tutorials were rated to be good or excellent by 72% and 95% of the students respectively in 2019). External examiners have been very complimentary, and only ever requested minor changes. Hence it has been possible to run a sustainable research methods course that engages students' interest and produces excellent learning outcomes.