Renovating dental education: A public health issue

Development of professional identity among dental students - A qualitative study

PURPOSE

The study explored dental students' perception of their professional identity (PI) development at a newly established dental college with a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum.

METHODS

Qualitative methods based on focus groups were used for data collection. The conceptual framework of the study was informed by a subject-centered sociocultural approach to PI development. Purposive sampling was used to collect data from five focus groups of undergraduate dental students to gain a deeper understanding of their PI development in a PBL environment.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 38 dental students in years 2 and 3, 34 students (89.47%) participated in the focus groups. A theory-driven thematic analysis was used to dissect the views and experiences of the participants to explore factors contributing to PI development in the early years of the program. At an individual level, PBL was seen to be appropriate for PI development. However, some participants placed more emphasis on practical training in operative dental skills. Relational sources especially role modeling by the PBL facilitators and faculty staff were identified as a key factor to nurture PI development. Mixed views were observed on the value of PBL to enhance team-working skills. The participants also identified challenges of PBL and provided recommendations on further improvements to enhance the learning experiences of the students.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided useful insights into a PBL curriculum at a newly established dental institution. The findings underscore the value of PBL in developing PI and also highlight the challenges of implementing PBL in a socio-cultural context and pedagogical implications for further program improvement.

Dental Disease Nonbattle Injury Rates of Deployed NATO Militaries in the Middle East Region: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

The occurrence of dental emergencies, now termed as dental disease nonbattle injuries (D-DNBIs), has long been an impacting factor on militaries' operational effectiveness. Owing to D-DNBIs contributing to low morale, the removal of personnel from duty, causing logistical hardships, and requiring deployable dental teams to operate in theater, there remains a significant benefit in the reduction in the occurrence of D-DNBIs. No study to date has reviewed D-DNBI rates specific to a modern military, and insight into whether militaries are seeing improvements in their dental preparedness remains to be gained.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines set out by Joanna Briggs Institute. Databases searched included SCOPUS, PubMed, OVID, and DOSS. Six hundred and one articles were initially screened, and six articles were included in the final review.

RESULTS

A D-DNBI rate of 172 per 1,000 members per year was reported across the coalition, with the U.S., UK, and French militaries reporting on their dental experience. Both the French data and one UK study reported significantly higher D-DNBIs than their U.S. counterparts, who described 124 D-DNBIs per 1,000 members per year. A significant proportion of these D-DNBIs were reported to be "preventable," which raises questions on the efficacy of garrison healthcare services. Dental disease nonbattle injury rates appear to be largely consistent with what was first reported decades ago, and there remains ongoing and significant value in expeditionary dental services providing supportive healthcare for any deployed military personnel.

CONCLUSION

Rates of D-DNBIs appear to be stable with what was historically reported when an international coalition is considered, with national variation. There remains a significant number of D- DNBIs which require dental treatment within the operational theater, and further efficiencies can be gained from predeployment treatment of "preventable" D-DNBIs.

Patients' views on dentists' ability to manage medical crises - results of focus group research

BACKGROUND

Australia faces an ageing population which is more medically complicated than in years past, and it is important that we meet public expectations of management of medical emergencies in the dental clinic. No research before has examined in depth the public perception of dentists' medical emergency management.

AIM

To qualitatively assess the publics' perception of medical emergencies in dentistry and their expectations of medical emergency management by dentists.

METHODS

Twelve members of the public associated with a university clinic participated in two focus groups of six persons, where semi-structured discussions were carried out, audio recorded and transcribed, and subsequently underwent comprehensive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Key findings included a high expectation of dentists' general medical knowledge, as well as potential concern regarding a lack of routine medical assessment prior to undertaking dental treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants expected dentists to be highly proficient at managing medical crises and support the concept of medical emergency management certification for dentists.

Ending the neglect of global oral health: time for radical action

Oral diseases are a major global public health problem affecting over 3·5 billion people. However, dentistry has so far been unable to tackle this problem. A fundamentally different approach is now needed. In this second of two papers in a Series on oral health, we present a critique of dentistry, highlighting its key limitations and the urgent need for system reform. In high-income countries, the current treatment-dominated, increasingly high-technology, interventionist, and specialised approach is not tackling the underlying causes of disease and is not addressing inequalities in oral health. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the limitations of so-called westernised dentistry are at their most acute; dentistry is often unavailable, unaffordable, and inappropriate for the majority of these populations, but particularly the rural poor. Rather than being isolated and separated from the mainstream health-care system, dentistry needs to be more integrated, in particular with primary care services. The global drive for universal health coverage provides an ideal opportunity for this integration. Dental care systems should focus more on promoting and maintaining oral health and achieving greater oral health equity. Sugar, alcohol, and tobacco consumption, and their underlying social and commercial determinants, are common risk factors shared with a range of other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Coherent and comprehensive regulation and legislation are needed to tackle these shared risk factors. In this Series paper, we focus on the need to reduce sugar consumption and describe how this can be achieved through the adoption of a range of upstream policies designed to combat the corporate strategies used by the global sugar industry to promote sugar consumption and profits. At present, the sugar industry is influencing dental research, oral health policy, and professional organisations through its well developed corporate strategies. The development of clearer and more transparent conflict of interest policies and procedures to limit and clarify the influence of the sugar industry on research, policy, and practice is needed. Combating the commercial determinants of oral diseases and other NCDs should be a major policy priority.