METHODOLOGY: A cohort (n = 206) of fourth-year undergraduate dental students were recruited from four different Dental Schools and divided randomly into two groups (Group A and B). The participants assessed six test endodontic cases using anonymized versions of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) case difficulty assessment form (AAE Endodontic Case Difficulty Assessment Form and Guidelines, 2006) and EndoApp, a web-based CDA tool. Group A (n = 107) used the AAE form for assessment of the first three cases, followed by EndoApp for the latter. Group B (n = 99) used EndoApp for the initial three cases and switched to the AAE form for the remainder. Data were collected online and analysed to assess participants' knowledge reinforcement and agreement with the recommendation generated. Statistical analysis was performed using the two-way mixed model anova, Cohen's Kappa (κ) and independent t-tests, with the levels of significance set at P dental education. EndoApp was reliable in helping with decisions to treat or refer, and combined with user friendliness, it was the preferred choice for CDA.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dental students (n = 122) in their clinical years, year 3 (n = 37), year 4 (n = 44), and year 5 (n = 41) received training (two-hour introductory lecture on ICDAS, followed by a 90 min e-learning video, and practice sessions using extracted teeth and photographs) from a calibrated expert. After training, the students examined a prevalidated set of extracted teeth and assigned scores in two sessions. The intra- and inter-examiner agreement between students was analyzed using weighted kappa statistics and a focus group discussion was conducted for qualitative feedback.
RESULTS: The range of kappa values for intra-examiner agreement among the year 3, 4, and 5 students for ICDAS caries code (0.611-0.879, 0.633-0.848, and 0.645-1.000) and restoration code (0.615-0.942, 0.612-0.923, 0.653-1.000), respectively. The range of kappa values for inter-examiner agreement for year 3, 4, and 5 students with a trained expert for ICDAS caries code (0.526-0.713, 0.467-0.810, and 0.525-0.842) and restoration code (0.531-0.816, 0.682-0.842, and 0.645-0.928), respectively.
CONCLUSION: The ICDAS system is a promising tool for caries detection and its implementation in the curriculum was perceived by dental students as an effective method. In general, there was moderate to substantial agreement for ICDAS caries and restoration code between students of different academic year groups and with a trained ICDAS expert.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: ICDAS is a simple, logical, and evidence-based system for the detection and classification of caries. Introducing ICDAS to dental students enables them to detect caries in a reliable and reproducible manner irrespective of their past clinical experience and also significantly improves their caries detection skills.
METHODS: A total of 255 dental students in Universiti Malaya completed the modified Index of Learning Styles (m-ILS) questionnaire containing 44 items which classified them into their respective LS. The collected data, referred to as dataset, was used in a decision tree supervised learning to automate the mapping of students' learning styles with the most suitable IS. The accuracy of the ML-empowered IS recommender tool was then evaluated.
RESULTS: The application of a decision tree model in the automation process of the mapping between LS (input) and IS (target output) was able to instantly generate the list of suitable instructional strategies for each dental student. The IS recommender tool demonstrated perfect precision and recall for overall model accuracy, suggesting a good sensitivity and specificity in mapping LS with IS.
CONCLUSION: The decision tree ML empowered IS recommender tool was proven to be accurate at matching dental students' learning styles with the relevant instructional strategies. This tool provides a workable path to planning student-centered lessons or modules that potentially will enhance the learning experience of the students.
METHODS: Third-year undergraduate dental students were facilitated to discuss stories, engage in perspective taking activities and keep a portfolio for assessment in the Stories and Perspectives selective. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data in their portfolios.
RESULTS: The dental students identified key learning points that would better prepare them for patient-centered care. Three themes emerged: (1) facilitate empathy in students, (2) stimulate self-awareness in students, and (3) motivate students to be perceptive communicators. Students were able to appreciate the complexities of care giving as it involved taking into account the thoughts and feelings of the other while recognizing their own mental state. They further valued the choice of appropriate words and actions in mediating this process.
CONCLUSION: The potential for incorporating humanities based approaches to teach patient care to dental students is favorable. Reading stories and extending this to perspective taking activities to induce creative ways to shift between experiences of self and other is a positive approach in preparing health professionals for care giving encounters.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included final-year undergraduate dental students (N = 645) who completed a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire that analysed the domains of perceived knowledge, practice, critical appraisal and attitude towards evidence-based dentistry. We further explored the association between these domains with the type of curriculum, sex, prior research experience and EBD training.
RESULTS: A total of (n = 526) students participated (response rate of 81.55%). About 92% knew about evidence-based dentistry. Whilst 58% had undergone formal training in evidence-based dentistry, 90% of the respondents showed an overall positive attitude towards evidence-based dentistry. However, only 45% of them practised it most of the time. Schools with an integrated curriculum showed more willingness and practised evidence-based dentistry more frequently (p dental undergraduate students who are well aware of evidence-based dentistry displayed a positive attitude towards it. The type of dental curriculum had a significant association with practice and attitude towards evidence-based dental knowledge and practice.
METHODS: Forty third-year undergraduate dental students were randomly assigned into FC (n = 20) or LD (n = 20) cohort. Each student attended six teaching sessions, each to teach students' competency in fabricating one type of wire component, for a total competency in fabricating six wire components over the course of six teaching sessions. Either LD or FC teaching methods were used. After each session, wire assignments had to be submitted. Wire assignments were then evaluated using a blinded wire-bending assessment protocol. As part of their formative assessment, the assessment results were distributed to students, lecturers, and technicians before the next session. After the first session (T0) and at the end of all six sessions (T1), students completed a self-reported questionnaire.
RESULTS: The mean wire-bending scores for FC were significantly higher than LD for two of the six assignments, namely the Adams clasp (p dental skills.
METHODS: Final-year dental undergraduate students from six dental public universities in Malaysia were invited to participate in an online study using a validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale DU-PAS.
RESULTS: In total, about 245 students responded to the online questionnaire yielding a response rate of 83.05%. The age range of the respondents was 23-29 years with a mean age of 24.36 (SD 0.797). The total score obtained by the respondents was ranged from 48 to 100 with a mean score of 79.56 (SD 13.495). Weaknesses were reported in several clinical skills, cognitive and behavioural attributes.
CONCLUSIONS: The preparedness of undergraduate students at six dental institutions in Malaysia was comparable to students from developed countries. The dental undergraduate preparedness assessment scale is a useful tool, and dental institutions may be used for self-assessment as well as to obtain feedback from the supervisors.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the level of anxiety along with anxiety-provoking factors among clinical dental students.
METHODS: This study included dental undergraduate and postgraduate clinical students from a public university. A modified version of the self-administered Moss and McManus questionnaire, which consisted of 50 items, was utilized to evaluate the levels of anxiety. The results were analyzed using SPSS® version 24. The significance level was set at p dental students. Overall, the top clinical anxiety-provoking factor included failure to pass the final examination, whereas the least clinical anxiety-provoking element was communicating with the opposite gender. Significant differences existed among male and female participants in the seven anxiety-provoking factors among the participants namely dealing with elderly patients, fail to pass finals, arresting post-extraction bleeding, patients asking difficult questions, fear of accidental pulp exposure, dealing with a child or non-cooperative patient, and fear of taking an incorrect impression. Postgraduate students showed lower anxiety scores in various clinical tasks as compared to undergraduate students.
CONCLUSIONS: Postgraduate dental students share largely the same perspectives with undergraduate dental students on the clinical anxiety-provoking situations with slight variations. Being the future healthcare providers, dental students must learn techniques to help them manage their dental anxiety and fear as well as deal with anxiety related to treating patients.
METHODS: Dental students from 4 institutions in Malaysia and Finland completed self-administered questionnaires on the practices and perceptions of SM use. The main variables assessed were the perceptions and practices of student-patient and student-faculty communication on SM, between the two countries. Students' country, age, gender, time spent on SM and perceived importance of communicating dental related aspects over SM were analysed as potential explanatory variables. Crosstabulation was used to estimate the distributions of the response variables by the background characteristics. Multivariate analyses were performed using a dichotomous logistic regression model to investigate relevant associations between the responses and the explanatory variables independent from other factors.
RESULTS: A total of 643 students completed the survey in March-April 2021. More Malaysian students agreed with "guiding patients online is a new responsibility for dentists in the digital age" compared to Finnish students (86.4% vs. 73.4%). Similarly, significantly more Malaysian students befriended patients (14.1% vs. 1%) and invited faculty to be friends on SM (73.6% vs. 11.8%). Expectedly, clinical year students befriended patients more than pre-clinical (13.8% vs. 6.8%). Significantly more students who felt 'communication of dental related issues over SM' were likely to extend friend requests to faculty rather than accept patient friend requests.
CONCLUSIONS: Social media regulations and socio-cultural practices contribute to dental students' attitudes and behaviour when befriending patients and faculty members on social media. Future dental curriculum should incorporate guidelines for professional communication on social media based on local and cultural needs. Students' should be encouraged to interact with their patients using professional identities on social media.
METHODS: All undergraduate second-year dental students were invited to participate in the dental materials science practical session and were randomly allocated into two groups: Group 1 (feedback) sandwich and Group 2 (ATA). The session began with the teacher giving a short briefing on the commonly used dental materials, followed by a short demonstration of the manipulation of those materials. Students were then allowed to mix and manipulate the materials, and teachers provided feedback accordingly. At the end of the session, 16 close-ended (five-point Likert scales) and an open-ended questionnaire were distributed to students to evaluate their perceptions of the feedback given. Internal reliability of the questionnaire items was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Mean feedback scores were analysed using an independent t-test with ANCOVA for controlling gender and ethnicity. Thematic analysis was used to code the qualitative data.
RESULTS: Sixty-nine students participated in the present study with the majority being females (72.5%) and Chinese (79.7%). Cronbach's alpha analysis suggested removing three Likert-scale items, with the remaining 13 items being accepted. Generally, no significant difference was noted between the two groups (p = 0.197), but three items were found to be significant (p
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and ten students completed a validated questionnaire on SOC and SDLR. The percentage of marks obtained by these students in their year-end examination was used as their academic performance. The SOC scores were further divided into three hierarchical clusters using cluster analysis. The data were analyzed to determine the difference in the SDLR scores and academic performance among the three clusters. Furthermore, the relationship between SOC scores, SDLR scores, and academic performance was assessed.
RESULTS: The SDLR scores significantly increased from the low SOC cluster to the high SOC cluster (P = 0.026). However, there was no significant change in academic performance. A positive relationship was found between the SOC and the academic performance (R = +0.025; P > 0.05). The SDLR had a significant positive relationship with both SOC and academic performance (R = +0.27; P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Although SOC may not have a direct influence on academic performance, SDLR can play an intermediary role. Early identification and timely intervention in students with a weak SOC and low SDLR can have a beneficial influence on their academic life.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Validated Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) and Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI) were distributed to all 409 undergraduate dental students in Faculty of Dentistry, UiTM through their class representatives. Scores for both grit and happiness were calculated according to their instruction manual. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25 by descriptive analysis, one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression.
RESULT: Two hundred sixty-six students returned the answered questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 65%. Prevalence of gritty and happy UiTM dental students was found to be at 79% and 41%, respectively. There was a significant positive fair linear correlation between grit and happiness among dental students (r = 0.225, p dental students was low. Higher grit score had a positive impact on happiness score among dental students in UiTM. For this reason, grit may be considered as an additional element in selecting upcoming dental students.