A measure of dental patients' values and preferences was used to assess attitudes of 92 edentulous patients receiving implant and other dental reconstructive therapies. The implant group tended to be younger and better educated and to rate implant reconstruction as more desirable than the nonimplant denture group. (DB)

A study compared the treatments and the amount of time needed for treatment of the dental needs of developmentally disabled, severely compromised, and moderately compromised patients with those of nondisabled patients in a hospital ambulatory dental clinic. (MSE)

It is proposed that the continuing dental education curriculum is an appropriate place for the integration of parenteral (including intravenous) sedation into dental training. (MSE)

Residents benefit from general practice dental residencies by getting training in areas not adequately covered in the undergraduate curriculum and having time to mature professionally. Patients benefit from improved care and increased access to services. Greater attention should go to the quality and types of services such programs make possible.…

Evaluated the effectiveness of an educational game, "The Prosthodontic Olympics," to improve the speed of dental students in their performance of selected laboratory procedures. The students race to complete a procedure which is then judged for quality. Evaluation indicated participants increased their speed by as much as 50 percent without…

A study of an analytical system for evaluating class II cavity preparations in primary teeth was developed, tested, and compared with the traditional global evaluation method with respect to intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability. Interexaminer reliability was improved with the analytical system. (Author/MLW)

A study investigated the efficacy of glutaraldehyde and several other disinfectants for disinfecting teeth to be used for teaching and research, as an alternative to autoclaving for teeth with amalgam restorations. Results indicate that formalin was the only disinfectant that penetrated tooth pulp chambers in effective antimicrobial…

Used qualitative research methods to assess the frequency and nature of teaching critical thinking skills in the University of Florida College of Dentistry predoctoral student clinics. Observation of 13 faculty and 44 students in six clinics found critical thinking skills were infrequently taught and teacher-dominated instruction predominated.…

The effectiveness of practical examinations in assessing the clinical competence of dental students is discussed. A grading system that derives a significant portion of the senior student's grade from this type of examination is described. The impact of practical clinical examinations on two consecutive graduating classes was analyzed. (Author/MLW)

The predoctoral dental curriculum cannot provide the depth of experience and knowledge needed for the increasing representation of geriatric patients in family dental practices. A curriculum model designed to enhance knowledge and refine clinical skills in caring for the elderly is proposed. (MSE)

This study found that the restructured National Board Dental Examination Part II is a reliable test assessing a full range of cognitive behaviors, and a unidimensional test of comprehensive general dentistry, suggesting better testing of knowledge and problem-solving skills than on the traditional examination. Performance on the pilot and…

Compared self-guided slide/tape (ST) and Web page (WP) instruction in normal radiographic anatomy of periapical and panoramic images using objective test performance and subjective preferences of 74 freshman dental students. Test performance was not different between image types or presentation technologies, but students preferred WP for…

One-third to one-half of all candidates for dental licensure in 35 states fail part of their initial examination, but most pass the second with little or no attempt at knowledge or clinical skills improvement. These data highlight discussion of issues in dental licensure, including the validity of clinical skills testing. (MSE)

Provides data on the financial gains accruing to government, both federal and state, from increased support of dental education, especially in private schools. Tables and calculations are offered to show that the net present value for government averages $292,103 per graduate from private dental schools and $116,1888 per graduate from public…

A follow-up survey of 113 Washington State dental practices participating in a continuing education workshop on efficient use of auxiliaries revealed that positive results of the training depended on the practice implementing the goals for organizational change it had set, and that the results take time to become apparent. (MSE)