Few predoctoral dental students received clinical experience with handicapped patients, and in recent years, dental educators have indicated that a shortage of patients exists. A study examined the extent to which dental schools have incorporated handicapped and medically compromised patients into their predoctoral comprehensive care program. (MLW)

To teach the modern concepts of cavity preparation, it is desirable to have a supply of natural teeth exhibiting suitable carious lesions. This paper describes a simple method for producing consistent artificial lesions in extracted natural teeth. (MLW)

A study confirmed the dual hypotheses that the more empathic behavior a dental student showed, the greater the cooperation of children patients, and the more often the patients' verbal behavior is dentist-directed rather than self-directed. It is suggested that training in more socially sensitive behavior would enhance patient care. (MSE)

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)

Marquette University's experience with two extramural clinics are described. Students spend six weeks at these sites, primarily to involve them in assessing and caring for the dental health needs of patients whose ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds are different from the populations at a clinic on campus. (MLW)

To treat the elderly more competently and to provide clinical training to undergraduates simultaneously, a geriatric dental program was initiated in 1976 at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. The program's current status and operation are described. (Author/MLW)

Dental schools are facing budgetary constraints, decreasing clinic patient populations, and increasing competition. The Dental Practice Systems (DPS) Program of the University of Maryland, a partially self-supported student-faculty group practice, is described. (Author/MLW)

A survey of patient debt management policies of dental programs is reported. The translation of a student's successful performance in a clinic setting to an academic failure based on a patient's failure to pay for services is not legally defendable. Fee collection should not be tied to student academic progress. (Author/MLW)

The process used in Ohio to reform the state dental licensing examination and incorporate a nonpatient (simulated) clinical procedure is described and the results summarized. Findings focus on the degree to which results of the new testing procedures differentiate dental students by class rank. (MSE)

The effects of reducing dental clinical requirements were investigated. Twenty-seven senior students participated in a modified system in which requirements were reduced to essential experiences while the remaining seniors served as controls. No significant differences were found. (Author/MLW)