Development of a student evaluation system for two preclinical dental laboratory courses is described. The system uses an analytic technique for identifying components of the evaluation system that contribute to and detract from the evaluation's reliability. Further refinements based on this technique are discussed. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated the quantity of alloy lost in the fabrication of three types of cast restoration by dental students, and identified the proportion of loss at each of the four principal stages of the fabrication process. Suggestions for reducing metal loss and related costs in dental schools are offered. (MSE)

A laboratory exercise for dental students is presented using a toxic dose of lidocaine in place of an anesthetic dose of pentobarbital. The use of lidocaine demonstrates its toxic and lethal actions and increases the relevance of the experience for dental students. (Author/MLW)

The use of simple diagrams for instruction of first-year operative dental students is encouraged. A series of illustrations for Class I preparation of cavities, focusing on walls, line angles and point angles, is presented and its use described. (MSE)

A laboratory experiment that demonstrates the effects of various dental materials on a representative enzyme from the pulp is outlined. The experiment encourages students to consider the effects that various restorative materials and techniques might have on enzymes in the living pulp. (Author/MLW)

Dental faculty responses (N=332) to a survey concerning use of rubber dams for excluding fluids from the working field in operative dentistry procedures indicated students receive adequate instruction in rubber dam use and are proficient at graduation, though motivating students to its use is problematic and patient resistance a factor. (MSE)

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…

A theory of motor skill performance in dentistry is presented, and studies of its use in improving preclinical laboratory instruction are reviewed. The model explains how the mind directs the hand so specific outcomes can be achieved, a theory which can be operationalized in instructional design. (MSE)

Development of an instructional materials center and self-instructional materials on clinical dental procedures is described. The center is located near students' operatories and the student-tested programs were developed cost-effectively and relatively quickly. (MSE)

Use of diagrams and three-dimensional aids in teaching laboratory techniques of tooth reduction was evaluated. The visual aids were found to be useful, but little difference was found in the effectiveness of two- and three-dimensional aids, possibly because two-dimensional aids provided step-by-step instructions while three-dimensional models did…

The classification scheme for periodontal diseases developed in 1989 is discussed, and technologies, both surgical and nonsurgical, for prevention, control, and regeneration of periodontal tissues are described and compared. Research needs are discussed. (MSE)

Four salient constructs in a contemporary motor learning theory were tested for validity using dental students' verbal self-reporting. Students were videotaped completing a preparation, then interviewed to stimulate recall of mental processes during the preparation. Results support application of the theory to dentistry and have implications for…

A University of Michigan dental school curriculum for oral surgery that uses human cadaver heads is described. Selection, preparation, and laboratory use of the materials are outlined. Faculty and students have received the sequence well and found it prepared them for clinical rotation. (MSE)

A dental school's experience using data on student attitudes toward a restorative dentistry laboratory course and an experiment conducted during the course to make curricular and methodological changes, and subsequently evaluate those changes, is described. The questionnaire used and response tabulations are included. (MSE)

A study of 144 patients assigned to eight orthodontic residents over two years found residents requested lateral tomograms of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) 28% of the time, commonly citing TMJ clicking, pain, and medico-legal protection. Posteroanterior cephalograms were ordered 26% of the time, commonly for facial asymmetry and maxillary…