A survey of 405 dentists found that while the more experienced respondents had had more training in office emergency preparedness, about half of all respondents felt underprepared for medical emergencies. Revisions of regular and continuing dental curricula in addition to those published in 1981 are recommended. (MSE)

A review of current curricula in United States medical schools indicates a continued need for more adequate instruction of clinical nutrition to physicians in training and in practice. A major problem is failure to provide patient-oriented, case-related teaching in clinical years to all clinical clerks. (Author/MSE)

The status of nutrition programs in dental education and practice is reviewed, problems are analyzed, and solutions are offered. Problems include lack of well-defined policy guidelines, confusion over the state of scientific knowledge, and the scope of nutrition counseling. Among conclusions and recommendations are the need to emphasize clinical…

Results of a survey of geriatric dentistry specialists concerning the competencies required of geriatric dentists and the relative importance of those skills in five settings (dental school, general practice residency, prosthodontic specialty programs, geriatric fellowship programs, and continuing education) are reported. (MSE)

Two surveys about the teaching of orofacial pain in the dental curriculum are reported, and the comprehensive course taught at the University of Kentucky is described. The first survey was of 89 Kentucky course alumni. The second was of 57 dental schools concerning the status of their orofacial pain curricula. (MSE)

A study found that dentists (n=164) receiving predoctoral and continuing instruction on the behavioral approach to caring for fearful patients recognized a higher proportion of fearful patients in their practices and were motivated to identify barriers to their care. They also found the costs of treatment to be greater. (MSE)

A survey of the design, emphases, and content of predoctoral curriculum in orthodontics shows wide variation in the amount and timing of didactic and clinical instruction. (MSE)

Specific teaching programs in dental care for the handicapped at each of The Robert Wood Johnson grant-supported institutions are summarized. Curriculum, clinical experience, student-faculty attitudes, community impact, patient procurement, and didactic instruction are reviewed. (JMF)

First year dental students (n=86) in a conservative restorations course were taught a discrimination learning paradigm to improve production quality. Evaluation of Class 1 amalgam preparations indicates the improved recognition skills corresponded with improved cavity preparation, supporting the use of this teaching model. (Author/MSE)

A case in which a dental student with hand, foot, and mouth disease was told he had "medical student disease" (MSD), or hypochondriasis, is related; literature pertaining to the occurrence and treatment of MSD is reviewed, and the importance of care in approaches to both students and patients are discussed. (MSE)

The construction of visual and manipulative aids, clear resin blocks with root-canal-like spaces, for simulation of root canals is explained. Time, materials, and techniques are discussed. The method allows for comparison of canals, creation of any configuration of canals, and easy presentation during instruction. (MSE)

The quality assurance consortium begun in 1979 and similar professional and foundation projects have influenced dental school curriculum development in the last decade. Other forces driving development of academic and practice programs for quality assurance include cost containment, risk management, electronic technology, and developments in…

Senior dental students and family dental practitioners were surveyed concerning their choice of pairs of alternative treatments and the technical and patient factors influencing their decisions. Greater agreement in clinical decision-making was found among dentists than among students for all four pairs of alternative services. (MSE)

Current developments in dental education and practice hold tremendous potential for positive change and growth, and warrant the immediate inauguration of a planning and implementation process to exploit new opportunities rather than merely adjust existing concepts and practices. (MSE)

Directions for dental education are examined, with reference made to a number of recent background papers and an Institute of Medicine report on dental education in the United States. Greater integration with other health sciences, development of dental faculty teaching skills, and greater use of apprenticeships and continuing education are…