European Journal of Dental Education : Official Journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe

INTRODUCTION: Interest is growing in the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, particularly in dental education. To explore dental educators' perceptions of AI chatbots and large language models, specifically their potential benefits and challenges for dental education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A global cross-sectional survey was conducted in May-June 2023 using a 31-item online-questionnaire to assess dental educators' perceptions of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and their influence on dental education...

INTRODUCTION: There is an underuse of pain management strategies in dental care for children, possibly owing to perceived stress and discomfort when treating children, which has also been reported by dental students. The aim of this study was to explore how undergraduate dental students experience and understand pain related to dental treatment in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Interviews were held with 21 Swedish dental students, from 3 dental schools, all in their final 2 years of education...

INTRODUCTION: Developing professionalism notably involves learning how to make professional judgements in ambiguous situations. The Concordance of Judgement Test (CJT) is a learning tool that was proposed to develop professionalism competencies, but it was never performed in dentistry or used with a synchronous methodology. The present study evaluated the feasibility of the use of CJT in the context of dental education, to foster professionalism and stimulate reflexivity and discussion...

INTRODUCTION: With the premise that the demanding educational process and associated factors could influence the work-related quality of life (WRQoL) of dental students, this study aimed to investigate the influence of diverse sociodemographic and health-related factors, clinical education status, and sleep quality on the WRQoL of dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A three-part questionnaire was administered to a group of preclinical and clinical dental students studying in different classes...

INTRODUCTION: The recent pandemic has highlighted the importance of addressing well-being in the overall health of students. There is a need for support systems within dental schools to help students demonstrate resilience, adapt to learning environments and thrive in their professional careers. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the study was to evaluate Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students' understanding and experience of well-being. The objectives were to create a suitable survey to assess students' well-being, investigate the factors affecting dental students' well-being and develop a student well-being action plan based on the analysis of the survey...

Dental education continuously strives to provide students with positive and meaningful learning experiences. Developing or improving a curriculum usually encompasses three main phases: design, implementation, and evaluation. Most research on curriculum development in dental education has focused on the last two phases. Our commentary addresses this gap by describing a new model for curriculum design that effectively guided the design phase of the complete overhaul of the four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery curriculum at the School of Dentistry, University of Alberta...

INTRODUCTION: Oral Health Therapists (OHTs) are a growing workforce globally, with skills in oral health prevention, treatment planning and management of disease. These professionals receive their training through a three-year undergraduate program which leads to the Bachelor of Oral Health degree in Australia and New Zealand. The aim of this study was to describe the learning environment for OHT students in Australia and New Zealand. OHT students were requested to complete the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to indicate their perceptions of the environment of their educational program...

INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in dental education is pivotal to student performance and knowledge advancement. However, their optimal implementation requires exploration to enhance the benefits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An educational tool incorporating MCQs was administered from the 5th to the 10th semester in a dental curriculum. The students filled out a questionnaire after the MCQ, which was linked to the learning management system...

INTRODUCTION: Virtual reality-based interactive simulation (VRIS) provides a safe and controlled environment for dental students and professionals to develop skills and knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using the VRIS for prosthodontic practice and to explore the trends, application areas, and users' attitudes towards VRIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for searching studies published until 21 March 2023 that reported quantitative or qualitative learning outcomes related to the use of VRIS for dental prosthodontic practice and clinical training...

INTRODUCTION: In health professions education, it is widely recognised that concept mapping helps students organise their knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the quality of first-year dental students' cognitive structures and the factors that influence it. Two approaches (qualitative and descriptive) to analysing student concept maps are described in this article. The qualitative approach emphasises the distinct morphologies (structures) that are considered to indicate the level of understanding...

INTRODUCTION: The benefit of pedagogical escape rooms for dental students' stimulation, interest and knowledge strengthening has been suggested by several studies. However, in previous studies, only a few students were evaluated. This study aims to confirm the purpose of this innovative pedagogical tool in terms of learning consolidation and team building from students' perceptions. We directly incorporated an educational escape game into the fundamental academic formation as a practical-work course for fifth-year dental students...

INTRODUCTION: There is a great deal of research on the awareness of students and professionals regarding oral cancer. The aim of this study was to find out students' opinions in their final years of dental school training who have clinic time about the importance of correct mucosal examination of the oral cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out and a questionnaire was designed and distributed to fourth- and fifth-year dental students...

INTRODUCTION: To assess the feasibility of a realistic model for learning oral flaps using 3D printing technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mould was designed to reproduce the mandibular gingival mucosa, and a mandibular model was created using a three-dimensional printer for training undergraduate students to perform gingival flaps. After a short interview about its use, the participants were asked to use the simulator and provide feedback using a 5-point Likert questionnaire...

INTRODUCTION: As the population ages and more patients experience medical emergencies during dental treatments, dentists must competently and confidently manage these situations. We developed a simulation training course for medical emergencies in the dental setting using an inexpensive vital sign simulation app for smartphones/tablets without the need for an expensive simulator. However, the duration for which this effect is maintained is unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the long-term educational effect at 3, 6, and 12 months after taking the course...

INTRODUCTION: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, new guidelines for dental practice were published. This research aims to examine the knowledge of dental students and their attitudes towards current guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 76 fourth-year dental medicine students from three public universities in Croatia. A survey questionnaire was developed based on in-depth interviews and a pilot pretesting. The online questionnaire consisting of 36 questions was published using Google Forms...

INTRODUCTION: Dental students should graduate from undergraduate programmes with the knowledge and skills to safely manage patients. This requires exposure to patients with a range of medical needs, which may impact the planning and delivery of care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: We wished to establish the medical history complexity of patients presenting to student restorative clinics and compare them to patients attending a dental emergency clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded the medical history data of 200 anonymised patients attending student restorative clinics and compared them to previously collected data from 200 dental emergency clinic patients...

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore the students' perceptions and performance in prosthodontics theory exam. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 560 (80.82%) students of different levels (third, fourth and fifth years) to explore their opinions and performance with regard to a number of issues on a prosthodontics theory exam (exam evaluation, exam preparation, exam material, exam timing). Demographic data were also collected...

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic brought major disruptions to dental teaching and has impacted the delivery of tooth morphology courses where students are introduced to the three-dimensional features of the dentition. The aim of this study was to assess the implementation of newly developed online teaching modalities for tooth morphology, evaluate their usefulness and identify elements that are beneficial for learners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following the delivery of an online course that included online 3D models, 2D cue cards, live discussion sessions and Socrative™ quizzes, the participants were asked to rate the usability and usefulness of each tool...

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are the most popular type of items used in knowledge-based assessments in undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare education. MCQs allow assessment of candidates' knowledge on a broad range of knowledge-based learning outcomes in a single assessment. Single-best-answer (SBA) MCQs are the most versatile and commonly used format. Although writing MCQs may seem straight-forward, producing decent-quality MCQs is challenging and warrants a range of quality checks before an item is deemed suitable for inclusion in an assessment...

INTRODUCTION: Despite teledentistry (TD) ubiquitous utilization, it has yet to be fully adopted by oral health care providers' educational training. This study aimed to explore TD incorporation in the training of oral health care providers. METHODS: This review included studies on the TD content offered to oral health care providers. The JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology was used, and two reviewers screened the literature. Studies published between 1989 and 4 June 2022 were searched using "Teledentistry" and "Education" as initial keywords...