Dental Student Perspectives of a Comprehensive-Based Teaching Methodology: A Confidence, Effectiveness, and Challenge Report.

Background/Objectives. The holistic methodology in education has been widely appreciated and implicated in dental schools in the last decade. Our department of conservative dentistry decided to reform the educational model of teaching from a traditional requirement-based model to a hybrid model incorporating comprehensive care treatment. The aim of our study was to assess students' confidence and perspectives regarding the benefits of a comprehensive model of teaching. Materials and Methods. A questionnaire was distributed at the end of the academic year 2018-2019 and designed to investigate students' opinions on the benefits of the new model of teaching, as well as difficulties encountered and possible shortcomings. In addition, self-perceived confidence level was assessed for the purpose of comparing confidence during supervised tasks versus confidence during comprehensive patient care. Results. Complete responses were gathered from 127 students out of 202, giving a response rate of 63%. The majority of students believed that the comprehensive model of teaching allowed them to better address patients' needs, gave higher satisfaction, positively influenced self-confidence, permitted greater exposure to clinical techniques, and enhanced reasoning and analytical skills. However, their confidence was still lower in comprehensive patient management when compared to supervised tasks. Conclusion. Our students showed an appreciation of the comprehensive care model. Self-learning and didactic skills were enhanced. It would, therefore, be beneficial to adapt this methodology to earlier years and other disciplines to enhance the effectiveness of education and achievement of learning outcomes.

Dental trauma in social media-Analysis of Facebook content and public engagement.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Social media sites such as Facebook are increasingly used to obtain healthcare-related information. The aim of this study was to examine Facebook content on dental trauma and to assess public engagement with this content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anonymous account was created to search Facebook for information on dental trauma using the key words "dental trauma," "broken tooth," "tooth fracture," and "tooth trauma" over a period of 1 year (from February 27, 2017, to February 27, 2018). The content was analyzed with regard to demographic characteristics, topic domains, and public engagement. RESULTS: A total of 395 Facebook pages and 149 groups were identified, but only one page and two groups met the inclusion criteria. There were 329 posts on dental trauma during the study period. More than half of the posts were event advertisements and personal highlights (56.2%), followed by posts mentioning articles in academia (17.9%). The average yearly engagement rate was 0.25%; news posts generated the highest engagement rate (0.76%), while academic posts generated the lowest engagement rate (0.16%). The singular post that generated the highest engagement rate (2.2%) was a news post referring to a dental trauma incident suffered by a professional football player. Only 14 posts (4.3%) contained information on prevention and immediate management of dental trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Facebook information on dental trauma is limited in quantity and quality. More emphasis should be placed on posting information suitable for the layperson and concerned with the basics of prevention and immediate management of dental trauma.

A longitudinal study of psychological stress among undergraduate dental students at the University of Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify whether psychological stress increased as undergraduate dental students progressed through their studies from first to fifth year. Another objective was to determine if the perceived sources of stress have changed along the years. METHODS: To achieve these aims, a cohort of students at the University of Jordan were followed from first to fifth year of dental school. Fifth year students completed both the General Health Questionnaire 'GHQ-12' which was used to assess psychological stress and the Dental Environment Stress questionnaire 'DES' which was used to examine the perceived sources of stress. The same cohort of students had completed similar questionnaires during their first year of study. Chi-square analysis and independent t-test analysis were performed to compare GHQ-12 and DES scores between first and fifth year. RESULTS: Results showed that psychological stress increased from first to fifth year of study. Eighty- nine percent of fifth year students scored over the cut-off point of three in the GHQ-12 compared to 58 % in the first year. The difference between the years was statistically significant at p = 0.05. Mean score for DES also increased between first and fifth year of study and the difference was statistically significant at p = 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study demonstrated that stress in dental students at the University of Jordan increased along the years. Fifth year students showed a high level of psychological stress and methods to reduce that stress should be further investigated and utilized.

Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries and associated factors among preschool children in Amman, Jordan.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dental trauma is a major public health problem. However, baseline data regarding traumatic injuries to primary teeth in Jordan are lacking. The study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries to primary anterior teeth among preschool children in Amman (Jordan), investigating the relationship between dental trauma and associated factors, and assessing the treatment provided and treatment need. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining ethical approval and parental consent, a cross-sectional population-based study examined a total of 1198 children attending 39 preschools randomly selected from different areas of Amman. Chi-square test and stepwise logistic regression modeling were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 26.4%. The upper incisors were more likely to sustain dental trauma (91.7%). No statistically significant association was established between dental trauma and any of the socio-demographic variables. The most common type of dental trauma was enamel fracture (43.1%) followed by pulp injury (39.7%). The odds ratio suggested that the risk of dental trauma was 1.89 times greater if the overjet was >3 mm, 1.93 times greater if the child had an anterior open bite, and 2.56 times greater if the child had inadequate lip coverage. Only 25.3% of children diagnosed with a TDI visited a dentist following their trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental trauma among preschool children in Amman (Jordan) was high; therefore, it is highly recommended to plan campaigns targeting parents, children, and medical/dental care providers that stress the importance of preventing dental trauma and treating it promptly.

Psychological stress among dental students at the University of Jordan.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of psychological stress as well as the perceived sources of stress among undergraduate dental students at the University of Jordan. The top perceived stressors were compared with those of a previous study that examined the perceived sources of stress among undergraduate dental students at the University of Jordan in the year 2000. Psychological stress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Perceived sources of stress were evaluated using the Dental Environment Stress questionnaire. In the study, 520 students completed the questionnaires, for a response rate of 74 percent. These students showed a high level of psychological stress, with 70 percent at the cutoff point of a score of more than 3 for the GHQ-12. Women had a higher level of stress than men: 73 percent scored more than 3 on the GHQ-12 vs. 63 percent for men, which was statistically significant at p=0.05. The top perceived sources of stress from the year 2000 were mostly unaltered in our study, despite a substantial increase in the number of students as well as changes in the curriculum. Further research is needed into methods to minimize stress on dental students.

The Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale. Psychometrics and normative data for 15-16 year olds.

OBJECTIVE: To prepare an Arabic version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and provide normative information including evidence to support the validity of the measure. METHODS: The MDAS was translated into Arabic and back-translated into English. Data collection took place in Amman, Jordan from March 2009 to March 2010. One thousand and six hundred two 10th grade students took part in the study (15-16 years of age) sampled from 32 schools. Questionnaire consisted not only of the MDAS, but also (i) a single global question on dental anxiety to test concurrent validity, (ii) a question on helplessness in the dental surgery to test construct validity and (iii) demographic profile. RESULTS: The level of missing data was minimal for the translated scale. The internal consistency for this sample using the Arabic MDAS was 0.87 (95% confidence interval was 0.86-0.88). The measure was a one-dimensional scale. The proportion of the sample that was highly dentally anxious was 22% (>/= 19 cut-off score). Expected differences between gender and self-reported dental attendance were observed. There were clear significant relationships as predicted between the Arabic MDAS and (i) a single item measure of dental anxiety and (ii) feeling helpless in the dental chair on a previous occasion. CONCLUSION: The Arabic version of the MDAS can be employed for brief assessment of dental anxiety.