Effect of reflective thinking on academic performance among undergraduate dental students.

INTRODUCTION: Self-directed learning is a vital principle promoted in health profession's education, particularly with the increasing use of online learning methods. Likewise, reflection has been recognized as an indispensable and formidable concept for learning which plays a positive role in fostering students' self-reflection, critical thinking, and development of professional values and skill. Hence, the present study was undertaken to identify the effect of reflective thinking on academic performance among undergraduate dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reflective thinking was assessed among 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-year undergraduate dental students and interns of a dental college and hospital in Hyderabad. Reflection questionnaire assessed habitual action, understanding, reflection, and critical reflection on a 5-point Likert scale. The percentage of marks obtained in the last university examinations was considered for academic performance. The completed questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS version 20). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total sample of 263 individuals comprising 188 (71.5%) females and 75 (28.5%) males participated in the study. Our findings showed that the four scales of reflective thinking, such as habitual action (P = 0.0001*), understanding (P = 0.02*), reflection (P = 0.02*), and critical reflection (P = 0.01*), showed statistically significant difference based on the year of study. However, no difference based on gender was noted. Reflection (17.2 ± 2.41) and critical reflection (16.3 ± 2.77) mean scores were highest among 4th years. Higher understanding (17.83 ± 1.78) and reflection (17.33 ± 2.01) mean scores were observed among students who attained more than 75% in their academic performance. CONCLUSION: Thus, the present study emphasizes the role of reflective thinking and its significance in academic learning process.

Self-Reported Obstacles to Regular Dental Care among Information Technology Professionals.

INTRODUCTION: Good oral health is important for an individual as well as social well-being. Occupational stress and work exhaustion in Information Technology (IT) professionals may influence the oral health and oral health related quality of life. AIM: To assess and compare self-reported obstacles for regular dental care and dental visits among IT professionals based on age, gender, dental insurance and working days per week. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,017 IT professionals to assess the self-reported obstacles to regular oral health care in Hyderabad city, Telangana, India. The Dental Rejection of Innovation Scale (DRI-S) was employed in this study. Comparison between means of DRI-S based on variables was done using t-test and ANOVA. The association between variables and DRI-S was determined using Chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 1017 participants comprising of 574 (56%) males and 443 (44%) females participated in the study. As age increased, a significant increase in mean DRI-S scores was seen for total and individual domains except for the "Situational" domain wherein higher mean score (9.42±2.5; p=0.0006) was observed among 30-39 years age group. Even though females reported higher mean scores for total and individual domains when compared to males, nevertheless significant difference was seen only for total (p=0.03) and "Lack of Knowledge" (p=0.001) domain. CONCLUSION: Self-reported obstacles to regular dental care was more with increasing age, increased number of working days per week, irregular dental visits and absence of dental insurance facility.

Self-reported knowledge and practice of American Heart Association 2007 guidelines for prevention of infective endocarditis: a survey among dentists in Hyperabad City, India.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge and practice of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2007 guidelines among dentists in Hyderabad city, India, for the prevention of infective endocarditis (IE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey questionnaire was mailed to the dentists to assess their knowledge with regard to the antibiotic prophylaxis needed for specific cardiac conditions and the prophylaxis reasonable before various dental procedures in high-risk patients and the first-line and second-line antibiotic regimen prescribed. RESULTS: Of the 190 registered dentists, 169 (88.94%) completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the population was 39.17 ± 8.23 years. The majority of the respondents correctly identified that having prosthetic cardiac valves, a previous history of IE illness and cardiac transplantation with subsequent cardiac valvulopathy are cardiac conditions requiring antibiotic prophylaxis. Prescription of first-line antibiotic drugs and second-line drug regimens corresponding to the current guidelines was correctly answered by only 56.21% dentists and 60.95% dentists, respectively. CONCLUSION: A relatively low level of knowledge of the new guidelines was reported among dentists, reflecting the need for more continuing dental education programmes.

Risk factors for traumatic dental injuries in an adolescent male population in India.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of traumatic injuries to the anterior teeth and evaluate the role of anatomic risk factors in the occurrence of such injuries in a group with an assumed behavior predisposing them to trauma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study population consisted of 370 male enrollees of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in India. Risk factors such as the socioeconomic status (SES) of parents, lip coverage, incisor overjet, and the cause and nature of trauma to anterior teeth were recorded. The Chi-square test was used for testing the association between these factors. Increasing overjet was further analyzed using chi-square for linear trends. Variables found significant were subjected to logistic regression. RESULTS: A prevalence of 14.9% of traumatic injuries to anterior teeth was found in the study population with sports activities being the most common cause. Permanent maxillary central incisors were most commonly injured with injuries involving enamel and dentin being the most frequently observed. Increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage were significantly associated with the occurrence of trauma. With an odds ratio of 7.2 inadequate lip coverage was identified, using binary logistic regression, as the single most independent risk factor for the occurrence of traumatic injury to the maxillary anterior teeth.

A comparative evaluation of self-reported oral hygiene practices among medical and engineering university students with access to health-promotive dental care.

AIM: This study was conducted to test the null hypothesis that no difference exists in the oral hygiene knowledge and practices of university students in different courses when they have equal opportunity to access health-promotive dental care. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study was conducted using 120 students each from the medical and engineering colleges at the University of Manipal Academy of Higher Education who had easy access to the dental college within the campus which provides health-promotive dental care to all its patients. A self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of questions on demographic data, oral hygiene knowledge and practices, and dental service utilization patterns was distributed among the students. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS 10 version. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to the knowledge of fluoridated toothpastes, frequency of toothbrush renewal, use of dental floss, and a tongue cleaner (p < 0.001). The groups were similar in all other practices including the utilization of dental services. There were no significant differences between the self-reported oral hygiene knowledge and practices among medical and engineering university students, but the knowledge levels of the students were considerably lower than expected.