Identifying barriers and strategies for achieving competency in removable prosthodontics in undergraduate dental students: a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Developing competency in removable prosthodontics (RP) is challenging for undergraduate dental students because it involves threshold concepts and tacit knowledge. Understanding this process can enhance learning and professional development in RP. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers hindering knowledge (threshold concept) and skill (tacit knowledge) development, and to propose strategies for achieving RP competency. METHODS: Adopting critical theory, quantitative and qualitative approaches were implemented. The participants were third- to sixth-year dental students and recent dental school graduates. An online questionnaire was used to investigate the knowledge and skills required for achieving RP competency and barriers to RP competency development. Four focus groups were conducted to gather in-depth information. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 322 respondents completed the questionnaire (67% response rate), and 26 of them participated in focus group interviews. The four threshold concepts to achieve RP competency were the basic principles of RP, removable partial denture design, occlusion, and dental materials. The two main tacit knowledges were impression making and material handling skills. The curriculum should integrate strategies to assist dental students in overcoming intrinsic barriers such as self-experience, revision, and spatial-temporal relationship, along with extrinsic factors such as clinical correlations of content, discussions, and immediate feedback. CONCLUSIONS: Threshold concepts and tacit knowledge in RP for undergraduate dental students have been proposed The strategies to overcome barriers comprise intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include the adoption of experiential learning. This study suggests effective teaching methods and learning strategies to maximize student learning and RP competency development when designing the undergraduate RP curriculum in dental education.

Guidelines for innovation in dental education during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

During the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, dental education and training requiring face-to-face interaction must prioritize infection prevention and the safety of students, staff, and patients. In July 2020, the Association for Dental Education, Asia Pacific (ADEAP) published safety guidelines for safe dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines summarize ADEAP recommendations for classroom-based courses, reopening of simulated training courses and dental clinics, and provision of clinical skills training courses in dentistry during the COIVID-19 pandemic. They have been formulated to ensure the safety of students and teaching staff, dental auxiliary staff, and patients. However, the present guidelines are considered appropriate only when the number of COVID-19 epidemic cases has been significantly reduced, i.e. when the epidemiological curve has flattened in the area concerned. The criteria for lifting restrictions on activities should be consistent with relevant jurisdictional guidelines.

Developing Common Competencies for Southeast Asian General Dental Practitioners.

Current policy in Southeast Asian dental education focuses on high-quality dental services from new dental graduates and the free movement of dental practitioners across the region. The Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Dental Councils have proposed the "Common Major Competencies for ASEAN General Dental Practitioners" to harmonize undergraduate dental education. This article discusses how the ASEAN competencies were developed and established to assist the development of general dental practitioners with comparable knowledge, skills, and attitudes across ASEAN. The competencies were developed through four processes: a questionnaire about current national oral health problems, a two-round Delphi process that sought agreement on competencies, a panel discussion by representatives from ASEAN Dental Councils, and data verification by the representatives after the meeting. Key themes of the ASEAN competencies were compared with the competencies from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan. A total of 33 competency statements, consistent with other regions, were agreed upon and approved. Factors influencing the ASEAN competencies and their implementation include oral health problems in ASEAN, new knowledge and technology in dentistry, limited institutional resources, underregulated dental schools, and uneven distribution of dental practitioners. The ASEAN competencies will serve as the foundation for further developments in ASEAN dental education including policy development, curriculum revision, quality assurance, and staff development. Collaboration amongst stakeholders is essential for successful harmonization of ASEAN dental education.