Impact of simulated patients on students' self-assessment of competency in practice of geriatric dentistry.

PURPOSE: The evaluation of the effectiveness of simulation training in dentistry has previously been focused primarily on psychomotor hand skills. This study explored the impact of simulated patient (SP) encounters in simulation on students' self-assessment of competency in their clinical and communication abilities with geriatric patients. METHODS: Students from 2 cohorts were recruited for this study. Cohort 1 (n = 30) participated in the standard curriculum with no simulation training and served as the control group. Cohort 2 (n = 34) participated in a SP experience, simulating the initial stages of a care visit for 2 nursing home patients. Students' perceptions of competency to perform these clinical and communication tasks were assessed. A group debriefing session was held 5 weeks post-simulation where Cohort 2 completed a student feedback form. RESULTS: A statistically significant change (P < 0.00001) was noted for both cohorts in their self-reported competence to perform clinical tasks following exposure to an independent clinical experience. In addition to this gain, individuals in Cohort 2 demonstrated improvements following simulation and expressed different responses of impact to questions related to treatment, pharmacology, and managing a complex medical history. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that simulation of patient interactions using SPs can strengthen students' self-assessment of competency in their abilities, leading to more genuine interactions with actual patients. These findings will help inform the design of future SP encounters as a component of an evolving humanistic curriculum.

Personality Types: Predictors for Pediatric Dentists-Pilot Study.

Personality Types of Pediatric Dentistry Residents and Residency Applicants PURPOSE: Dentists may possess unique personality traits that distinguish them from the general population. Within the profession, there may be personality traits that are more prevalent in one specialty than another. This project was designed to determine if personality profiling could be a predictor for success in a specialty field, i.e. pediatric dentistry. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed to make the theory of psychological types, described by Carl Jung, understandable and useful to people's everyday lives. Jung's theory is that much of what seems like random human behavior is due to basic differences in the . way people use their perception and judgment. The purpose of this study was to determine if interviewees to a pediatric dentistry residency program possessed similar personality traits to pediatric dentistry faculty/residents by comparing the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results of the 2 groups. METHODS: Thirty-one pediatric dentistry faculty/residents were.compared with 46 pediatric dentistry residency interviewees. Each member of both groups anonymously completed the MBTI profile. RESULTS: This study indicates that there are no significant differences in MBTI personality types between pediatric dentistry faculty/residents versus interviewees to a pediatric dentistry residency (p=0.168), except that interviewees were more likely to exhibit the ESFJ type than were faculty/ residents (p=0.015). ESFJ represents E, extrovert, S, sensing, F, feeling and J, judging. All comparisons were conducted with the asymptotic chi-square test, except when expected cell counts were <5. For the latter comparisons, the Fisher's exact version of the chi-square test was used, p< .05 CONCLUSION: It is concluded that no common personality type, as determined by the MBTI, exists between pediatric dentistry faculty/residents and interviewees for residency, and that personality characteristics cannot be used as predictive factors in selection of pediatric dentistry residents.

Breaking the smoking habit: behavioral aspects of tobacco cessation.

The development of a smoking habit is unique to each individual. Any smoking cessation effort should also be tailored to the individual. The dentist in clinical practice should be familiar with the 5 A's, with dosages and forms or nicotine replacement therapy, and with counselors and community resources for possible referral. The dentist who is trying to assist his/her patient to stop smoking must be supportive, positive, patient and encouraging and relaize that it might take multiple attempts before a smoker is able to quit once and for all.