COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on dental students: A multi-institutional survey.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate dental students' perceptions and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, their coping strategies and support resources, and their perceived stress levels. METHODS: A customized 19-item survey and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were applied to undergraduate dental students from the US, Spain, Ireland, Chile, India, and Brazil between April 10 and July 5, 2020. Linear modeling and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationships among demographics, stressors, coping mechanisms, social support, and stress RESULTS: A total of 4475 students responded to the survey. The majority (72.4%) were women, and 52.3% had no COVID-19 training at the time of the survey. The students reported that they had to accommodate to changes in patient care (96.6%) and didactic learning (95.2%) activities, while 88.5% of the respondents indicated at least one of their courses moved online. Transition to online courses went "smoothly with some troubles" for 51.8% of the respondents, and 48.3% perceived the faculty as prepared for the online transition; however, 45.9% reported feeling extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their education. The average PSS score was 21.9 of 40 (moderate stress). Multivariate models were built for participants with full data (n = 3899). Being male, having completed more dental coursework, and perceiving a smoother transition were associated with lower PSS scores; more concern about academic progress was associated with higher PSS. Faculty support mediated the relationship between a smoothness of transition and concern about academic progress and PSS scores CONCLUSION: Stress caused by the pandemic may be alleviated by smoother transition and good faculty support.

Assessment of knowledge and perception about silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for treating older adults among graduating dental students.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a promising therapy for arresting and preventing caries in difficult to treat, high-risk populations, including institutionalized older adults. This study investigates the knowledge and perceptions about SDF of graduating dental students in multiple U.S. dental schools, as well as their willingness to use SDF in their practices. METHODS: A survey was designed consisting of 21 total questions: 6 questions regarding students' demographic information and their SDF content exposure contextualization, 8 questions tailored to investigate 2 domains regarding students' knowledge about SDF (properties and indication), and 7 questions aiming to investigate 3 domains regarding students' perceptions about SDF (SDF usefulness, appropriateness of using SDF, and willingness to use SDF when in private practice). The survey was then distributed to graduating dental students at 7 U.S. dental schools. RESULTS: A total of 386 surveys (response rate of 55%) was collected from 7 schools in the Spring of 2019. The median score resulting from the SDF content exposure questions was 3 (SD = 1.43) from a range of 0-5. The median score from knowledge about SDF properties was 4 (SD = 1.18) from a range of 0 to 6. In the multivariate analysis, a linear model found that the covariates "SDF Usefulness", "SDF Appropriateness" and "SDF Patient Willingness to Use" were significantly associated with higher student willingness to use SDF (R2  = 0.395). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the graduating students have a positive perception of SDF regarding its usefulness and appropriateness. Graduating students appear inclined to utilize SDF upon entering private practice.

Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavior: A Multi-Institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of a Population of U.S. Dental Students.

The aim of this study was to help inform faculty and curriculum leaders in academic dental institutions about the knowledge, skills, perceptions, and behavior of an institutionally diverse population of dental students with respect to evidence-based practice (EBP). A survey utilizing the validated Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation instrument developed by Hendricson et al. was conducted in 2012 with fourth-year dental students at seven geographically dispersed U.S. dental schools. The survey addressed elements of EBP knowledge, attitudes toward EBP, behavior in accessing evidence, and perceptions of competence in statistical analysis. A total of 138 students from the seven schools participated. A slight majority of these students correctly responded to the knowledge of critical appraisal questions. While the students demonstrated positive attitudes about EBP, they did not report high levels of confidence in their critical appraisal skills. The findings also showed that the students accessed various sources of evidence with differing frequencies. The most frequently accessed resources were colleagues, the Internet (excluding Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and textbooks. The results of this study help to identify areas for improvement in EBP education in order to advance dental students' preparation to become evidence-based practitioners.

Massive Open Online Courses in Dental Education: Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Massive Open Online Courses Offer Transformative Technology for Dental Education and Viewpoint 2: Massive Open Online Courses Are Not Ready for Primetime.

This point/counterpoint article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of incorporating Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) into dental education, focusing on whether this relatively new educational modality could impact traditional dental curricula. Viewpoint 1 asserts that MOOCs can be useful in dental education because they offer an opportunity for students to learn through content and assessment that is delivered online. While specific research on MOOCs is limited, some evidence shows that online courses may produce similar learning outcomes to those in face-to-face courses. Given that MOOCs are intended to be open source, there could be opportunities for dental schools with faculty shortages and financial constraints to incorporate these courses into their curricula. In addition to saving money, dental schools could use MOOCs as revenue sources in areas such as continuing education. Viewpoint 2 argues that the hype over MOOCs is subsiding due in part to weaker than expected evidence about their value. Because direct contact between students, instructors, and patients is essential to the dental curriculum, MOOCs have yet to demonstrate their usefulness in replacing more than a subset of didactic courses. Additionally, learning professionalism, a key component of health professions education, is best supported by mentorship that provides significant interpersonal interaction. In spite of the potential of early MOOC ideology, MOOCs in their current form require either further development or altered expectations to significantly impact dental education.

The relationship of night eating to oral health and obesity in community dental clinic patients.

Using a sample of dental clinic patients, this study examined the relationship between night eating and oral health and obesity. For this study, 174 individuals attending an academic faculty dental practice completed the Night Eating Questionnaire and provided information about their tobacco use, medical conditions, height, and weight. Oral health data from the previous three years were obtained from their dental records by a licensed dentist. Regression analysis was used to predict oral health and obesity status when controlling for known confounding variables. Evening hyperphagia (7.1%) and frequent nocturnal eating upon awakening (2.2%) were not prevalent in this sample and reflect prevalence estimates of night eating syndrome in the general population. Nocturnal eating was a significant predictor of missing teeth, periodontal disease, and active decay; however, evening hyperphagia was not a significant predictor of oral disease. Individuals who reported nocturnal ingestions of food were 4.4 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who did not. Evening hyperphagia was not associated with an increased risk of being overweight or obese.