Immediate impact of bringing a school to the community with a new community-based clinical education program.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the implementation of a community-based clinical education (CBCE) program at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry (SOD) and the preliminary outcomes on dental students and affiliated clinics. METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out of SOD CBCE program implementation and program data between March 2018 and June 2019 related to patient encounters, pre- and post-rotation student self-assessments, student exit surveys and surveys administered to faculty within affiliate clinics. RESULTS: In five academic quarters, 133 students delivered care for 7556 patients and completed 12,467 procedures in underserved communities. Students reported increased confidence across 14 areas of self-assessment. The percentage of students reporting future plans of working in public health clinics upon graduation increased from 6% to 19%. Affiliate clinic faculty indicated increased care delivery for underserved patients, appointment availability, and job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The newly implemented UCLA SOD CBCE program preliminarily yielded immediate positive outcomes for SOD students and affiliate community clinics.

Enhancing Dental Student Learning and Skill with Dental Bonding Utilizing a Shear Bond Strength Test.

Teaching dental students the proper protocol and application of bonding agents for improved composite restorations in the preclinical setting can be challenging due to difficulty in translating their bonding technique to clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of utilizing a shear bond strength test and to evaluate if it improved student performance and confidence in adhesive dentistry. All 106 third-year and 106 fourth-year dental students (total N=212) at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry were invited to participate in a shear bond strength workshop in 2016. The hands-on workshop used a bond strength testing instrument to demonstrate the various principles and techniques of adhesive dentistry. A total of 54 third-year and 34 fourth-year students (total N=88) participated, for response rates of 51% and 32%, respectively. For the total students, there was a significant difference in the mean bond strength between the first and second attempts (p<0.001). For the third-year students, an increase in the mean shear bond strength was seen but was not significant (p=0.097). For the fourth-year students, there was a significant difference between the first and second attempts (p<0.001). A significant difference was also found in the aggregate self-ratings before and after the exercise (p<0.001). The students rated the exercise as an enjoyable way to learn about adhesive dentistry and agreed that it increased their confidence in performing bonding procedures. This exercise served as an innovative method of emphasizing proper technique with adhesive dentistry, while helping to build student confidence in the preclinical laboratory.