Accounts of bullying on Twitter in relation to dentofacial features and orthodontic treatment.

Social media offers an accessible resource for gaining valuable insights into the social culture of bullying. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyse Twitter posts for common themes relating to dentofacial features, braces and bullying. Twitter's database was searched from 2010 to 2014 using keywords relevant to bullying, teeth and orthodontics. Two investigators assessed the Twitter posts, and selected those that conveyed the experiences or opinions of bullying victims. The posts were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. Of the 548 posts screened, 321 were included in the final sample. Four primary categories relating to 'dental-related bullying' were identified: (i) morphological features, (ii) psychological and psychosocial impact, (iii) coping mechanisms and (iv) the role of family. Bullied individuals reported a diverse range of psychological impacts and coping mechanisms. Secondary categories were also identified. Family members, for example, were found to play both a contributory and mediatory role in bullying. In summary, social media can provide new and valuable information about the causal factors and social issues associated with oral health-related bullying. Importantly, some coping mechanisms may mitigate the negative effects of bullying.

Ukaipo niho: the place of nurturing for oral health.

OBJECTIVES: To report on oral-health-related characteristics, beliefs, and behaviours among participants in a randomised control trial of an intervention to prevent early childhood caries (ECC) among Maori children, and to determine whether there were any systematic differences between the intervention and control groups at baseline. DESIGN: Baseline measurements from a randomised control trial (involving 222 pregnant Maori women allocated randomly to either Intervention or Delayed groups) which is currently underway. SETTING: The rohe (tribal area) of Waikato-Tainui. METHODS: Self-report information collected on sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy details, self-reported general and oral health and health-related behaviours, and oral health beliefs. RESULTS: Other than those in the Delayed group being slightly older, on average, there were no significant differences between the two groups. Some 37.0% were expecting their first child. Most reported good health; 43.6% were current smokers, and 26.4% had never smoked. Only 8.2% were current users of alcohol. Almost all were dentate, and 57.7% described their oral health as fair or poor. One in six had had toothache in the previous year; 33.8% reported being uncomfortable about the appearance of their teeth, and 27.7% reported difficulty in eating. Dental service-use was relatively low and symptom-related; 78.9% needed to see a dentist. Overall, most of the sample believed that it was important to avoid sweet foods, visit dentists and to brush the teeth, while about half thought that using fluoride toothpaste and using floss were important. Some 38.2% felt that drinking fluoridated water was important. Oral-health-related fatalism was apparent, with 74.2% believing that most people usually get dental problems, 58.6% believing that most people will need extractions at some stage, and that most children eventually get dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' important role in nurturing the well-being of the young child includes the protection and maintenance of the growing child's oral health (or ukaipo niho). The findings provide important insights into Maori mothers' oral health knowledge, beliefs and practices.

A qualitative analysis of orthodontic-related posts on Twitter.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the content of orthodontic-related Twitter posts in order to improve our understanding of orthodontic patients' perceptions and treatment experiences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Some 131 consecutive posts were collected from Twitter over a 5-day period. Twitter's advanced-search function was used to limit the sampling frame to New Zealand. The posts were qualitatively analyzed for themes using discourse analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes were identified: (1) excitement about getting braces off, (2) problems with braces, (3) positive comments about braces, and (4) negative comments about braces. Various language tools and symbols were often used to convey different degrees of emotion. The present study explores these themes and discusses how they relate to modern-age orthodontics. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to qualitatively analyze orthodontic-related posts in the social media era. Our findings suggest that orthodontic patients use social media sites such as Twitter to convey positive and negative feelings about braces.

The importance of 'student voice' in dental education.

Although much published school and higher education research have established a strong conceptual foundation for eliciting student feedback, this element is relatively poorly developed in dental education research. This paper examines 'student voice' as a conceptual/theoretical framework and justification for attending to students' perspectives in dental education. The aims of this review paper were: to explore the concept of student voice, including some pragmatic considerations and key critiques of listening to student feedback; to critically analyse key debates about the importance of a research focus on student perceptions using themes from the seminal and contemporary educational literature on student voice from the school, higher and dental educational sectors; to identify gaps in the dental education literature in relation to students' perceptions of their learning, and highlight some practical implications drawn from the 'student voice' literature for dental education; and to assist dental educational researchers in developing a strong rationale for listening to student voice in dental educational institutions. This paper is intended to assist dental educational researchers in justifying future research projects which require eliciting dental student feedback/perceptions.

Improving the quality of educational strategies in postgraduate dental education using student and graduate feedback: findings from a qualitative study in New Zealand.

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests that students' perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education. However, to date, there has been no systematic examination of New Zealand postgraduate dental students' learning processes in both the research and clinical settings. This study aimed to obtain in-depth qualitative insights into student and graduate perspectives of effective and ineffective learning experiences during their postgraduate dental education. METHODS: Data were collected in 2010 using semi-structured individual interviews. Participants included 2010 final-year students and 2009 graduates of the University of Otago Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programme. Using the Critical Incident Technique, participants were asked to describe at least one effective and one ineffective learning experience in detail. Interview transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach. RESULTS: Broad themes which emerged included supervisory approaches, characteristics of the learning process and characteristics of the physical learning environment. The focus of this article is to report and discuss the learning processes that participants identified as promoting and precluding effective learning experiences in the clinical and research settings. Students and graduates in the study had largely similar perspectives of learning processes likely to result in effective clinical and research learning. These included self-directed and collaborative learning; timely, constructive and detailed feedback with directions for further improvement; and discreet clinical feedback. Learning processes that precluded effective learning included unsupported and isolated learning, delayed and overly critical/destructive feedback and open criticism in the clinical context. CONCLUSION: The in-depth findings of this study contribute to the scientific literature that identifies learning process characteristics which facilitate effective learning from New Zealand postgraduate students' and graduates' perspectives. Additional cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (both qualitative and quantitative) would lead to a better understanding of what constitutes effective teaching in postgraduate dental education.

Effective and ineffective supervision in postgraduate dental education: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests that students' perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education, but there has been no systematic examination of New Zealand postgraduate dental students' learning experiences. This study aimed to obtain in-depth qualitative insights into student and graduate perceptions of effective and ineffective learning in postgraduate dental education. METHODS: Data were collected in 2010 using semi-structured individual interviews. Participants included final-year students and graduates of the University of Otago Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programme. Using the Critical Incident Technique, participants were asked to describe atleast one effective and one ineffective learning experience in detail. Interview transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach. RESULTS: Broad themes which emerged included supervisory approaches, characteristics of the learning process, and the physical learning environment. This paper considers students' and graduates' perceptions of postgraduate supervision in dentistry as it promotes or precludes effective learning. Effective learning was associated by participants with approachable and supportive supervisory practices, and technique demonstrations accompanied by explicit explanations. Ineffective learning was associated with minimal supervisor demonstrations and guidance (particularly when beginning postgraduate study), and aggressive, discriminatory and/or culturally insensitive supervisory approaches. CONCLUSION: Participants' responses provided rich, in-depth insights into their reflections and understandings of effective and ineffective approaches to supervision as it influenced their learning in the clinical and research settings. These findings provide a starting point for the development of curriculum and supervisory practices, enhancement of supervisory and mentoring approaches, and the design of continuing education programmes for supervisors at an institutional level. Additionally, these findings might also stimulate topics for reflection and discussion amongst dental educators and administrators more broadly.

Self-reported occupational health of general dental practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available regarding the occupational health status of dentists (particularly in New Zealand), although previous research suggests that stress, hand dermatoses and musculoskeletal symptoms are common. AIMS: To determine the occupational health status of New Zealand dentists. METHODS: A nationwide postal survey of a representative sample of 750 dentists. RESULTS: There was a response rate of 77%. Most dentists (71%) reported their general health as very good or excellent; 43% rated their physical fitness as excellent or very good and 64% were happy and interested in life. Workplace bullying had been experienced by 19% and was higher for female and employee dentists and 29% had experienced a violent or abusive incident at work. Almost half of the sample (47%) had experienced at least one dermatitis-type condition in the previous 12 months. The most commonly reported sites for musculoskeletal problems experienced in the previous year were the neck (59%), lower back (57%) and shoulders (45%). Women had a higher prevalence of several occupational health problems, but were more satisfied with their overall health than male dentists. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of dentists had good general health, but physical fitness levels were not ideal. The prevalence of hand dermatoses and musculoskeletal problems are high and impact significantly on dentists' daily lives. Interventions such as reducing weight and training in optimal working methods to reduce musculoskeletal problems and injuries (such as eye or needlestick incidents) might improve the health of this workforce but further research is required.