A Qualitative Exploration of Existing Reflective Practices Used by Undergraduate Dental Students in Paediatric Dentistry

Background: Reflection is increasingly significant for dental students and professionals and is a continuing requirement of dental regulatory bodies. There is a paucity of evidence regarding how best to facilitate deep reflection for dental students. This study explored whether the use of clinical logbooks in undergraduate clinical attachments in Paediatric Dentistry was facilitating deep reflection. Methods: This qualitative study used individual interviews for data collection. This was conducted at the University of Sheffield with third year undergraduate dental students and clinical teaching staff. Interviews were immediately transcribed verbatim. A reflexive approach to thematic analysis was used to co-constitute the data, enabling the development of the thematic framework. Results: The sample compromised 10 students and 4 educators. Thematic analysis generated 4 key themes: understanding of reflection, preparation for reflection, importance of learning through experience, and suggestions for development. The findings indicated that students perceived that they were not being supported in engaging in deep reflection by the use of a clinical logbook and that greater preparation for reflection would be beneficial. Conclusions: The current study revealed that using clinical logbooks during clinical attachments in Paediatric Dentistry was not facilitating deep reflection. Further research is required to explore how deep reflection can be facilitated for undergraduate dental students undertaking clinical learning.

Application of Selected Biomaterials and Stem Cells in the Regeneration of Hard Dental Tissue in Paediatric Dentistry—Based on the Current Literature

Currently, the development of the use of biomaterials and their application in medicine is causing rapid changes in the fields of regenerative dentistry. Each year, new research studies allow for the discovery of additional possibilities of dental tissue restoration. The structure and functions of teeth are complex. They consist of several diverse tissues that need to act together to ensure the tooth’s function and durability. The integrity of a tooth’s enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp tissue allows for successful mastication. Biomaterials that are needed in dentistry must withstand excessive loading forces, be biocompatible with the hosts’ tissues, and stable in the oral cavity environment. Moreover, each tooth’s tissue, as well as aesthetic qualities in most cases, should closely resemble the natural dental tissues. This is why tissue regeneration in dentistry is such a challenge. This scientific research focuses on paediatric dentistry, its classification of caries, and the use of biomaterials in rebuilding hard dental tissues. There are several methods described in the study, including classical conservative methods such as caries infiltration or stainless-steel crowns. Several clinical cases are present, allowing a reader to better understand the described methods. Although the biomaterials mentioned in this work are artificial, there is currently ongoing research regarding clinical stem cell applications, which have a high potential for becoming one of the most common techniques of lost dental-tissue regeneration in the near future. The current state of stem cell development is mentioned, as well as the various methods of its possible application in dentistry.

Continuous Workplace-based Assessment as an Indication of Clinical Competence in Paediatric Dentistry

An authentic workplace setting provides the ideal opportunity for assessmentof students’ clinical competence at the ‘does’ level of performance.Final-year dental students in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at theUniversity of the Western Cape are evaluated in the clinical environmenton a daily basis through multiple clinical evaluations which assess clinicaland diagnostic skills over a year. An additional end-of-module clinicalassessment in the form of a single-blinded patient case (BPC) determines ifstudents have reached the expected level of clinical competence in terms ofpatient evaluation and diagnosis. However, the reliability and feasibility ofthis single end-of-module clinical case have been questioned in this setting.This study aimed to determine if the current continuous workplace-basedassessment (WPBA) results could be used as an indication of final-yearstudents’ clinical competence at the end of the module. A retrospective,quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted of all complete assessmentrecords. The correlation between the continuous WPBA components wasanalysed together with an evaluation of the reliability and validity of theassessment results. The continuous formative WPBA practices were foundto be both valid and reliable when using Kane’s (2013) and Royal’s (2017)frameworks for analysis. However, the BPC should be reconsidered due tofeasibility and reliability concerns. Key words: Dental education, Paediatric Dentistry, clinical skills, workplace,summative, formative, continuous assessment

Minimal Invasive Dentistry: An Emerging Trend

When first introduced, the term Minimal Intervention Dentistry (MID) referred to use of smaller and more conservative cavity preparations. Today, concept is much broader, being a philosophy of care related to risk assessment of individual patients, early detection of oral disease, targeted preventively orientated strategies and limited surgical intervention appropriate to level of disease1-3. “Extension for prevention” which was previously taught has been changed to “Prevention of extension”. Though concept of MID has been stressed upon for more than a decade, but its uptake has not been global. MID should be the standard of care in modern dentistry, as it avoids over-zealous restorative interventions as well as supervised neglect. As dental profession worldwide grapples with challenges of dealing with high rates of dental diseases in socially disadvantaged and medically compromised patients, it is even more important to incorporate these concepts into practice to deal with challenge of management of oral diseases. This review focuses on the concept and techniques of minimal invasive dentistry as an emerging trend in paediatric dentistry. Keywords: paediatric dentistry, MID

PERCEPTIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS AND GRADUATE DENTISTS TOWARDS BEHAVIOURAL GUIDANCE TECHNIQUES IN PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of undergraduate dental students and graduate dentists towards behaviouralguidance techniques in paediatric dentistry. Materials & Methods: 225 subjects with previous experience in treating paediatricpatient were identified and invited to fill up a Likert-style questionnaire with 15 questions in total. The data was evaluated for descriptive analysis and statistical analysis using Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test(significance level, p<0.05). Results: 158 respondents were included in this study. 47.4% think that communication is the most effective non-pharmacological method of behavioural guidance, 62.6% and 45.6% think that tell-show-do is the most practical and most successful behaviour shaping techniques, respectively. 43.7% responded neutral to the use HOME or physical restraints in controlling child patient, 81.0% almost never used HOME method. 87.3% had explained procedures of dental treatment to child patientsduring treatment, 89.2% had used euphemism on the child. 40.5% of child patientssometimes struggled when receiving their treatment. 33.5% required some effort to get their child patient treated. 79.1% had never usedprotective stabilization method. 75.9% think that their working environment is favourable and conducive for child patients. 39.2% think that desensitization is the most effective method to reduce dental fear and anxiety in child patient. 59.5% preferpresence of parents during treatment. 56.35% of frightened cry was most commonly seen clinically. 73.4% would not consider further studies in paediatric dentistry. Conclusion: Generally, the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge and acceptance of various behavioural guidance techniques in paediatric dentistry, but with some deficiencies.