Using theory-informed data science methods to trace the quality of dental student reflections over time.

This study describes a theory-informed application of data science methods to analyze the quality of reflections made in a health professions education program over time. One thousand five hundred reflections written by a cohort of 369 dental students over 4 years of academic study were evaluated for an overall measure of reflection depth (No, Shallow, Deep) and the presence of six theoretically-indicated elements of reflection quality (Description, Analysis, Feeling, Perspective, Evaluation, Outcome). Machine learning models were then built to automatically detect these qualities based on linguistic features in the reflections.

The inconspicuous nature of COVID-19 and its impact to dentistry.

To state that the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has broadly and deeply impacted our lives is an understatement. Since it first showed up on our radar in December 2019, the new coronavirus has wreaked havoc on virtually all businesses and industries across the globe. The impact is equally felt in developing, developed, industrialized, rural, rich, and poor countries and communities, irrespective of how well-prepared those countries and communities felt they were 9 months ago.

Delivering the evidence--skill mix and education for elder care.

Objectives: To review the current status of dental curricula on elder care, and the current curricula regarding elder care, and it's effect on altering practitioner behaviors while addressing the needs of a growing North American elder population.

Background: An impending crisis is looming over the oral healthcare of our aging population. At the same moment that life expectancy is being extended through increasingly complex healthcare improvements, the numbers of trained dental providers capable and interested in delivering the needed care is failing to grow at an adequate rate.

Comparative use of podcasts vs. lecture transcripts as learning aids for dental students.

The purpose of this project was to describe dental students' use of lecture podcasts versus written lecture transcripts as learning aids under three different circumstances: studying for an exam, reviewing an attended lecture, and reviewing a missed lecture. Additional analyses were performed to see whether demographic differences (e.g.

Evaluation of CDs and chewing gum in teaching dental anatomy.

The purposes of this pilot study were: 1. to compare two methods of teaching dental anatomy-CD + lab vs. standard lecture + lab; and 2.

Removing carious dentin using a polymer instrument without anesthesia versus a carbide bur with anesthesia.

Background: The authors describe a new rotary polymer instrument that selectively removes infected dentin. This instrument has the potential to prepare selected cavities without the need for local anesthesia (LA). Patient acceptance has not been investigated in a clinical trial.

An overview of the CEREC 3D CAD/CAM system.

Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology has made steady inroads into the practice of dentistry. The CEREC CAD/CAM system can be used chairside to fabricate porcelain and composite inlays, onlays, and crowns and porcelain veneers. The latest incarnation of the CEREC system is the CEREC 3D, which provides a versatile, relatively simple, user-friendly method for fabricating esthetic restorations chairside without involving a dental laboratory.

Clinical simulation and foundation skills: an integrated multidisciplinary approach to teaching.

Faced with the challenge of restructuring a preclinical curriculum to provide a stronger background in general dentistry, a clinical simulation program that emphasizes critical thinking in clinical decision-making was developed and implemented at New York University College of Dentistry. The program offers an integrated program in clinical sciences focused on the faculty-defined outcomes for a general dentist. The curriculum was developed using outcomes that must be met before full patient care privileges are extended.

Integrating dental anatomy and biomaterials: an innovative use of composite resin.

As part of the new integrated curriculum at the New York University College of Dentistry, a pilot program uses composite resins to teach dental anatomy. The Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, in conjunction with the Department of Cariology and Operative Dentistry, has created a teaching module to replicate the morphology of a central incisor through the manipulation and placement of a composite resin.