A comparison of private and public dental students' perceptions of extramural programming.

This project was undertaken to compare the opinions of private and public dental school students' perceptions concerning extramural programming, which is defined as any aspect of the curriculum in which undergraduate dental students provide dental care outside the main dental facility. A survey instrument was used to collect data from undergraduate students at a private (N = 267; 88.4 percent response rate) and at a public (N = 213; 67.

Intentional use of the Hawthorne effect to improve oral hygiene compliance in orthodontic patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the home care of noncompliant adolescent orthodontic patients with "poor" oral hygiene could be improved through the use of a deception strategy designed to intentionally induce the Hawthorne effect. This effect is often cited as being responsible for oral health improvements of control groups that receive placebo treatments. It is thought that participating in and fulfilling the requirements of a study alters subjects' behavior, thereby contributing to the improvement.