Influence of implant and conventional prostheses on satisfaction and quality of life: A literature review. Part 2: Qualitative analysis and evaluation of the studies.

Purpose: To review the influence of prosthodontic and dental implant treatment on patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHQOL) based on a systematic search of the literature.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out for articles published between 1960 and February 2003. Details of the search process and results were reported in Part 1 of the study (Int J Prosthodont2004;17:83-93).

Technology assessment in dentistry: a comparison of the longevity and cost-effectiveness of inlays.

Objectives: An example of technology assessment in dental care by evaluating the (cost-)effectiveness of types of three-surface inlays (gold, laboratory-fabricated ceramic, and chairside CAD/CAM ceramic) is provided.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between 1966 and June 2003 that reported annual survival probabilities and annual observations. The longevity of different types of inlays was measured by the number of failure-free years.

Influence of prosthetic and implant therapy on satisfaction and quality of life: a systematic literature review. Part 1--Characteristics of the studies.

Purpose: This study systematically searched the dental literature to identify and classify articles on the influence of prosthodontic and dental implant treatment on patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life according to their level of evidence.

Materials And Methods: A literature search was carried out for articles published between 1960 and February 2003 using an electronic key word search complemented by hand searching. The retrieved articles were subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

1.3 Development of professional competences.

Competency-based education, introduced approximately 10 years ago, has become the preferred method and generally the accepted norm for delivering and assessing the outcomes of undergraduate (European) or predoctoral (North America) dental education in many parts of the world. As a philosophical approach, the competency statements drive national agencies in external programme review and at the institutional level in the definition of curriculum development, student assessment and programme evaluation. It would be presumptuous of this group to prescribe competences for various parts of the world; the application of this approach on a global basis may define what is the absolute minimum knowledge base and behavioural standard expected of a 'dentist' in the health care setting, while respecting local limitations and values.