Relationship between hand-skill exercises and other admissions criteria and students' performance in dental school.

The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of correlations between dental admissions criteria, including a chalk carving exercise, and students' subsequent academic performance. The retrospective cohort study examined the records of dental students at Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Dentistry for the years 1998 to 2008. Only those students who could be categorized into the following four groups were included: 1) those who graduated in the top 10% of their class, 2) those who graduated in the bottom 10% of their class, 3) those who repeated a year of dental school, and 4) those who were dismissed or resigned.

Dental rounds: an evolving process of curriculum integration at the LSU School of Dentistry.

With the support for curriculum change expressed by the American Dental Education Association's Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI), the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry (LSUSD) initiated a course that vertically integrates the basic sciences and clinical sciences and promotes critical thinking. The resulting Dental Rounds course includes presentations by D3 and D4 students on interesting clinical cases, which the entire student body is required to attend. Following the third year of the program, a formal evaluation was conducted, in which surveys were disseminated to students, recent graduates, and faculty members to collect feedback on the efficacy of the course, its perceived value, and its success as an educational tool.

Prevalence and variations of the median maxillary labial frenum in children, adolescents, and adults in a diverse population.

The median maxillary labial frenum (MMLF) is a normal anatomic structure with inherent morphologic variations. This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of those variations in a diverse ethnic population and to educate practitioners about the prevalence of MMLF variations to prevent unnecessary biopsies. This study included adult, adolescent, and child patients at the Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Dentistry.

Cutting effectiveness of carbide burs following multiple steam autoclaving cycles.

New carbide burs that are placed on a bur block can be subjected to multiple steam autoclaving cycles prior to their first use. The decision to discard a bur before or during cavity preparation is a subjective one based on operator expectations and experience. This study examined the durability of carbide burs after multiple autoclaving cycles by judging not only their initial sharpness but also their ability to maintain sharpness throughout a cavity preparation.

The dentist's armamentarium: a collection of 19th century instruments in the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry Library.

A small collection of antique dental instruments located in the LSU School of Dentistry Library (LSUSD) provides a glimpse into the world of the 19th century dentist. The instruments in this collection, with handles carved from common and rare early materials such as bone, wood, ivory, ebony, cameo, shell and pearl, provide a striking contrast to all-steel instruments of the 20th century. An understanding of their development and function substantially increases appreciation of these instruments, which can be categorized as instruments for oral surgery, prophylaxis, restoration, and general use.