Computers in dental education

The advent of electronic support for dental education offers many possible improvements in the manner in which information is conveyed to students. Although dental schools are only beginning to implement these concepts and devices, there is indication that they will become increasingly common. Concepts can be more lucidly conveyed when images and mulitmedia are used effectively. Distances can be transcended, and information gathered from and conveyed to others without regard to physical limitations. The dental school curricula must accommodate the changing milieu in which dentistry is practiced and prepare students for the future, electronically assisted dental practice.     

Learning in dental education

Learning in dental education has long been a subject of academic research. There are different types of student learning which directly or indirectly contribute to the learning outcomes. In this paper, the various classifications of different types of learning; superficial, deep, individual, collaborative and resource-based learning are explored. In order to achieve the learning objectives, different teaching methods such as group-work, r?le-play and problem-based learning are employed. The types of resources used in present day teaching are diverse and multiple: such as print-based, computer-based technologies and audio-visual technologies. In order to assess the effectiveness of such teaching, different methods of assessment have been adopted for use in higher education. In the context of good teaching in higher education, there are a number of constraints placed upon the individual and the institution. These constraints are discussed and recommendations made whereby they may be overcome.     

Continuing education for dental practitioners

Attendance of continuing education courses by dentists is important for the practitioner, the profession and the patient. This survey was undertaken to determine the attendance pattern and discipline preferences for such courses during the period 1985 to 1989. A total of 2674 questionnaires were sent to dentists and 706 (26.4 per cent) were returned. Courses were attended by 88.5 per cent of the respondents. The most popular disciplines were Operative Dentistry, Aesthetic Dentistry and Fixed Prosthodontics.     

Trends in dental education: a literature review

The dental literature for the past 30 years, with emphasis on recent publications, was reviewed for articles on trends in dental education. A keyword search of the MEDLINE database identified 6,055 papers, from which those most likely to predict future trends are considered in this article. Particular emphasis is placed on the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences 1995 study, "Dental Education at the Crossroads: Challenges and Change." Reactions to this U.S.-based study are also detailed. Trends in curriculum analysis, curriculum change and reform, curriculum length, dental school financing, dental student costs, dental school and university relationships, dental school patient care, dental research, accreditation, oral health and trends from outside North America are documented. In addition, a series of predictions are made, and a brief bibliography of the 51 most relevant references is included.     

Postgraduate dental education and the 'new' graduate

It is notoriously difficult to evaluate educational initiatives. Nevertheless, with the introduction of mandatory vocational training, it seems curious that there has been no formal, structured assessment of whether dental vocational training is perceived as having fulfilled its aims. Nor is there information on how participation in continuing dental education relates to feelings of competence or confidence in clinical practice. This paper reports on the experience of two cohorts of 'new' dental graduates from Scotland and provides evidence to inform the debate on vocational training, general professional training and recertification for the dental profession.     

A new approach to undergraduate dental education

As a result of a growing awareness that the traditional undergraduate curriculum for dental students was overloaded with facts to the detriment of producing dentists skilled in problem-solving and critical thinking, the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Pretoria was prompted to review the curriculum, teaching methodology and the evaluation of students performance. After much deliberation and planning, it was decided to construct a new curriculum which could support problem-oriented learning, with all its many advantages. The themes of this new curriculum are derived from an analysis of the so-called "clinical reasoning process" and its relationship to the spectrum of relevant diseases. Finally, an example of a clinical problem, which the dental students are expected to solve, is described to illustrate how the educational and training needs are determined.     

Dismantling the disability/handicap distinction

This paper discusses the distinction between disability and handicap as it is proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their publication International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (WHO, 1993 (first published, 1980)). Following criticism of this an attempt to salvage the distinction by Nordenfelt (1993, 1983) is discussed. It is argued that neither the WHO nor Nordenfelt are successful in their attempts to preserve the distinction between disability and handicap in a theoretically well-motivated manner. Contrary to the WHO, it is argued that what they term 'disabilities' and 'handicaps' both have external causes. And contrary to Nordenfelt's position it is shown that "basic actions" do not provide a firm theoretical foundation for the concept of disability. Moreover, the criticisms of these two sets of views reveal that attempts to describe the phenomenon of disablement which focus on the individual suffer from a serious methodological shortcoming.     

Clinical informatics and the dental curriculum. A review of the impact of informatics in dental care, its implications for dental education

Important advances have been made in the field of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias. Catheter ablation procedures are potentially curative in many patients suffering of supraventricular tachycardias. The technique uses radiofrequency current. This form of energy is already very familiar to surgeons. Expected benefits as well as potential complications have to be discussed with the patient prior to the ablation procedure. The automatic internal defibrillator has been commercially available since the end of the eighties. It delivers electrical therapy in case of ventricular malignant arrhythmias, for instance ventricular fibrillation. The sudden death rate is markedly reduced in implanted patients. The long term prognosis however remains critically dependent of the left ventricular function and possible progressive heart failure. Reimbursement depends on pre-implant agreement by the Social Security. At the present time, no reimbursement is provided for prophylactic indications. These two techniques facilitates the treatment of patients previously described as "resistant cases".     

废旧汽车拆解工艺的选择

在综合比较各类废旧汽车拆解工艺的基础上,根据现阶段我国经济发展和操作水平的实际情况,提出适合我国国情的废旧汽车回收利用工艺方案。     

Influence of file handle attachments on tactile discrimination: an evaluation by dental students

This study used a simulator to determine the effectiveness of two file-handle sleeves that are claimed to improve tactile discrimination and the ease of manipulation of endodontic hand instruments. Thirty final-year dental undergraduates inserted files into instrument setting rods until a putty resistance was felt, following which depth of penetration into the material was measured with a microscope. Results were analysed statistically. Despite favourable comments from participants in the trial, the devices failed to deliver enhanced tactile discrimination.