Professional education and assessment practices in central auditory processing

A 17-item questionnaire probing professional preparation and current practices in central auditory assessment was mailed to 500 audiologists selected randomly from the membership directory of the American Academy of Audiology. Data from 183 respondents, representing a 37 percent response rate, were analyzed. The majority of respondents reported minimal academic and clinical preparation in assessment of the central auditory nervous system. Eighty percent of respondents had not taken any graduate course explicitly dedicated to central auditory processing. However, 80 percent had taken at least one basic science course in central audition and 83 percent reported having taken at least one graduate course that included some coverage of central auditory processing and/or the central auditory nervous system. A mean of 3 clinical clock hours accrued in this area was reported. Not surprisingly, 78 percent reported a satisfaction rating of < or =50 percent relative to the graduate education they received in this area and only 41 percent reported providing central auditory assessment. Comparisons with prior surveys show substantial change in the preferred test battery. Most notable is the pivotal role of physiologic measures, with the acoustic reflex and auditory brainstem response listed along with the SCAN as the three most frequently used assessment tests/procedures. Overall, the results suggest a need for improvement in professional preparation in evaluation of central auditory function.     

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.     

Trends in dental computerization in Oklahoma practices

Sixteen people with multiple sclerosis (MS) responded to a semi-structured questionnaire about their experiences with alternative therapies. No definition of alternative therapies was provided. Physical therapy, counseling, nutrition, and massage were the most frequently used alternative therapies. Other therapies included acupuncture, occupational therapy, aquatic therapy, Therapeutic Touch, yoga, passive exercise, and removal of mercury alloy tooth fillings. Almost two thirds of the respondents reported seeking an alternative health practitioner because traditional physicians offered no cure for MS. Just under one third of the respondents stated that the quality of their lives was improved by alternative therapies.     

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.     

Perceived environmental stressors for dental hygiene students

This study identifies stressors for dental hygiene students and examined significant differences in stress levels between first- and last-year dental hygiene students and between dental hygiene and dental students. A modified dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire was utilized to determine the sources of stress. The questionnaire was completed by 153 (93 percent) first- and last-year dental hygiene students from four programs. Seven stressors were among the top ten stress items cited by both classes of dental hygiene students; seven other stressors exhibited significant differences (p = .01). The authors' hypothesis is that some of these stressors may be remediable. Seven of the top ten stressors for first-year dental hygiene and dental students were shared, while ten exhibited significant differences. Among last-year students, eighteen items were significant, and seven of the top ten stressors were the same.     

Solo and nonsolo dental practices: impact of increasing number of female dentists and the cost of a dental education

This study involved subjective evaluation of airway patency, linear measurement of orocraniofacial architecture, and blood pressure measurement in 38 obese sufferers of sleep apnea and 38 matched controls. The study demonstrated that airway management in the sleep apnea group was difficult on both induction and emergence from general anesthesia. Moreover, a smaller, compressed oropharynx was observed in the sleep apnea group. In addition, patients with sleep apnea were characteristically hypertensive. More nursing research is needed to enhance understanding of patients afflicted with sleep apnea and to improve their life quality.     

Dismantling discrimination in dental education

In existence for more than 100 years, the schools of medicine and dentistry of Howard University and Meharry Medical College have been responsible for training the majority of African-American physicians and dentists. The dissolution of the doctrine of "separate but equal" has resulted in the acceptance of larger numbers of African-American health professionals to America's medical and dental educational institutions. The University of Tennessee School of Dentistry is a primary example of a formerly segregated institution that has changed its policies and presently possesses a respectable number of African-American dental alumni. In a recent acknowledgment of this fact on Alumni Day, black graduates of this University celebrated and sponsored a program to increase the number of African-American matriculants at the school.     

Psychological predictors of pain during dental hygiene treatment

This study examined the role of catastrophizing (i.e. a tendency to exaggerate the threat value of potentially painful situations) in predicting pain experience during dental hygiene treatment. Participants in the research were 100 patients undergoing scaling and/or root planing procedures at Dalhousie University's Dental Clinic. Following treatment, participants completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, a measure of emotional distress, a pain scale, and the Dental Anxiety Scale-Revised. Participants who scored above the median on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale were classified as catastrophizers, participants who scored below the median were classified as noncatastrophizers. Results showed that catastrophizers reported significantly more dental anxiety, emotional distress and pain than noncatastrophizers; and that distress reactions were more pronounced in men that in women. Discussion focuses on the importance of addressing psychological factors in dental hygiene practice, particularly as they relate to reactions to dental hygiene procedures, and avoidance of dental care.     

Catastrophizing, anxiety and pain during dental hygiene treatment

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relations between catastrophizing, dental anxiety, and pain during dental hygiene treatment. METHODS: Participants were 78 (32 men, 46 women) consecutive referrals to the Dalhousie University Dental Clinic. All patients were scheduled for a scaling procedure performed by senior dental hygiene students. Following treatment, patients completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Dental Anxiety Scale - Revised, and were asked to rate the degree of pain they experienced during the scaling procedure. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that age and the rumination subscale of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale were significant predictors of pain, even when controlling for gender, and oral hygiene status. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that excessive focus on pain sensations may be one of the mechanisms by which catastrophizing leads to increased pain. The clinical challenges will be to develop cost- and time-effective means of identifying individuals who catastrophize and to implement interventions to reduce their level of distress.     

Is dental hygiene a profession? A literature review

From a literature review of theories of professionalism, the historical development of the attributes of a profession are discussed. This paper then discusses various theories of professionalism and specifically examines the extent to which the criteria developed by Greenwood are fulfilled by dental hygiene. Greenwood's model, which discusses certain attributes that a profession should possess, is selected to provide a broader model to analyze the current professional status of dental hygiene. Greenwood's model states that a profession has acquired: 1) systemic theory, 2) authority, 3) community sanction, 4) ethical codes, and 5) a culture. The author will conclude by suggesting possible steps the dental hygiene profession could continue to take to acquire these attributes and thereby recognition as a profession by other professions, governments and the public.     

The assessment interview: Metalinguistic strategies in management assessment practices.

The use of pencil-and-paper tests in the field of executive assessment continues to provide generalized labels without giving meaningful answers about what is being measured. The almost universal employment of interviews in conjunction with these tests has permitted assessors to apply intuitive metalinguistic strategies to the assessments. It is this intuitive analysis of linguistic behavior that gives executive assessment its validity as a predictor of future success. The authors suggest that conscious, intentional linguistic approaches to assessment will enhance its effectiveness and advance the integration of the fields of psychology and behavioral linguistics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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.     

Dental and dental hygiene students'' attitudes in a joint local anesthesia course

The unfortunate exception to a general downturn in violent crime involves an upsurge in violence among youth. Violence often results when minor confrontations escalate. As school violence increasingly has become widespread, schools have become the location of many violence prevention efforts, few of which have been evaluated adequately. This paper focuses on enhancing decision-making skills as one approach to increase adolescents' ability to manage interpersonal violence. Adolescents can be considered fairly skilled decision-makers and their unique perspective must be considered in development of effective intervention programs. Data from a pilot study were examined for insights about adolescents' ability to make decisions in situations of interpersonal conflict.