Cariology education in Canadian dental schools: where are we? Where do we need to go?

The aim of this study was to document cariology education across Canadian dental schools. Ten faculty members who supervise cariology education at each of the ten Canadian dental schools were invited to participate in the study in 2016. An adapted version of the European Organization for Caries Research-Association for Dental Education in Europe cariology curriculum group questionnaire was used. Representatives of all ten dental schools completed the questionnaire, for a 100% response rate. In four schools, cariology and restorative dentistry were taught by the same department. Five schools had didactic/ laboratory courses focusing primarily on cariology as well as a specific written curriculum. Six schools provided cariologyrelated hands-on workshops/laboratories before students started working with patients. In teaching cariology, seven institutions included dental hard tissues defects. The following caries detection methods were addressed didactically in cariology education: visual (10/10 total schools), tactile (9/10), International Caries Detection and Assessment System criteria (6/10), caries activity assessment (9/10), radiographic (10/10), and other detection tools (8/10). Seven schools charted activity of carious lesions in clinic. Only one school used the concept of caries risk assessment regularly in clinic. Clinical cariology teaching was carried out mostly by private dentists hired as clinical instructors (7/10) and faculty members involved in didactic cariology education (9/10). Calibration of faculty members for caries detection criteria was reported by only one school. The main concern reported by all institutions was the difficulty of implementing didactic instruction on cariology into clinical training. This study found that contemporary cariology concepts are in the process of being implemented in didactic education across Canadian dental schools, but all schools lacked appropriate integration of cariology education into clinical training. These findings suggest a need for harmonization of evidence-based cariology education in Canada

Virtual Domes. Utopian architecture at the dawn of Virtual Reality

This paper examines the theoretical and practical aspects of geodesic dome architecture in North America as part of an aesthetic of virtualization. Geodesic domes can be conceived of as virtual environments designed as alternatives to the contemporary world and its internal crises. They were originally a tool of the American counterculture of the 1960s to search for futuristic housing solutions which responded to ecological concerns. The contribution traces some of the most important phases of dome architecture, which crossed paths with the emerging technoculture linked to the rise of virtual reality. Indeed, the idea of the dome as a means of imagining new virtual environments, as was the case of Biosphere 2, intersects with the career of VR pioneer Jaron Lanier. Today, virtual reality technologies have merged geodesic architecture with visualization devices, as happens in the case of “virtual domes”, offering a unique way to experience virtual reality and connect with others in a shared environment

Educare alla scelta della scuola secondaria di secondo grado e orientare per preparare al futuro

Orientation is a structural factor of all learning process, it is fulfilled lifelong. At school, spaces  and opportunities to train and to get ready for choosing a future profession are found. School, of course, has to acquire the consciousness of that; nevertheless during the last few years, in which education reforms have followed, it is grow the need to perfuse an educative role at the orientation, so students and their personalities should be the main focus of interest (Del Core, 2008). School Orientation has to direct students to investigate and to acquire essential elements to start their own identity construction, starting from skills they have acquired before. So, it becomes essential give a helping hand to all students to recognize the skills owned, not only to support the motivation but also to identify and define the educational and work choices. In the learning process, particularly during the analysis of the choices done, is useful reflect about the interconnection among personal features, detail of the school process and features of the professional figure related. “One of the school main purpose is to provide all students with the intellective instruments, conceptions and self-regulatory abilities, useful to their own lifelong learning process”. Learning Self- Management in different situations and, also, after school, is the strong point, which will help students to be independent and “to rich the bottom”. (Bandura, 2012, p. 24).L’orientamento è un fattore strutturale di ogni processo formativo, realizzato lungo l’arco di tutta la vita; nella scuola si trovano gli spazi e le opportunità per formarsi e prepararsi alla scelta di una professione futura. Naturalmente la scuola deve acquisire la consapevolezza di ciò, tuttavia in questi anni, in cui le riforme scolastiche si sono succedute, è cresciuta la necessità di far acquisire all’orientamento il compito educativo che mette al centro l’interesse degli studenti e delle studentesse e la maturazione della loro personalità (Del Core, 2008). L’orientamento scolastico deve indirizzare gli alunni ad esplorare ed acquisire elementi fondamentali per iniziare la costruzione di una propria identità, partendo dalle competenze acquisite. Fondamentale diventa l’aiuto a riconoscere le competenze possedute, non solo per sostenere la motivazione ma anche per individuare e definire le scelte formative e di lavoro.È utile nel processo di orientamento, in particolare nella verifica della scelta fatta, riflettere sulle interconnessioni tra caratteristiche personali, specificità del percorso scolastico e caratteristiche delle figure professionali collegate. “Uno dei principali obiettivi della scuola è fornire agli studenti gli strumenti intellettivi, le convinzioni e le abilità auto-regolatorie che servono loro per autoistruirsi tutta la vita”. Imparare ad autogestirsi in situazioni diverse e anche dopo la scuola è il punto di forza che aiuterà gli adolescenti ad essere autonomi e ad “arrivare fino in fondo” (Bandura, 2012, p. 24)

Predictive Validity of a Caries Risk Assessment Model at a Dental School

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153638/1/jddjde019017.pd

Stainless Steel Crown Success Using the Hall Technique: A Retrospective Study

Background In this retrospective study, the authors evaluated the clinical and radiographic success of stainless steel crowns (SSCs) used to restore primary molars with caries lesions, placed by means of both the traditional technique (involving complete caries removal and tooth reduction before placement of the SSC) and the Hall technique (involving no caries removal, no crown preparation and no use of local anesthetic before placement of the SSC). Methods The authors conducted a retrospective chart review by using the patient records at a private pediatric dental practice at which the Hall technique had been introduced in June 2010 as an alternative treatment to traditional SSC placement. The inclusion criteria were caries lesions on a primary molar with no clinical or radiographic evidence of pulpitis, necrosis or abscess, as well as follow-up of at least six months or until failure, whichever came first. They graded restoration success by using a four-point scale based on presence or loss of the SSC, and whether or not the patient needed further treatment associated with pulpal pathology or secondary caries. They collected and summarized patient demographic information. They used a Kaplan-Meier survival curve along with 95 percent confidence intervals to evaluate clinical success. Results The authors found that 65 (97 percent) of 67 SSCs placed with the Hall technique (mean observation time, 15 months; range, four-37 months) and 110 (94 percent) of 117 SSCs placed with the traditional technique (mean observation time, 53 months; range, four-119 months) were successful. Conclusion Findings of this study show a similar success rate for SSCs placed with the traditional technique or the Hall technique

Dental Education Required for the Changing Health Care Environment

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153648/1/jddjde017022.pd

Longitudinal Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills Across a Dental Curriculum

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153614/1/jddjde018088.pd

Pediatric Dentists’ Silver Diamine Fluoride Education, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Professional Behavior: A National Survey

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153647/1/jddjde019020.pd

Association Between Dental Studentâ Developed Exam Questions and Learning at Higher Cognitive Levels

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153610/1/jddj0022033720157911tb06025x.pd

Factors Associated With Becoming Edentulous in the US Health and Retirement Study

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153121/1/jgs16079.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153121/2/jgs16079_am.pd