James S Puryer

The views of part-time clinical teachers regarding their role in undergraduate education at the University of Bristol Dental School

Introduction UK dental schools are reliant on part-time teachers to deliver the clinical educational component of the course, the majority with a background in general dental practice. Opportunities for promotion are limited, as is the support for obtaining educational qualifications. The aim of this study was to ascertain the views of such teachers at a dental school.Materials and methods An anonymous online survey was used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative views.Results The response rate was 80%. The school has n = 50 part-time clinical teachers, who have been teaching for, on average ten years, and for three sessions per week. Eighteen percent of teachers are recognised specialists. Forty-six percent of respondents have a formal teaching qualification, mostly at certificate level, and 55% thought it necessary to acquire a formal teaching qualification. Eighty-eight percent were happy with their role as clinical teachers.Conclusion This study demonstrates that despite the lack of support and prospect of career progression, the majority of part-time clinical teachers at this institution are satisfied with their role.

Final-Year Dental Undergraduate Attitudes towards Specialisation

The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes towards postgraduate specialisation of final-year students at one UK dental school and to identify any possible influencing factors. A cross-sectional survey of all 73 final-year students using an anonymous self-report questionnaire was carried out. The response rate was 79%, of which nearly two-thirds were female. Age, ethnicity and parental occupation did not have an effect on the intention to specialise, although student gender did, with more females not wishing to specialise (p = 0.006). Having a ‘talent in the field’ had the largest positive influence on pursuing a specialist career (37.9% of responses), whilst the length of time needed to obtain a specialist qualification was seen as the largest negative influence (41.1% of responses). The two most popular subjects were Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics with 24.1% and 20.7% of students listing them as their first choices, respectively. Further research could be carried out to determine if the intentions of UK undergraduates to specialise will meet the increasing specialist oral health needs of the population and which could ultimately influence future dental workforce planning.

The contents of dental implant patient information leaflets available within the UK.

Purpose Patient information leaflets are designed to provide easy to follow information summaries and first point of contact information about treatment options. This survey reviewed the content of dental implant patient information leaflets, produced by implant companies and available within the UK in 2011.Methods Dental implant companies in the UK were asked to provide samples of their patient information leaflets. The information within the leaflets was then summarised, including the quantity and the types of images used and whether the source of the information was given. Quantitative data was obtained on the amount of information provided, size of images and number of references.Results A response rate of 71% was obtained and 23 leaflets were studied. Great variation was found between the leaflets, with the word counts ranging from 88 to 5,434, and 44 different topics were identified. The majority of the images used were decorative, and none of the leaflets gave any reference to the sources of their information. Implant treatment was generally described in a positive way, with an emphasis on describing the treatment and the advantages. Much less information was given about the potential disadvantages and risks of complications or failure, including the relevance of periodontal disease or smoking.Conclusion Implant patient information leaflets provided by dental implant companies should not be solely relied upon to provide patients with all the information they need to give informed consent to treatment.

An introduction to standard setting methods in dentistry

The aim of this paper is to give readers an overview of contemporary standard setting methods used within dental education, and to provide a better understanding of the subject. We hope that it will be of benefit not just to those in academic dentistry, but all practitioners involved with both undergraduate and postgraduate assessment.

Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Use among Dental Undergraduates at One UK University in 2015

The aim of this study was determine the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substance use among dental undergraduates at one UK university in 2015. A cross-sectional survey of all 344 dental undergraduates using an anonymous self-report questionnaire was carried out. The response rate was 77%, of which 29% were male and 71% female. Tobacco smoking was reported by 23.6% of males and 12.2% of females, with only 1.6% of females reporting to smoke ≥10 cigarettes per day. Alcohol consumption was reported by 85.5% of males and 84% of females, and reported levels of alcohol consumption increased since becoming undergraduates. Binge drinking was reported by 35.3% of males and 41% of female students. Only 2.6% of males and 0.5% of females reported to be current regular users of cannabis. The vast majority of respondents claimed to have never used any illicit substance. The only other reported regularly used substances by males was Ecstasy (1.3%) and by females were LSD (0.5%), Ecstasy (1.5%), Cocaine (0.5%), Inhalants (0.5%) and Ketamine (0.5%). These results are encouraging. Fewer students reported smoking than in the general population, levels of binge drinking were considerably lower than previously reported figures, as were the numbers of regular users of cannabis and other illicit substances.

Prevalence of proximal caries in adults and children at Bristol Dental Hospital and South Bristol Community Hospital

&NA; Has there been a shift in trends?

The confidence of undergraduate dental students when carrying out prosthodontic treatment and their perception of the quality of prosthodontic education

INTRODUCTION Despite the falling number of edentulous patients within the UK, there is still a large demand for the provision of removable prostheses. On qualification, dentists should have the knowledge and skills to provide these prostheses, but previous studies have shown that final-year dental undergraduate confidence in treating denture patients is lacking. AIM To explore undergraduate dental student confidence whilst carrying out prosthodontic treatment, and to explore their perceptions of the quality of their prosthodontic education. METHOD An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all (n=203) dental undergraduates in Years 3 to 5 at the University of Bristol. The questionnaire utilised a range of data collection methods including confidence interval ranked responses and qualitative measures. The data were analysed using SPSS. RESULTS The response rate was 51%. Undergraduate perception of confidence increased throughout the years of study (P<.001). There was also an increase in the number of partial and complete denture cases treated as students progressed through the course (P<.001). Overall, students were satisfied with their prosthodontic teaching, although students thought that too much time was allocated to laboratory teaching, and that increasing their clinical experience would be most beneficial in increasing their confidence levels. CONCLUSION Student confidence in carrying out prosthetic treatment increased as students progressed through the course, and confidence levels would be increased further with increased clinical experience.

The career intentions, work-life balance and retirement plans of UK dental undergraduates

Introduction: The views of undergraduates should be considered when planning the future UK dental workforce, especially as the impact of the UK withdrawing from the EU (Brexit) is still unknown. Aim: To investigate the career intentions, work-life balance and retirement plans of UK dental undergraduates. Method: Cross-sectional survey of all UK dental undergraduates using an anonymous online self-report questionnaire. Results: There were 422 responses from 13 dental schools. Response rate 8.9%. 71.3% of respondents were female. Overall, most (89.1%) respondents reported that they were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘extremely satisfied’ with their career choice. Almost all (97.4%) participants indicated they would undertake Dental Foundation Training. 70% of participants would like to specialise. The majority (82.7%) intend to carry out both NHS and private treatment, with only 6.2% indicating that they would carry out NHS-only work. Five years after qualifying, the majority (83.2%) intend to work full-time and after fifteen years, only 54.3% intend to work full-time. There are significant gender differences between full and part-time work patterns. Over one-third (40%) intend to retire between the ages of 61-66 and 19.9% intend to retire after age 66. Over one-half (54.9%) would like to start a family and 93.6% believe that childcare is a shared responsibility. Over one-third (38.6%) believe having a child would ‘considerably affect their careers’ with more females indicating that they would take more time to raise

Should Undergraduate Lectures be Compulsory? The Views of Dental and Medical Students from a UK University

Formal lectures have been a traditional part of medical and dental education, but there is debate as to their compulsory status. This study was designed to explore dental and medical students’ views on compulsory lectures and the use of Video-Recorded Lectures (VRL). A cross-sectional study of University of Bristol students in Years 2 to 4 was conducted using an online questionnaire. The majority of both dental (76%) and medical (66%) students felt lectures should be non-compulsory. The most common learning resources used by both dental and medical students were live lectures, lecture handouts and VRL. The majority of both dental (84%) and medical (88%) students used VRL. Most students attended lectures all of the time both before and after the introduction of VRL, even though most dental and medical students believe lectures should be non-compulsory. VRL is a popular learning resource. These findings tie-in with General Dental Council and General Medical Council recommendations that encourage self-directed learning. Dental and Medical schools should offer a range of learning resources and make use of current technology, including the use of VRL.

Calcifying Acne: An Unusual Extraoral Radiographic Finding

Calcinosis cutis is a condition of accumulation of calcium salts within the dermis leading to the formation of a calcified mass. This complication has been reported in acne vulgaris and other systemic metabolic disorders. This paper presents a rare case of calcinosis cutis in a 14-year-old male which was found at a routine orthodontic assessment.