Relationship Between Original Research Experiences and Evidence-Based Practice Among Undergraduate Dental Hygiene Students.

For the dental hygiene profession, a need exists to engage students in research experiences as undergraduate students to foster interest in research and improve the implementation of evidence-based practice. The purpose was to explore the relationships between original research experiences and evidence-based practice among undergraduate dental hygiene students. This quantitative survey research study of undergraduate dental hygiene students in the USA was conducted in 2021. Original research experience was measured using the Wessex Research Network (WReN) spider instrument and evidence-based practice was measured using the Knowledge, Attitudes, Access and Confidence Evaluation (KACE) instrument. Invitation e-mails were sent to the directors of US entry-level dental hygiene programs to forward the survey e-mail message to students in the last semester of their dental hygiene programs. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. A total of 128 responses were analysed. The foundational knowledge domain of research experience was found to be a significant predictor of evidence-based practice and the mediators of evidence-based knowledge, evidence-based attitudes, evidence-based access and evidence-based confidence. Research experience was found to be a significant predictor of Evidence-Based Practice. Engaging undergraduate dental hygiene students in research opportunities may prepare students for the clinical application of evidence-based practice and original research projects.

Partido BB ，Wesolek M ，Lint A ，Ford C ... -  《-》

Predictors of Empathy Among Dental Hygiene Undergraduate Students.

Collins DM ，Iannucci JM ，Townsend JA ，Kearney RC ... -  《-》

Evaluation of undergraduate dental students' awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards teledentistry: does a course enhance this?

Teledentistry is a part of telemedicine and can be used for dental diagnosis, dental care, consultation, and dental education. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of undergraduate dental students toward teledentistry, as well as to investigate the influence of enrolling in a teledentistry course on these variables. A structured questionnaire-based online survey (Google Form) was used as the survey tool to evaluate the undergraduate dental students' awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards teledentistry. All undergraduate dental students during the 2022-2023 academic year, were invited to join this questionnaire. The questionnaire was posted to the students who agreed to answer the survey online. Associations between categorical variables were evaluated using the Pearson Chi-square test or Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact test. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare two independent groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare more than two independent groups. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2015, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). The significance level was set at p < 0.05 for all analyses. Explanatory factor analysis and item analysis were used for the evaluation of the validity of the questionnaire. There were 293 participants from five classes, with a 36.08% response rate; 190 (64.8%) were female and 103 (35.2%) were male, with a median age of 21 years (minimum 17 years, maximum 44 years). In this study, 37.9% of the participants had heard of teledentistry, 30.7% knew what teledentistry is, approximately one-third of the students were aware that there is a course called teledentistry in our faculty, and only 11.6% took the course. Undergraduate dental students had high levels of knowledge and awareness about the advantages and limitations of teledentistry. Dental students who had taken the course had a more positive attitude towards using teledentistry. Enhancing dental students' knowledge and awareness of teledentistry could beneficially influence their utilization of teledentistry in their future careers. This study is not a clinical trial involving medicinal products or therapeutic interventions, so the clinical trial number is not applicable.

Akçiçek G ，Katı E ，Zengin HY 《BMC Medical Education》

Dental Hygiene Students' Education and Intent to Use Recommended Communication Techniques.

Purpose Dental hygienists' knowledge and application of clear communication techniques are critical due to their role as primary providers of education about preventive regimens. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about dental hygiene students' perceived education regarding recommended communication techniques and their intent to use these techniques in practice.Methods A national online survey was designed by the University of Maryland and structured by the American Dental Association's Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention (CAAP). The survey was distributed by the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) in 2019 to 9533 student email addresses. The survey included student demographics, the recommended communication techniques they were exposed to, when and where they were assessed, whether they had heard of the term health literacy, and their intent to use the communication techniques once in clinical practice. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Significance was set at p< 0.05.Results A total of 235 surveys were returned for a 2.5% response rate. The majority were female (95.7%), white (81.7%) and born in the United States (89.8%). Nearly a third (28.1%) were in baccalaureate programs and over half (59.1%) were in associate degree programs. The most frequently reported method used to educate students about provider-patient communication techniques was lectures (88.9%). Respondents were more likely to report having knowledge regarding the use of simple language (98.3%) than asking the patient to repeat back the information or instructions (87.7%). Respondents had greater confidence (82.1%) and intention to use simple language (92.8%) than confidence to ask patients to repeat back information (73.2%) or intention to do so in the future (67.7%) The majority (58.3%) reported being evaluated on communication skills both in the classroom and clinic setting.Conclusions Results of this survey, although non-representative of all dental hygiene students, suggest a need for increased classroom and clinic use of recommended communication techniques in dental hygiene education programs. Dental hygiene graduates must understand the use of recommended communication techniques to reduce misinformation about oral health and increase patients' knowledge and understanding about preventing oral diseases.

Maybury C ，Horowitz AM ，Clough SR ，Wang MQ ，Kleinman DV ... -  《-》

Improving Dental Hygiene Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence Toward Prenatal Oral Health Through Experiential Learning: A pilot study.

Purpose Maintaining optimal oral health is essential for maternal health as well as the health of their child. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine dental hygiene (DH) students' knowledge of prenatal oral health before and after receiving an asynchronous prenatal oral health care training (POHCT), and their attitudes and self-perceived confidence before and after receiving an experiential learning opportunity with a pregnant and/or post-partum client at a Women's Infants and Children nutrition program (WIC) clinic.Methods A one-group pre/post-test design was used. This IRB-approved study (#2027439-4) utilized a convenience sample of DH student participants (n=37) in their final year of a baccalaureate program at a public institution located in the southeastern United States. The POHCT program and pre/post surveys were completed in a learning management system. During the WIC rotation, participants assessed the presence of a dental home and oral health needs of the client. The validated Prenatal Oral Health Surveys 2015 and 2016:v0/v2, respectively, were used to measure knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and willingness related to practices for pregnant patients; additionally, demographic and program experience questions were included. Some statements were adapted to align with the POHCT and WIC rotation utilized in this study. All the statistical analyses were performed in the R statistical software and p≤0.05 was set for significance.Results A total of 34 participants (91.9%) completed the POHCT program and pre/post. In general, participants gained knowledge and confidence from the POHCT and WIC rotation. Overall, confidence in discussing proper infant feeding practices increased post-training (p<0.001) and there was a marginal increase in knowledge about fluoride safety during pregnancy (p=0.06) but was not statistically significant. Participants reported that the POHCT and WIC rotation were valuable to their clinical education and would recommend continuing the experience for future DH students.Conclusion The POHCT and WIC rotation was successful in improving DH students' knowledge of pregnancy-related oral health topics and provided them with the opportunity and experience to practice learned skills.

McKinney DC ，Sikdar S ，Naavaal S 《-》