Aug 2026· Selcuk Dental Journal· Vol 13, pp. 240-246· 0 citations· 12 references
TL;DR
Students and graduates widely support integrated clinical education as a valuable educational model that promotes holistic treatment planning and multidisciplinary coordination, however, to maximize educational effectiveness, assessment systems, organizational structure, and student-centered practices need to be developed.
Abstract
Background: Integrated (multidisciplinary) clinical education is gaining increasing importance in dental curricula as an approach aimed at developing comprehensive treatment planning and clinical competence. This study aims to evaluate the views of dental students, graduate dentists, and faculty members regarding integrated clinical education and to shed light on future curriculum arrangements.Methods: A 13-question survey was prepared in Google Forms and distributed to fourth- and fifth-year dental students, licensed dentists, and faculty members nationwide. A total of 178 participants from eleven different dental faculties responded to the survey. The survey consisted of multiple-choice and 5-point Likert scale questions covering educational value, structure, duration, assessment methods, and open-ended feedback. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.Results: The vast majority of participants found integrated clinical training to be necessary and beneficial. Endodontics, restorative dentistry, prosthetic dentistry, and periodontology were identified as the most fundamental disciplines to include in integrated clinical training. Participants preferred a structured but time-limited model (half a term or annual practice in the final year). A multidimensional, points-based assessment system was deemed more appropriate than threshold-based systems based on patient or procedure counts. Open-ended responses emphasized the importance of quality and case complexity over quantity and highlighted concerns about stress, workload, and organizational issues.Conclusions: Students and graduates widely support integrated clinical education as a valuable educational model that promotes holistic treatment planning and multidisciplinary coordination. However, to maximize educational effectiveness, assessment systems, organizational structure, and student-centered practices need to be developed.Keywords: integrated clinical training, multidisciplinary dentistry, dental curriculum
PURPOSE
Advances in genomic science and biomedical technology have positioned dentists as key contributors to evidence-based care, including recognizing oral and craniofacial conditions that may warrant referral or interprofessional evaluation. Despite this growing relevance, national guidelines for genetics instruction in dental schools are lacking. This study aimed to assess the current status of genetics integration into the curriculum of dental schools across North America, focusing on content, timing, instructional methods, faculty backgrounds, and assessment approaches.
METHODS
An anonymous, 12-question survey was distributed via the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Academic Deans' listserv to all accredited US and Canadian dental schools. The survey collected descriptive data on the instructional timing, format, faculty, objectives, topics covered, and clinical integration of genetics content throughout the dental program. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
Seventeen (N = 17) responses were received from US dental schools. Results indicated that genetics instruction was predominantly concentrated in the preclinical years, with 94% of schools delivering content in Year 1 and 82% in Year 2. This content is most often integrated into multiple courses (76%) and taught by multiple instructors (76%) mainly via didactic lectures (100%). The objective of the content is essentially to provide a broad overview of genetics concepts (82%). A significant gap was identified in clinical application and 100% of respondents reported that neither genetic counseling nor genetic testing is incorporated into routine clinical experiences.
CONCLUSION
This survey study highlights a disconnection between the didactic teaching of foundational genetics concepts and their practical application in dental education and clinical settings. To better prepare dentists to recognize genetic conditions and provide appropriate referrals, the findings suggest an opportunity to enhance clinically relevant, case-based integration of genetics content within existing curricula. Strengthening this applied focus can help ensure students are equipped to apply genetic knowledge to deliver preventive and patient-centered care.
Tiffany Saba, Emily Hansen-Kiss, W. Fakhouri et al.· Journal of Dental Education· 0 citations
Aim: As future dentists, undergraduate dental students require comprehensive and effective training in implantology to deliver accurate and evidence-based implant treatment. However, there is limited and inconclusive evidence regarding whether dental students possess sufficient foundational knowledge of dental implantology. This study aimed to compare the levels of awareness and knowledge related to implant treatment among undergraduate dental students receiving implant education at a university in Turkey, specifically between final-year students nearing graduation and fourth-year students still enrolled in the program.Material and Methods: The study population consisted of undergraduate dental students at xxx, xxx. A total of 121 students participated, including 54 fourth year and 67 fifth-year students. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire developed through Google Forms (Google LLC, United States), which comprised 29 questions. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. Chi-square tests were used to assess relationships between categorical variables, while the Mann–Whitney U test was applied for intergroup comparisons. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: Fifth-year students demonstrated significantly higher accuracy in clinically relevant and decision-critical areas, including implant positioning distances, prosthetic components, and immediate loading protocols.Conclusion: Final-year dental students exhibited a higher level of implant-related knowledge compared with fourth-year students. These findings suggest that implant education should be distributed more systematically and progressively throughout the undergraduate dental curriculum.
Tuğçe Koyu, Betül İyigün, Ece İrem Oğuz· Journal of International Den...· 0 citations
Objectives Curricular integration in dental education is essential for bridging basic sciences into clinical practices. This study aimed to evaluate dental students’ perceptions of the current prosthodontic curriculum structure in a Thai undergraduate dental program, regarding horizontal and vertical integration, by applying a mixed‐methods approach to examine possible connections among courses. Materials and Methods A mixed‐methods approach was employed. A quantitative questionnaire was distributed to fifth‐ and sixth‐year undergraduate dental students and recent graduates (n = 286), asking them to rate the importance of subjects related to prosthodontics education on a four‐level ordinal scale (from nonessential to essential [score 0–3]). Friedman’s two‐way analysis of variance by ranks was employed, and the differences in mean rank values were utilized to develop an integration framework of subjects. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted with nine clinical students and seven recent graduates to explore their perspectives on subject integration in detail. Results The response rate of the online questionnaire was 72.0%, and 16 dental students and recent graduates participated in a focus group interview. The horizontal and vertical integration structure for dental prosthodontics education in undergraduate programs was proposed, with highly essential subjects for vertical integration, including occlusion, dental materials, oral examination, oral anatomy, and general medicine. Moderately essential subjects were included in both vertical and horizontal integrations, particularly other clinical courses. Conclusions Based on the students’ perspectives at a single institution, prosthodontic education appeared to demonstrate stronger vertical integration across different stages of the undergraduate dental curriculum than horizontal integration across disciplines taught within the same stage. Students perceived fewer connections between prosthodontics and other disciplines, suggesting opportunities to strengthen interdisciplinary integration.
Watcharapong Mongkolrattanasit, Veerit Tanvarasethee, Supachai Chuenjitwongsa et al.· International Journal of Den...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Digital technologies - including computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, three-dimensional printing, digital radiography, intraoral scanners, and artificial intelligence - are increasingly central to clinical dentistry, yet their integration into undergraduate curricula remains uneven. Clinical-year students, approaching graduation and patient-facing practice, are a critical group in whom to assess this transition, but evidence on how they perceive these technologies and relate them to curriculum expectations is limited. This study evaluated the awareness, attitudes, and curriculum expectations of clinical-year dental students regarding digital dentistry.
METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year students at a single dental faculty using a census-based approach. An 11-item online questionnaire assessed familiarity with five digital technologies, attitudes, and future professional perspectives, with an attention-check item and electronic informed consent. The questionnaire underwent multi-step validation, including expert-panel content validity, exploratory factor analysis, and internal-consistency reliability. Group comparisons by sex and year of study were examined with chi-square tests and Cramér's V, applying the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure to control the false discovery rate.
RESULTS
Of 187 included students (85.0% response rate), the questionnaire showed strong content validity (scale-level content validity index = 0.94) and acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83 for familiarity and 0.92 for the positive-attitude scale). Familiarity was highest for digital radiography and lowest for artificial intelligence. Attitudes were strongly positive: most students reported high interest in digital dentistry and a clear desire for greater curricular coverage, and 74.3% considered digital dentistry teaching at their faculty insufficient. Apparent differences by sex and year of study did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical-year dental students held favourable attitudes toward digital dentistry and expressed strong demand for expanded training, yet their self-reported familiarity remained modest and was lowest for artificial intelligence. This gap between motivation and perceived provision highlights a concrete target for curriculum development, suggesting that undergraduate dental education should strengthen structured, hands-on exposure to digital technologies - particularly artificial intelligence - to better prepare graduates for contemporary clinical practice.
İ. T. Gülşen, Elif Gamze Yıldız Gökşen, Etem Tayfun Gökşen et al.· BMC Medical Education· 0 citations
The practice of contemporary dentistry requires not only technical skills but also the development of soft skills, such as communication, empathy, and ethical and professional values. Although the importance of these skills is increasingly recognized, the perceptions of dental students in Romania regarding their relevance to their future professional practice remain insufficiently explored. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the perceptions of final-year students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Iași regarding the importance of soft skills, in relation to their demographic characteristics, professional motivations, and preferences regarding their future practice settings, as well as to identify distinct profiles through cluster analysis. Material and Methods: The study included 205 students in their fourth through sixth years at the Faculty of Dentistry in Iași, who anonymously completed a 26-item questionnaire rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. The statistical analysis included the chi-square test, Ward’s method, and k-means clustering. Results: Ethical and professional values, artistic skills, and empathy were most frequently rated as “very important.” Female students assigned significantly higher scores than male students to empathy, ethical and professional values, personal characteristics, and communication (p < 0.05–0.001). Professional independence, financial stability, and professional prestige were the main motivations for career choice. Cluster analysis identified four distinct profiles, with significant differences based on gender, professional motivations, and preferences regarding future practice. Conclusions: Students place a high value on soft skills, with differences based on gender and professional profile. The results support the integration of these skills into university education, to complement specialized clinical training.
Introduction: Pursuing the educational curriculum is both vital and essential for the attainment of academic objectives. In this study, it was assessed how closely the quantity and variety of radiographs completed by dental students in Yazd City aligned with those mandated by the formal educational curriculum.
Methods: In order to conduct this study, the students enrolled in practical radiology units 1, 2 or 3 during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year were invited to voluntarily share their logbooks. Demographic information, including the specific practical radiology unit and academic semester, along with the number and type of radiographic stereotypes prepared by students, were meticulously documented and compared with the mandatory radiographs specified in the educational curriculum of radiology practical units. Finally, the collected data were analyzed through the application of SPSS version 16 and ANOVA and T-test.
Results: Across all practical radiology units 1, 2 and 3, the frequency of paralleling, occlusal, panoramic and lateral cephalometric technique radiographs was nonexistent. In practical radiology unit 1, the mean ratio of bisecting-angle radiographs taken to the number specified in the educational curriculum was 119%, while in practical radiology unit 2, it was 173%. Regarding bitewing radiography, this mean ratio was 87% in practical radiology unit 1 and 166% in practical radiology unit 2. Furthermore, the mean for practical radiology unit 3 reached 1970%.
Conclusion: Given these inconsistencies, it appears that a re-evaluation of the educational curriculum as it relates to the implementation of practical training within the department of oral and maxillofacial radiology is needed.
S. H. Razavi, Fatemeh Ayatollahi, Yasamin Akhavan-Tafti et al.· Journal of Shahid Sadoughi U...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
