Cynthia Trajtenberg, Michael Lampe, Jennipher Murphy
{"title":"Perceptions on a Virtual Reality (VR) Based Mindfulness Activity to Help Enhance Overall Well-Being Among Students, Staff, and Dental Educators.","authors":"Cynthia Trajtenberg, Michael Lampe, Jennipher Murphy","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70049","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sneha Shah, Utsavi Kapadia, Sahil Mhay, Kanika Singh, S. Mathew, Manpreet Kaur, Prapulla Murthy, Sakshi Sharma, Romesh P. Nalliah
{"title":"State of Residency of Students in US Dental Schools: Implications for Access to Dental Education","authors":"Sneha Shah, Utsavi Kapadia, Sahil Mhay, Kanika Singh, S. Mathew, Manpreet Kaur, Prapulla Murthy, Sakshi Sharma, Romesh P. Nalliah","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70034","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jdd.70034","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":"89 9","pages":"1305-1309"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Journal of Dental Education Volume 89 Number 9/September 2025","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jdd.13607","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13607","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":"89 9","pages":"1303-1304"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jdd.13607","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145101669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Razan Baabdullah, Elizabeth Alpert, Betty Ben Dor, Tien Jiang
{"title":"Pilot Study of Arts-Based Learning for Oral Cancer Screening: Educational Outcomes.","authors":"Razan Baabdullah, Elizabeth Alpert, Betty Ben Dor, Tien Jiang","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70041","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":"e70041"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of a Curriculum Embedded Weight Stigma Education Module in Dentistry and Oral Health Therapy Programs.","authors":"Zanab Malik, Kathryn Williams, Dileep Sharma, Wei Xuan, Deborah Cockrell, Clare E Collins","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Interventions to reduce weight stigma in the dental setting are limited.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate the impact of a weight stigma educational module in an oral health student population on self-reported weight stigma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All final year dentistry and oral health therapy (OHT) students and first-year OHT students at two Australian universities were invited to participate. An introductory lecture on obesity in dentistry and pre-intervention survey to assess baseline weight stigma was given to all students; this was followed by the intervention-a healthcare professional educational module on both obesity science and patient experience of obesity, designed to reduce weight stigma. Participant post-intervention surveys assessed weight stigma and attitudes and beliefs regarding obesity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 217 students who attended the lecture and participated in the pre-intervention survey, 128 students (n = 90 OHT; n = 38 dentistry) completed all components of the study (educational module and post-intervention survey). Post-intervention, participants reported understanding factors beyond personal control contributing to obesity (92.2%) and that tailored approaches to treatment are needed (84.4%) using evidence-based, person-centered care for people living with obesity (85.9%). They agreed on the importance of healthcare practitioners acknowledging weight stigma to improve care (89.1%). Despite this, 21.9% still agreed/strongly agreed that people living with obesity should control their body weight better. From the post-intervention survey scores, dentistry and final year students had significantly lower total weight stigma scores than OHT and first-year students (p < 0.05). Regarding evaluation for usefulness, relevance and likelihood to recommend to others, the module scored highly, with average scores ≥ 7.9/10 for all three indicators.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A weight stigma educational module was felt to be useful and relevant among dental and OHT students but did not fully address issues of individual blame relating to the causes of obesity. The study provides support for the inclusion of obesity and weight stigma education within dental curricula, however, indicates the need for multifaceted interventions to address the complex drivers of obesity stigma.</p>","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gillian D Boehm, Jessica R L Lieffers, Sheryl Mills, Amrinderbir Singh
{"title":"Stress Management for Students in Dental Education: a Scoping Review.","authors":"Gillian D Boehm, Jessica R L Lieffers, Sheryl Mills, Amrinderbir Singh","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress in the university setting is well-reported. This scoping review aims to synthesize and evaluate the current literature on stress in dental education to understand stress and stress-management interventions that have been trialed with dental students. Using the Arksey and O'Malley framework to organize this scoping review, a systematic search strategy was chosen with keywords to identify stress management within the dental student population. Several databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, Cochrane, and Eric. The search terms included \"students\", \"dentistry\", \"education\", \"management\", and \"stress\". The review included only peer-reviewed articles published within the last 10 years (2014-2024). Included articles (n = 28) were organized by theme: (1) Problem-focused (prevalence and incidence of stress) (n = 4); (2) Factors influencing stress (socioeconomic, sociodemographic, sociopolitical, lifestyle factors, etc.) (n = 18); (3) Intervention-based (educational, support, movement, cognitive) (n = 6). The articles that were intervention-based were evaluated using the RE-AIM Framework, which covers five dimensions: Reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. The literature review revealed a significant incidence of stress among dental students, yet there is a notable deficiency in robust research detailing effective interventions and their sustained impact on this demographic. Interventions fell under four main categories: Educational-based interventions (n = 1), support-based interventions (n = 1), movement-based interventions (n = 3), and cognitive-based interventions (n = 1). Overall, two intervention-based articles were randomized control trials, and two of the studies found significant changes in perceived stress levels or stress biomarkers. The findings underscore a need for further research in developing and testing effective stress-management interventions in dental students.</p>","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcelo José Palma-Fernandes, Júlio Ruiz-Marrara, Maria Fernanda de Campos-Muller, Melissa Oliveira de Melchior, Inês Sansonetty Gonçalves Côrte-Real, Jardel Francisco Mazzi-Chaves, Laís Valencise Magri
{"title":"Teaching Occlusal Splints in the Digital Age: Comparing Student Experiences with Conventional and CAD/CAM Workflows.","authors":"Marcelo José Palma-Fernandes, Júlio Ruiz-Marrara, Maria Fernanda de Campos-Muller, Melissa Oliveira de Melchior, Inês Sansonetty Gonçalves Côrte-Real, Jardel Francisco Mazzi-Chaves, Laís Valencise Magri","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The teaching of occlusal splint therapy in dental education is evolving with the integration of digital workflows. Although digital tools offer operational advantages, conventional methods remain pedagogically relevant. Understanding students' perceptions of both approaches is essential for guiding curriculum innovation.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To evaluate undergraduate dental students' perceptions of conventional and digital workflows in occlusal splint fabrication and analyze the perceived educational benefits and limitations of each method.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This mixed-methods study included 24 undergraduate dental students who fabricated occlusal splints using both workflows. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Bland-Altman plots, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) to assess agreement on ease of fabrication, satisfaction with outcomes, and likelihood of recommendation. Qualitative responses underwent lexical analysis and were visualized using word clouds.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The digital workflow received higher scores for ease of fabrication (mean: 9.0 ± 0.9) versus the conventional method (mean: 4.0 ± 1.1), with a significant mean difference evident in the Bland-Altman plot. Satisfaction with results was comparable between workflows (digital: 9.0 ± 0.7; conventional: 8.6 ± 0.8; ICC = -0.416). Recommendation scores favored the digital workflow (digital: 9.6 ± 0.6; conventional: 6.0 ± 1.2; ICC = 0.62). Qualitative analysis associated digital workflows with \"fast\" and \"efficient,\" and conventional techniques with \"learning\" and \"understanding.\"</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Digital workflows enhance efficiency and are well-received by students, while conventional methods support critical technical development. A blended instructional model is recommended to optimize clinical education in the digital era.</p>","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margaret Wandera, David Ciesla, Aisha Sekalala, Arabat Kasangaki, Moses Isyagi, Divesh Sardana
{"title":"Bridging Dental Education Gaps in Uganda through Blended Learning: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Margaret Wandera, David Ciesla, Aisha Sekalala, Arabat Kasangaki, Moses Isyagi, Divesh Sardana","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Uganda faces significant oral health workforce shortages, limiting access to dental care. The Uganda Christian University School of Dentistry (UCUSoD) implemented a blended learning approach to enhance dental education by integrating online training. This qualitative study assesses the feasibility and effectiveness of hybrid learning in improving students' knowledge and preparedness for clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A six-part virtual pediatric dentistry seminar series was delivered in collaboration with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) in July 2022. Fourth-year dental students participated in lectures from international educators, followed by live Q&A sessions. Pre- and post-seminar surveys assessed students' perceptions, knowledge gain, and engagement. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with students and faculty to evaluate the program's strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Students reported increased confidence and knowledge in pediatric dentistry and expressed a strong interest in specialization. Students valued engaging with global experts and learning advanced pediatric techniques through a structured format and the ability to revisit recorded lectures for deeper learning. Faculty highlighted the benefits of hybrid education in addressing faculty shortages, expanding curriculum content, and aligning training with global standards. Faculty emphasized the potential of blended learning to enhance educational outcomes and support long-term capacity building in Uganda's dental workforce.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Blended learning offers a promising model for strengthening dental education in resource-limited settings. Strategic investments in technology, faculty development, and hands-on training are essential to maximize its impact. Expanding international collaborations and refining hybrid learning strategies can enhance Uganda's oral health workforce capacity and improve patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kazune Pax, Seung Jin Jang, Caris M Smith, Nicholas G Fischer, Kristina Astleford-Hopper, Jeremie O Piña, Rachel J Kulchar, Drashty P Mody, Shawn A Hallett
{"title":"Bridging the Gap Between Training and Reality: A Dental Scientist Trainee Perspective.","authors":"Kazune Pax, Seung Jin Jang, Caris M Smith, Nicholas G Fischer, Kristina Astleford-Hopper, Jeremie O Piña, Rachel J Kulchar, Drashty P Mody, Shawn A Hallett","doi":"10.1002/jdd.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dental schools stand at a crossroads. While research drives clinical innovation and improves patient outcomes, the pipeline for training future dentist-scientists remains underdeveloped. Programs such as DDS/DMD-PhD pathways and NIDCR-supported initiatives aim to integrate scientific inquiry with clinical training. However, students pursuing academic careers continue to encounter a complex set of systemic challenges, including burnout, financial hardship, and an academic culture that undervalues basic research contributions. Structural disparities between DDS/DMD-PhD and MD-PhD pathways highlight the lack of robust postdoctoral opportunities and sustained mentorship within dental academia. DDS/DMD-PhD trainees often graduate into a professional landscape that offers limited viable options for balancing independent research with clinical responsibilities. Without intentional reforms, dentistry risks losing a generation of motivated, research-oriented clinicians who can bridge the widening gap between science and practice. In this perspective, we outline key barriers encountered by DDS/DMD-PhD students across the United States and call for cultural and structural changes. These include enhanced financial support, clearer career trajectories, and greater institutional commitment to academic dentistry. Ensuring the future of dental research and education requires not just training dentist-scientists, but creating an environment where they are equipped, supported, and inspired to lead.</p>","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}