Measures Needed to Enhance Periodontal Education Among Dental Students

Additional improvements in preclinical and clinical periodontal education are necessary to address dental students’ lack of knowledge, confidence, and skills in key periodontal areas, according to a publication in Dentistry Journal.

The authors noted that evidence on periodontal education areas in which students have difficulties and their factors are limited. In this study, researchers employed a sequential explanatory mixed -method approach and aimed to identify strengths and weaknesses in didactic and clinical periodontal training among third year and fourth year dental students.

The objectives of the study were to ascertain students’ knowledge, confidence, and abilities related to periodontal diagnosis and treatment planning so as to explore their views of factors accounting for their challenges in periodontal education. Moreover, authors noted that the combined quantitative and qualitative data will aid in the identification of specific areas for improving periodontal education, which has comparable characteristics across dental schools.

A survey was employed to collect data related to history-taking, medical examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up. Student answers were compared to the consensual answers of an expert panel using the cosine-similarity index (CSI). Descriptive statistics assessed confidence and ability for diagnosis. Semi-structured individual interviews were employed to collect data on reported reasons for difficulties in periodontal education. A content analysis was employed to analyze the interview data.

A total of eighteen third- and fourth-year dental students completed the anonymous survey and eleven were interviewed. Students’ knowledge was adequate regarding diagnosis and treatment planning. Third-year students’ median CSI were 0.93 and 0.89, respectively. Fourth-year students’ median CSI were 0.9 and 0.93, respectively. Students felt confident in history-taking and examination but lacked confidence and ability in diagnosis and treatment planning. Additionally, results revealed that students felt unprepared in various areas, including risk management, diagnosis, and treatment options and felt unfamiliar with treatment options for patients unresponsive to initial therapy and unprepared to determine when a referral to a periodontist was necessary.

Authors noted that the study discovered that students had limited knowledge in less complex areas (e.g., examination) and lacked confidence and ability in more complex areas (e.g., diagnosis). The reported reasons for these obstacles were attributed to preclinical and clinical periodontal education issues and not to student characteristics.

The authors concluded, “Although students’ knowledge was acceptable regarding diagnosis and treatment planning, further improvements in periodontal education are needed to address deficiencies in essential areas. Similarly, a combination of proper didactic teaching, clinical exposure, and skill development can improve students’ perceived and actual abilities in periodontics.”

Finally, the authors noted that evidence-based recommendations created by dental education organizations can be utilized to focus on the preclinical and clinical issues that were expressed by the participants of this study.

Reference

Mofidi A, Perez A, Kornerup I, et al. Dental Students' Knowledge, Confidence, Ability, and Self-Reported Difficulties in Periodontal Education: A Mixed Method Pilot Study. Dent J (Basel). 2022;10(4):63. Published 2022 Apr 6. doi:10.3390/dj10040063