Dental Education

Self-assessment is an integral component of learning and developing decision making and critical thinking skills in the practice of dental hygiene. Dental hygienists must think critically and develop problem-solving strategies during their formal education to ensure lifelong quality and ongoing development of their personal knowledge and skill as related to providing comprehensive, evidence-based patient care. The primary focus of this qualitative investigation was to obtain undergraduate dental hygiene students' perceptions of and experiences with self-assessment. The sample consisted of an intact undergraduate dental hygiene class of seventeen students in their final semester of a two-year, entry-level dental hygiene program at a community college in the southeast United States. Data for this research were obtained from three sources: 1) a program-designed self-assessment survey assignment, 2) in-depth interviews with four second-year dental hygiene students, and 3) program-de...

Using a sample of dental students (N=373) from four Canadian dental schools, this longitudinal study determined whether the new Canadian Dental Association (CDA) structured interview was a predictor of clinical and academic performance. The new interview predicted clinical performance in the third and fourth years of dental school, but not academic performance. The Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) continued to predict first- and second-year academic performance, but not clinical performance in the senior years. A personality factor, "Conscientiousness," predicted clinical and academic performance to various degrees across the four years of dental school. A second personality factor, "Openness to Experience," predicted third-year academic performance. The results suggest that a combination of scores from the DAT, a valid measure of personality, and a well-designed structured interview will provide the best prediction of those applicants who will do well in both...

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Prevalence varies according to different authors. Thus, it was found 0.38% in Turkey, 0.13% in Saudi Arabia, 0.43% in India. Prevalence in syndromic patients is significantly higher. Tooth transpositions are observed at a rate of 14.29% in patients with Down's syndrome and at a rate of 4.1% in cleft palate patients. According to most researchers, transposition is more frequent in women, in the maxilla, as a unilateral condition and in the left facial half [4]. Unilateral tooth transpositions have been reported far more

Medical Education 2010: 44: 387–395Context  Elective courses are a significant part of undergraduate medical education throughout the world, but the value provided by these courses and the reasons for choosing particular elective courses have not been studied extensively.Objectives  The aim of this study was to investigate medical and dental students’ experiences of elective courses in undergraduate medical education in Croatia and to gather students’ recommendations for the improvement of elective courses.Methods  Medical and dental students studying under the Bologna curriculum were given a questionnaire in which they were asked for their opinions of elective courses and their suggestions as to how they might be improved. Data on elective courses were obtained from medical schools’ administrative offices.Results  The survey response rate was 92% (834/903). Medical students gave elective courses an average grade of 3.44 out of 5, whereas dental students gave a lower average of 3.15. Students’ suggestions for change included introducing more practical work and recognising international student exchanges and attendance at conferences as elective options. A third of students indicated that teachers should be given additional training in leading elective courses. Analysis of the curriculum showed that elective courses in Croatian medical schools are very heterogeneous in terms of their content and the number of credits and assessment methods they involve, and are very conservative in that only structured courses are offered. Students cannot design their own courses or take more elective courses than represent 10% of their total number of credits.Conclusions  Student opinion should be consulted when medical schools venture into the elective curriculum so that students can feel that they are really benefiting from these subjects. Students would welcome new and personally designed strands. Elective courses are a significant part of medical education and therefore their quality and purpose need to be assessed regularly in order to ensure that they meet students’ needs.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with serious health consequences. The association between diabetes and periodontal disease is well documented. However, the progression and healing of endodontic infections in diabetic patients has not been adequately studied. In this review, diabetes mellitus is explored as a potential modulating factor of endodontic pathosis. Recent data on the relationship between the clinical presentation of pulpal and periradicular disease, as well as the outcome of endodontic treatment in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, are presented. Diabetics who present for endodontic treatment, particularly those with periradicular pathosis, may have increased perioperative symptoms. Cases with preoperative periradicular lesions are less likely to be determined successful two years or longer postoperatively if the patient reports a history of diabetes. Studies examining the pathogenesis of periradicular lesions in mouse models with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes sugg...

Objectives. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of an educational program on the reduction of the incidence of wrong-site tooth extraction at the outpatient department of a university hospital in Taiwan. Study design. Data collected from cases of wrong-site tooth extraction during 1996 to 1998 were used to develop a specific educational intervention that was implemented from 1999 to 2001. The annual incidence of erroneous extraction was compared between the preintervention and intervention periods. The factors contributing to wrong tooth extraction were also analyzed. Results. The annual incidence rates of erroneous extraction from 1996 to 1998 were 0.026%, 0.025%, and 0.046%, respectively. During the intervention period from 1999 to 2001, wrong-site tooth extraction did not occur at the department. There was a significant difference in the incidence of erroneous extraction between the preintervention and intervention periods (P\.01). Cognitive failure was the most frequent form of active failure responsible for wrong-site tooth extraction, whereas communication and training were found to be major latent factors contributing to these errors. Conclusions. Our results suggest the effectiveness of an educational program comprising case-based materials, information feedback, and clinical guidelines in reducing the incidence of wrong-site tooth extraction.

An important objective of education is to improve clinical competence and hence confidence of students. Ample evidence on effectiveness of medical outreach programs is available but data pertaining to effectiveness of dental outreach, especially from developing countries, are still limited. The present study was undertaken to assess effectiveness of outreach placements on clinical confidence and communication skills of Indian dental students.

The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of the impact of Health Information Technology Systems (HITS) on dental school users when the systems are integrated into chair-side patient care. We used qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, and observations, to capture the experiences of HITS users at a single institution. Users included administrators, clinical faculty members, predoctoral students, support staff, and residents. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and nine themes emerged: 1) HITS benefits were disproportionate among users; 2) communicating about the HITS was challenging; 3) users experienced a range of strong emotions; 4) the instructor persona diminished; 5) there were shifts in the school's power structure; 6) allocation of end-users' time shifted; 7) the training and support needs of end-users were significant; 8) perceived lack of HITS usability made documentation cumbersome for clinicians; and 9) clinicians' workflow was disrupted. HITS integration into patient care impacts the work of all system users, especially end-users. The themes highlight areas of potential concern for implementers and users in integrating a HITS into patient care.

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) can be envisaged as a circular process of goal-setting, followed by external and internal evaluations resulting in improvements that can serve as goals for a next cycle. The need for CQI is apparent, because of public accountability, maintaining European standards and the improvement of dental education. Many examples are known where recommendations from both external and internal evaluation are used for the improvement of dental education. Unfortunately, the implementation of the recommendations is inconsistent, rarely systematic and usually not transparent. This section agreed that it is essential to apply CQI in a structured, systematic and transparent way if we are to improve and maintain the quality of dental education. A model is proposed which includes three aspects: a) the process of CQI; b) the subjects to which CQI should be applied; and c) the management tools to govern CQI. It is stressed, that CQI is a process that can be applied in any dental school irrespective of curriculum or educational approach within the relevant context of the country or the region. The approach needs to recognize the complexity and the need to balance a quality improvement with accountability. A CQI system is also constrained in any organization by the attitudes and values of the staff. Inevitably there has to be a wide range in the application of CQI. Nevertheless, an agreed model on CQI might enhance convergence towards higher standards of dental education. The process of CQI can be supported by developments in information and communication technology (ICT): collection of data, identifying the steps in CQI, formats of reports, etc. The section was set, as one of its tasks, to advise on the development of a network based on a number of case studies on the application of CQI in dental education.

Transfer of knowledge from the basic biopsychosocial sciences to patient care is a major task for dental students during their education. Computer-based interactive patient simulations can help students affect this transfer because simulations allow students to develop and practice problem solving and decision-making skills interactively within the context of patient problems. A program for authoring computer-based interactive simulations is described. Patient simulations can effectively integrate basic science relevance, preparation for clinical problem solving, teaching new clinical content and several other necessary elements into curriculum infrastructure. Case simulations also can contribute to evolving educational standards set out by accrediting bodies.

Dental education on specific knowledge and intervention approaches for working with people living on welfare is crucial to the therapeutic success of the relationships dental professionals establish with this clientele. Despite growing attention to the importance of cultural competence and communication skills training in dentistry, very few initiatives have been documented in relation to serving low-income populations. Following discussions at a 2006 Montreal-based colloquium on access to dental care, academics, dental association administrators, and public health agency and antipoverty coalition representatives began collaborating to develop innovative pedagogy designed to increase providers' competence in interacting with their underprivileged patients. The group's first round of workshops (November 2006-October 2007) resulted in the creation of an original video-based tool containing testimonies from six individuals living currently or formerly on welfare. The videotaped...

East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine is responding to the changes in today's health care system by implementing an innovative model of community-based dental education that prepares tomorrow's dentists to meet North Carolina's future oral health challenges while also providing much-needed care in many underserved areas.

Background/Purpose: In Taiwan, dental manpower in hospitals plays an important role in dental education other than clinical service. Questionnaires, as well as a field survey, were conducted to understand the situation of dental manpower in 2007 and 2008. Methods: During the period from 2007 to 2008, questionnaires about dental administration, clinical dental practice, dental education, dental manpower and dental facilities were mailed to the dental departments of 165 hospitals located around Taiwan; 134 completed the questionnaire and mailed it back. The field survey was also carried out by visiting hospitals, to collect and gather information at the local level. There were 102 hospitals within the 134 hospitals which accepted the field survey; the rate was 62.0%. Results: In 2008, the number of dentists working in the hospitals was 1,421, which was approximately 13% of the number of total dentists in Taiwan (9672). Within the 1,421 dentists, 675 were attending staffs and 745 dentists were training residents. Within the 675 attending dentists, 510 (75.6%) had dental specialist certificates and 272 (40.3%) had teaching positions in dental schools. There were 382 dental interns (6 th year undergraduate students) taking the training programs in hospitals, most of whom were trained in medical centers (342/382, 89.5%). Moreover, there were 888 dental assistants, 338 of whom were nurses and the other 550 were hospital self-trained personnel. Conclusion: Comparing the dental manpower of different types of hospitals in Taiwan, the medical center was the best, followed by the regional hospital and the district hospital was last. When comparing 2008 with 2002, the numbers of both dentists and auxiliary personnel in Taiwan's hospitals increased with years. Although there were still only 13% dentists working

This study compared the difference in decision making regarding retreatment of endodontically treated teeth by general dental practitioners and endodontists. Thirty radiographs of endodontically treated teeth taken from undergraduate records with their respective case descriptions were submitted to fifteen endodontists and fifteen general dental practitioners. Seven treatment alternatives were given as choices; reasons for retreatment, if chosen, were also requested and presented as choices. The results showed statistically different decisions among these two groups regarding retreatment cases. More endodontists opted for retreatment of cases, while higher percentages of general dentists decided to observe, not treat or extract. To prevent misdiagnosis and eventually mistreatment, endodontic decision making should be taught. Currently, there are no specific guidelines for management of failed root canal retreatment. It is suggested that guidelines generated by evidence-based dentistry may produce less variation in clinical decision making.

ABSTRACT : The root canal system is an arborizational, anastomotic, byzanthine, labyrinthine complexity, morphologically comparable to a mosaic. While primary canals exist, the tributaries, accessory branches and lumina of dentinal tubules harbour extensive tissue and microflora which if left untreated remains vector for persistent and refractory pathology. Therefore root canal  shaping and cleaning is of utmost importance in the success of root canal treatment. Number of systems are available for effective shaping accounting from hand files to nickel titanium rotary files to the new single file concept “WAVE ONE” KEYWORDS : Wave One, Reciprocating Motion, Nickel Titanium, Reverse  Balanced Force Technique, vCJD
| Dr VINEET VINAYAK| Dr VINEET VINAYAK|dr VINEET vinayak

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry launched its new dental therapy program in September 2009 after the Minnesota state legislature had authorized the training and practice of a dental therapist in May of the same year. The creation of this mid-level dental provider is seen as a workforce solution to help address the problem of access to dental care experienced by some members of our society. However, there is a lack of consensus and even controversy in organized dentistry about dental therapy, one of the mid-level provider models. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of dental school faculty members who have been tasked to prepare these new dental therapists to do their work. Focus groups were conducted with a randomly selected group of faculty members, the results of which were used to develop a survey of faculty members in all departments of the school. A total of 151 faculty members responded to the survey: 68 percent of these respondents were fifty-one ...

The Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC) developed and tested over time a curriculum to meet the changed HIV/AIDS-related needs of dental health professionals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the HIV-related knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and behaviors among the participants of a CE training course based on this curriculum, both before and six weeks after the completion of the course. The project recruited 106 participants who were dental health professionals over a ten and a half year period (1992-2003). The dental participants consisted of 79 percent dentists and 21 percent dental hygienists or dental assistants. The sample was 67 percent male, 33 percent female, 45 percent Caucasian, and 24 percent Asian. An adapted questionnaire was used before and after the training to assess the educational needs of the participants and evaluate the success of the program in meeting those needs. Approximately 81 percent of the participants completed both questionnaires...

This paper describes the curriculum design and enhancements of dental gross anatomy courses at three universities in North America. The greatest problem for gross anatomy faculty is making the regions of the body below the neck relevant to dental students for their future clinical education as well as the longer term dental practice. The proposed solutions demonstrated in the three courses range from satisfying the student's grade and test requirements, such as passing the anatomical sciences section of the National Board Dental Examination Part I, to making the material relevant to clinical dentistry. Strategies to increase relevance include incorporating clinical faculty into the gross anatomy course and integrating dental clinical material into the course. Lastly, pedagogical innovations include peer teaching, the use of the Internet and intranet for examination preparation, and the animation of dental procedures to illustrate relevant anatomy to dentistry.

Aims: To evaluate the self-perceived preparedness of final-year dental undergraduate students in dental public universities in Malaysia. Methods: Final-year dental undergraduate students from six dental public universities in Malaysia were invited to participate in an online study using a validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale DU-PAS. Results: In total, about 245 students responded to the online questionnaire yielding a response rate of 83.05%. The age range of the respondents was 23-29 years with a mean age of 24.36 (SD 0.797). The total score obtained by the respondents was ranged from 48 to 100 with a mean score of 79.56 (SD 13.495). Weaknesses were reported in several clinical skills, cognitive and behavioural attributes. Conclusions: The preparedness of undergraduate students at six dental institutions in Malaysia was comparable to students from developed countries. The dental undergraduate preparedness assessment scale is a useful tool, and dental institutions may be used for self-assessment as well as to obtain feedback from the supervisors. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Elastic Therapeutic Kinesio Taping (ETT or KT) has long become a therapeutic tool used to address symptoms in musculoskeletal, neurological and lymphatic conditions. A scoping review of studies was conducted to determine if ETT/KT has the potential to reduce post-surgical morbidity, trismus, oedema, trauma, pain and TMJ dysfunction in the dental and ENT clinics.
Poster presented at the Conference: ETTforSLP From Research to Clinic: International Conference for Speech Language Therapists about Elastic Therapeutic Tape in Warsaw Poland 30-11-2019

Dental school graduates have many options following graduation. Many are pursuing additional education and training by doing a residency program. As more graduates consider this career path, these programs have become more competitive. This study evaluates the competitiveness of match programs in dental residency programs by assessing data over a 9-year period for programs in the National Matching Service. The number of applicants participating in the match, number of positions offered, number of positions filled, and number of positions unfilled were analyzed for General Practice Residency (GPR), Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD), Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), Pediatric Dentistry (PED), Orthodontics (ORTHO) and Dental Anesthesiology (ANES). The result has been an overall increase in number of applicants for these programs. Based on positions offered, ORTHO, PED, and OMS are the most competitive programs. PED programs were the most competitive due to the increase in applicants and relatively unchanged available positions.

Dental schools are increasingly incorporating behavioral management strategies into the curriculum; however, little is known about the efficacy of this instruction. The purposes of this study were to evaluate student exposure to several categories of behavioral management techniques, assess student opportunity to observe faculty use of these techniques, and determine the extent of students' personal use of various behavioral management techniques. Third-year dental students (n=98, X age=26.52; s=4.05) were administered a survey assessing their exposure to and willingness to use behavioral management strategies. Results indicated differences between the techniques students recalled being taught and what they indicated they plan to use in their own future clinical practices. Student technique endorsement also varied as a function of student age, gender, ethnicity, and patient age. Despite increasing concerns regarding the use of these techniques, a significant minority of students...

A primary focus of dental education is to teach students the knowledge, skills, and values essential for practicing dentistry. However, the preparation of dentists to manage a business is frequently cited as inadequate. . A survey was prepared to assess teachers' opinions of business instructional topics: challenges; desired training; employee benefits; learning resources; importance of business topics; and appropriateness of time allocations. The purpose of this project is to compare opinions of teachers of dental practice management with key management aspects reported for service businesses by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Practice management teachers from forty-eight (89 percent) schools responded to the survey. They indicated that several challenges confronting dentists are similar to other service businesses. Dentists, however, rank customer relations appreciably higher. In order of importance of teaching topics, the practice management teachers rank ethics and personnel management as a high priority and planning as a low priority. Awareness of the similarities and differences in the perceptions of practice management teachers and businesspeople may result in instructional improvements.

Objective To describe the establishment of an outreach centre for the training of all members of the orthodontic team. The development of the orthodontic team The remit of orthodontic nurses and orthodontic therapists is described and how their training may be delivered and integrated within a primary care training centre. Outreach training The reasons for the development of outreach training are discussed and how these are particularly relevant for the development of orthodontic training in the UK. The University of Warwick orthodontic outreach centre This has been established in Leamington Spa in comprehensively equipped premises providing seven surgeries, a lecture theatre, clinical skills laboratory, and technical support. It currently provides an MSc course in orthodontics for general dental practitioners (GDPs) and training for qualifi ed dental nurses leading to the award of an Orthodontic Nurse's Certifi cate. It has also recently been approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) for the delivery of a course leading to the Diploma in Orthodontic Therapy commencing in July 2008.

The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of dental student clinicians and clinical teachers about dental clinical teaching to provide primary data for dental researchers and educators. Student focus group data provided background for development of a questionnaire that explored three themes related to clinical teaching. Twenty-one teachers and forty-five student respondents completed the twenty-five-item questionnaire in 2003. In the theme of the teacher/student relationship, no statistically significant differences were seen between teacher and student group perceptions. In the theme of educational theory applied in dental clinical teaching, a statistically significant difference was seen between teacher and student groups in the value of preclinical instruction in senior clinical years and in the value of a clinical log book. In the theme of skills required for clinical dental practice, a statistically significant difference was seen between teacher and student groups in the value of a critical appreciation of evidence-based practice as one of the skills. The study overall indicates that the dental clinical learning environment supports close perceptual conformity between students and clinical teachers in regard to what each group considers to be "good practice" in clinical teaching. The findings of this study indicate that some techniques that have been advocated to enhance clinical learning, such as evidence-based teaching methods, require further investigation.

An understanding of international dental education systems is critical for the education of foreign-trained dentists in U.S. dental programs. However, there is little information on this topic. This article provides information regarding 1) dental history, 2) dental school system, 3) curriculum/examination at dental school, and 4) dental licensure in India and Japan. There are 185 dental schools in India and twenty-nine in Japan. The number of first-year dental students is 12,872 and 2,647 in India and Japan, respectively. A five-year dental education, which includes 4,035 curriculum hours, leads to the B.D.S. degree in India, whereas a six-year dental education program, which includes 5,060 curriculum hours, leads to the D.D.S. degree in Japan. No undergraduate predental study is needed prior to entry into dental school in both countries. In India, the entrance examination is extremely competitive; however, there is no nationwide licensure examination. In Japan, dental schools use ...

Education being an open system undergoing changes from time to time, there is a current need to overcome the disparities and match the demands from all perspectives. The future dentists need to be trained in terms of critical thinkers and problem solvers and more as an oral physician who can work in an interdisciplinary fashion. They should be highly equipped with technology and evidence based dentistry. The next generation students training methods should also change to digitally equipped versions and social Medias need to be used as means of professional platform as well. Learner centred education in the form of choice based credit system can help the institutions to achieve the desired outcomes providing cafeteria approach to the learners. The future direction of dental education is to propose, implement and improve quality initiatives in each step of curricular process.

This study presents a conceptual framework for clinical reasoning by dental students. Using a think-aloud method with six vignettes, the researchers interviewed eighteen dental students from two stages of training about oral health-related problems influenced by biopsychosocial factors. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were analyzed to identify the processes and strategies of clinical reasoning used by the students to produce treatment plans. The process included 1) rituals to collect information; 2) forward and backward reasoning to generate and test clinical hypotheses; 3) pattern recognition from integrated scripts of knowledge and experience; and 4) decision trees to assess options and outcomes. The process was supplemented by scientific, conditional, collaborative, narrative, ethical, pragmatic, and part-whole reasoning strategies. Senior students showed a keen awareness of the contextual determinants of care and emphasized patients' motivations for treatment. In contrast, junior students focused more on problems associated with individual teeth as they struggled to integrate the information within each vignette. In this article, the processes and strategies for reasoning used by both groups of dental students are abstracted and then illustrated by a model of clinical reasoning that accommodates the complicated contexts in which clinical problems usually arise.

Purpose: To describe the development and opportunities for implementation of virtual teeth with and without pathology for use in a virtual learning environment in dental education. Material and methods: The creation of virtual teeth begins by scanning a tooth with a cone beam CT. The resulting scan consists of multiple two-dimensional grey-scale images. The specially designed software program ColorMapEditor connects these two-dimensional images to create a three-dimensional tooth. With this software, any aspect of the tooth can be modified, including its colour, volume, shape and density, resulting in the creation of virtual teeth of any type. Results: This article provides examples of realistic virtual teeth with and without pathology that can be used for dental education.ColorMapEditor offers infinite possibilities to adjust and add options for the optimisation of virtual teeth. Discussion: Virtual teeth have unlimited availability for dental students, allowing them to practise as often as required. Virtual teeth can be made and adjusted to any shape with any type of pathology. Further developments in software and hardware technology are necessary to refine the ability to colour and shape the interior of the pulp chamber and surface of the tooth to enable not only treatment but also diagnos-tics and thus create a greater degree of realism. Conclusion: The creation and use of virtual teeth in dental education appears to be feasible but is still in development; it offers many opportunities for the creation of teeth with various pathologies, although an evaluation of its use in dental education is still required.

Research has proliferated in recent years regarding the relationship of oral disease to systemic conditions. Specifically, periodontal disease has been studied as a potential risk factor for multiple conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and adverse pregnancy outcomes, while other research focuses on exposures or behaviors associated with oral disease. However, few articles have been published reporting how this information is integrated into schools of dentistry, both in the classroom and clinical curriculum. For our study, a thirty-three-item survey and cover letter were electronically mailed to academic deans at sixty-five accredited dental schools in the United States and Canada in the fall of 2007. The response rate was 77 percent. According to the responses to this survey, the primary topics covered in the didactic curriculum regarding periodontal oral-systemic disease are aging, CVD, diabetes, and tobacco use. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents reported that th...

For any treatment plan to succeed, two factors are paramount correct selection and application of pharmacologic agents and patient compliance. But what happens when both these are followed judiciously, but the medicine itself does not stay long enough to finish its action? Then we need something that will make the medicine stick literally. That is when bioadhesives have their say. Long-term adhesion of drugs to the oral mucosa is usually prevented by the continuous salivary flow and the mechanical movements of the tongue. Therefore, formulations acting as vehicle for local drug delivery to the oral mucosa need to have excellent mucoadhesive properties. The present article reviews mucoadhesive systems with various formulations that can be used in dentistry to improve local drug delivery.

Competency-based education (CBE) in dental hygiene education is intended to measure learned skills that prepare students to independently provide services for the public. A variety of standardized clinical assessment techniques (SCATs) are available to substantiate the competence of health care professionals, including, but not limited to, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), triple jump exams, standardized patients, and simulations. Standardized clinical examinations test students' abilities to treat diverse patients in a consistent, controlled setting. SCATs help prepare clinicians to safely treat patients of various complexities. The objectives of this study were to examine the variety of techniques used to assess clinical competence in U.S. accredited dental hygiene programs and to obtain program directors' attitudes regarding clinic assessment, with a focus on how SCATs are used. An online survey collected data from 125 directors (48 percent response rate...

Aim To investigate the attitudes of general dental practitioners (GDPs) and endodontists in the UK towards management of fractured endodontic instruments.Methodology A questionnaire was sent to 330 systemically selected GDPs and all endodontists working in the UK (170). It was accompanied by a covering letter explaining the aims of the study and indicating that all the information given would remain confidential. Those who did not respond to the first mailing were sent another two mailings. Data were analysed using chi-square test at P ≤ 0.05.Results The overall response rate was 75%. Only 18.5% of respondents reported that they would retrieve instruments located in the apical third of root canals with a significantly higher proportion of endodontists (25.9%) compared with that of GDPs (14%) doing so. A significantly higher proportion of endodontists (98.5%) used ultrasonics for removal of fractured instruments compared with GDPs (75.8%). The most common complication of fractured instrument retrieval was thought to be excessive removal of dentine (67%). The majority of respondents (88.5%) reported that they would leave the unsuccessfully removed file in situ and obturate the root canal.Conclusion Both endodontists and GDPs were aware of the limitations of root canal anatomy when removal of fractured instruments was considered. Excessive removal of dentine, the most common complication associated with the removal process, suggests the need for more conservative techniques. Both endodontists and GDPs demonstrated a conservative approach when management of fractured instruments failed. Further studies regarding attitudes of GDPs and endodontists towards some specific aspects of fractured instruments management are required.