J Educ Eval Health Prof.  2015;12:45. 10.3352/jeehp.2015.12.45.

Dental students' perceptions of undergraduate clinical training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in an integrated curriculum in Saudi Arabia

• Al-Dajani

• KMID: 2402052
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2015.12.45

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim was to understand dental students' experiences with oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) teaching, their confidence levels in performing routine dento-alveolar operations, and the relationship between the students' confidence level and the number of teeth extracted during the clinical practice.
METHODS
The survey questionnaire was distributed to 32 students at Aljouf University College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia during their fourth and fifth year in 2015. Respondents were asked to rate 19 items, which represent a student's confidence in performing routine surgical interventions, using a four-point Likert scale (1=very little confidence, 4=very confident). A multivariate regression was computed between average confidence and the variables: weekly hours devoted to studying oral and maxillofacial surgery, college grade point average, and the total number of teeth extracted.
RESULTS
The response rate was 100%. Students revealed the highest level of confidence in giving local anesthesia (96.9%), understanding extraction indications (93.8%), and performing simple extractions (90.6%). Less confidence was shown with handling difficult extractions (50.0%), extracting molars with separation (50.0%) or extracting third molars (56.3%). The average confidence in performing surgical procedures was 2.88 (SD=0.55), ranging from 1.79 to 3.89. A given student's confidence increased with an increase in the total number of teeth extracted (P=0.003).
CONCLUSION
It reveals a significant impact of undergraduate clinical training on students' confidence in performing oral and maxillofacial surgery clinical procedures: The more clinical experience the students had, the more confidence they reported.

Keyword

Clinical competence; Clinical training; Dental education; Integrated curriculum; Oral and maxillofacial surgery

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, Local
Clinical Competence
Curriculum*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Dentistry
Education, Dental
Humans
Molar
Molar, Third
Saudi Arabia*
Surgery, Oral*
Tooth

Figure

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  Fig. 1. First tooth extracted by a student in the faculty clinic and self-reported degree of this extraction difficulty of 32 dental students, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia.

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  Fig. 2. Level of confidence among undergraduate dental students in performing 19 routine surgical interventions of 32 dental students, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia.

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  Fig. 3. Level of confidence among fourth- and fifth-year students in performing 19 routine surgical interventions of 32 dental students, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia. *The difference between the fourth- and fifth-year students is statistically significant (χ², P<0.05).

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  Fig. 4. A moderate positive significant correlation was discovered between the total number of teeth extracted and the average students’ confidence in performing surgical procedures of 32 dental students, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia.

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