Dental students' self-assessed competence in geriatric dentistry

This study measured the self-assessed confidence levels of four classes of dental students (n = 172) exposed to both didactic and clinical training regarding geriatric patients. It was found that after completing a two-term (20-week) didactic course in their junior year, and a five-week clinical course with geriatric patients in their senior year, dental students graduating from this university between 1987 and 1990 perceived significant improvements in their abilities to manage geriatric patients in all areas assessed, most notably in their treatment planning skills, in coordinating preventive dentistry programs, in referring patients to appropriate community resources, and in providing dental care in alternative settings. Greatest self-assessed improvements were exhibited between pre-didactic and post-didactic assessments, with a tendency to stabilize rather than improve after the clinical experience. Interestingly, this study found that the students' self-assessed changes between post-didactic training and post-clinical training were significant in only one area--their ability to manage the medical emergencies of elderly patients, including a patient's death in the dental chair. No differences were found between students who completed the clinical course early in their senior year with those who took it later; nor did differences emerge among the four classes. Clinical teaching in geriatrics may be an opportunity to practice skills and reinforce knowledge that has been gained in didactic courses, not necessarily a place to enhance perceived competence.