Behavior management conference panel IV report--Educational issues

Panel IV convened to address whether and how dental education curricula on behavior management needs to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of families and patients. There was a general consensus that behavior management should have a greater focus in dental education. Predoctoral and postdoctoral students may be expected to have different levels of exposure to behavior management concepts and techniques, but communications training should be a greater emphasis throughout dental education. Panel members specifically addressed behavior management techniques, including immobilization, restraint, sedation, and general anesthesia. Major recommendations from the panel included: 1) promote more research in behavior management; 2) update the AAPD guidelines on behavior management; 3) develop competencies/proficiencies for training programs and defining standardized outcomes; 4) introduce an AAPD task force to examine sedation issues that pertain to pediatric dental education; 5) explore new teaching methods of behavior management strategies and techniques; 6) develop a public awareness campaign to educate the public regarding what pediatric dentists do best.