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Special care dentistry: how prepared are we?
Summary
Undergraduate dental students in Ireland report low confidence in special care dentistry (SCD) skills. They feel current clinical training is insufficient and advocate for increased emphasis on SCD within their curriculum.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Special Care Dentistry
- Healthcare Training
Background:
- Special care dentistry (SCD) addresses the oral health needs of individuals with disabilities or complex medical conditions.
- Effective training in SCD is crucial for dental professionals to provide equitable care.
- Irish dental schools' current curriculum and its impact on student preparedness for SCD are not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the self-assessed confidence levels of undergraduate dental students in Ireland concerning special care dentistry.
- To identify perceived deficiencies in current special care dentistry training within Irish dental schools.
- To gather student recommendations for enhancing special care dentistry education.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted using questionnaires distributed to undergraduate dental students at two major Irish dental institutions: Cork University Dental School and Hospital (CUDSH) and Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH).
- Data from 139 participants (dental science, dental hygiene, and dental nursing students) were analyzed to compare responses between institutions and student groups.
- Statistical analysis focused on median responses to assess confidence levels and training sufficiency in special care dentistry.
Main Results:
- Only 22% of respondents felt their training adequately prepared them for treating patients requiring special care dentistry.
- A significant majority (75%) believed more emphasis on clinical special care dentistry training is necessary.
- Upon graduation, only 31% of students anticipated high confidence in managing special care dentistry patients, with dental science students reporting the lowest preparedness.
Conclusions:
- Undergraduate dental students in Ireland exhibit low confidence in their special care dentistry capabilities.
- Current hands-on clinical training in special care dentistry is perceived as insufficient by dental students.
- There is a clear consensus among students for greater integration and focus on special care dentistry within the undergraduate dental curriculum.
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