Caries Café: A Method for Consolidating and Co-Constructing Knowledge of Caries

Dental caries is multifaceted and requires dental undergraduates to receive training in underlying science, risk factors, disease prevention, and treatment. Caries content features at many different points in a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme, making it a large task to consolidate and assimilate in clinical practice. The study aim is to investigate how effective a collaborative educational intervention is in consolidating taught content on dental caries and integrating related clinical experience through co-construction.

A collaborative idea generation tool was adapted using social constructivist principles as an educational intervention to consolidate and co-construct pre-clinical and early clinical caries content. Students visit a series of tables, answering questions through divergent thinking around aspects of caries. A qualitative study aligned to utilisation focused evaluation was conducted through four focus groups: two with students who recently received the intervention, and two with final-year students. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Thematic analysis generated themes: Consolidation and co-construction of knowledge of caries; Learning opportunities within Caries Café, Delivery of Caries Café, and Improvements to Caries Café. The café promoted collective working, while permitting individuals to ask questions. Overall confidence in caries identification increased, but further clinical reference is preferred by students for potential longer-term benefits.

The Café format served as a method to consolidate and co-construct caries knowledge in a programme where content is dispersed and experiences varied. It provided holistic exposure to a multi-faceted subject, with question topics aligned to domains of a proposed standardised caries curriculum.