Cross‐sectional comparison of dental students' knowledge and attitudes before geriatric training: 1984–1999

Abstract

The existence of negative attitudes toward aging and a lack of factual information has been voiced in the dental and other health professions. With increasing numbers of elderly in society, intergenerational social contact is more likely to occur and has the potential to reduce negative attitudes and increase knowledge about aging. The purposes of this study were to determine if the level of intergenerational social contact of dental students in one dental school had changed over the last fifteen years and whether any such changes were related to shifts in students' baseline knowledge about aging and attitudes toward elderly patients. Dental students (n=269) representing three different cohorts were surveyed about intergenerational contact, knowledge about aging, and attitudes toward elderly patients prior to receiving any geriatric training. Overall, findings revealed little evidence of increasing intergenerational social contact, an actual decrease in knowledge, an increased negative bias in knowledge, and unchanged attitudes toward elderly patients over the past fifteen years. Recent students were more likely to have had grandparents living in the family home, to have slightly less correct factual knowledge, and to be more negatively biased in their incorrect factual knowledge than earlier students. There were no differences in attitudes toward elderly patients among cohorts. We concluded that additional research is needed to confirm or refute our trends on a national scope. Should these trends be confirmed, dental educators would be alerted to the continuing necessity of countering the students' potential negative biases as well as a lack of basic knowledge about aging.

Undergraduate teaching in gerodontology in Austria, Switzerland and Germany

“…Although the goals of practical courses include special treatment techniques, it seems even more important to introduce the student to clinical treatment situations specific to the dental care of elderly patients. Such practical teaching has often been requested in the literature 3,4,7 . To avoid confusion, it seems important that suggested treatment planning and procedures are in tune with those taught by the traditional specialties, even if compromises seem inevitable in specific situations.…”

“…Universities are now challenged to prepare the undergraduate students for the quantitative and qualitative demands in dental care for the ageing population 1 . With the decline of multigeneration households most young people have limited contact with the older generation and thus lack basic knowledge on general ageing 2,3 . As well as the specialist knowledge 4 , it also engenders the enthusiasm for providing dental care for the elderly which needs to be fostered during undergraduate teaching 2 .…”

“…As well as the specialist knowledge 4 , it also engenders the enthusiasm for providing dental care for the elderly which needs to be fostered during undergraduate teaching 2 . The motivation of undergraduate students is one of the essential prerequisites for maintaining and improving the oral health of our ageing elderly population 3 .…”

Dual institution validation of an ageism scale for dental students

“…In dentistry, as older adults are maintaining their natural dentition for a lifetime, there is a growing need for geriatric trained dentists worldwide . However, there is evidence that ageism is pervasive among dental students, and that improving students’ knowledge alone regarding the ageing process does not change their attitudes toward older adults . In order to help dental students overcome ageist attitudes, it is important to identify unperceived ageist attitudes.…”

Senior dental students’ training on oral health care for geriatric patients: an interventional study

“…23 Moreover, Wood and Millgan reported that the students' knowledge of aging did not change and seemed to have even declined in comparison with the past years. 24 The poor knowledge of dental students regarding aging was reported by Visschere et al 25 they mentioned it could be probably due to the lack of a special course in geriatric dentistry at most dental schools.…”