Predoctoral Prosthodontic Curricula on Removable Partial Dentures: Survey of Turkish Dental Schools

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the predoctoral removable partial denture (RPD) curricula in Turkish dental schools in regards to materials, techniques, and approaches. A questionnaire consisting of eighteen multiple-choice questions was sent by e-mail to the senior members of the prosthodontic departments of seventeen long-established dental schools in Turkey. The response rate was 100 percent. All schools (100 percent) used custom trays for making inal impressions of partially dentate arches, taught border molding of the custom tray for the edentulous areas, used modeling plastic impression compound in border molding the inal impression trays, and used base metal alloys for RPD frameworks. None of the schools had an in-house laboratory that fabricates RPD frameworks, and none of the students cast the frameworks of their own RPDs. The majority of schools used irreversible hydrocolloid as a inal impression (70.6 percent) and dental surveyor (76.5 percent) in the designing of RPDs. The majority of schools did not lask their own RPDs (64.7 percent), did not treat patients using RPDs with attachments (76.5 percent), and did not perform the altered cast technique in bilateral and unilateral distal extension RPD cases (76.5 percent). Sixteen schools (94.1 percent) had a minimum number of RPD arches that a student must complete in order to graduate. It was found that predoctoral RPD curricula in Turkish dental schools were both variable and similar.

Attitude of dental professionals toward cast partial denture: A questionnaire survey in India

“…[ 15 16 ] Similar results were obtained in a study by Dikbas et al where in 18% of US dental schools, RPDs were not a clinical requirement for graduation, which could be attributed to the increased interest toward implants with high success rates. [ 6 ]…”

“…The current trends in teaching RPDs in dental schools are declining; a national average of only ten RPDs were made in 3 years of graduate prosthodontic course in US dental schools. [ 6 ] In most of the British dental schools, the number of RPDs required to graduate is only one. [ 7 ] Rashedi and Petropoulos stated that in 14% of the US dental schools, RPDs were not a separate course in preclinical curriculum and in 18% of the schools, RPDs was not a requirement for graduation.…”

Comparative Assessment of a New Holistic‐Oriented and an Old Specialty‐Specific Undergraduate Curriculum in Removable Prosthodontics: A Study Based on Senior Students’ Perceptions

“…In the United States the minimum number of RPDs ranges between 1 and 6 units with a mean number of 3 units . In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the minimum number of RPDs prior to graduation ranges between 2 and 5, whereas in Turkey the corresponding number amounts to 8 . It is obvious that the minimum number of 1 to 2 RPDs at the School of Dentistry of Aristotle University is relatively small, taking into account the worldwide curriculum data.…”

Evaluation of second year dental students’ perceptions on preclinical prosthodontic program

“…Although this prediction cannot be generalized to other populations, it can still be assumed that factors such as increasing life expectancy and the desire of individuals to lead a qualified lifestyle, brings along the necessity of provision of good function, esthetics and phonetics, which are issues directly related with the science of prosthodontics. Therefore, the importance of knowledge and skills in treating edentulous patients will continue 2 and predoctoral prosthodontic programs are still necessary to meet the dental therapeutic needs of the society 3 . Since prosthodontics comprises a very significant proportion of contemporary dental health services, dental school authorities as well as prosthodontics instructors and staff must spend utmost effort to provide a well-established program for the student.…”