Teaching and assessing behavioural techniques of applied relaxation for reduction of dental fear using a controlled chairside simulation model

Abstract

This paper describes a novel method of teaching and assessing relaxation techniques using a controlled chairside simulation model. 50 pre‐clinical dental undergraduates provided an evaluation of the teaching model as part of their basic clinical skills teaching. Students were required to demonstrate applied relaxation techniques according to 2 pre‐selected clinical vignettes. Inter‐observer reliability of assessing student competence was calculated on a varied sample (n=9) using 2 independent observers and found to be adequate. The majority of the students viewed the teaching and assessment method as interesting and clinically relevant. However, a few students reported that the method was less advantageous than using a real patient. It is concluded that using vignettes as part of clinical training accompanied by video‐based feedback provides a resourceful learning tool for pre‐clinical teaching in the absence of patient contact.

Does Teaching Method Affect Students’ Perceptions Regarding Communication Patterns in Pediatric Dentistry? A Comparison of Lecture and Video Methods

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Attitudes of dental and medical students in their first and final years of undergraduate study to oral health behaviour

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The Structured Clinical Operative Test (SCOT) in dental competency assessment

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