Teaching Local Anesthesia in Dental Schools: Opinions About the Student‐to‐Student Administration Model

Abstract

The student-to-student local anesthesia administration model has been an accepted part of the formal curriculum in dental schools for teaching this clinical skill. However, there is very little published literature that explores the validity of this model or examines students' attitudes toward it. The ethics of this educational model and the value of consent also need to be explored. In this study, an online survey regarding the student-to-student administration model was used to obtain the opinions of students and faculty members at three dental schools in one state of the United States. The survey was distributed by the Ofice of Academic Affairs at each school. A total of 152 individuals responded to this survey: 123 (80.9 percent) dental students and twenty-nine (19.1 percent) faculty members. The respondents consistently identiied the perceived strengths of this model, while a number also identiied the need for consent and raised ethical concerns. These indings highlight the complex nature of the respondents' opinions and raise the question of whether modiication of this mode of instruction may be needed.

Student‐to‐Student Dental Local Anesthetic Preclinical Training: Impact on Students’ Confidence and Anxiety in Clinical Practice

“…These involve injecting into inanimate objects, such as oranges, chicken legs, and simulation models 7 , 8 . Student‐to‐student administration of first local anesthetic injections has been a traditional method for preclinical training in dental education 9 , 10 . Students perform their first injection on fellow students, always with informed consent, under the supervision of qualified oral health practitioners.…”

Evaluation of student‐to‐student local anaesthesia administration at the University of Barcelona: A cross‐sectional study

“…This practicum can generate great anxiety and stress for the recipient and the surgeon but in our study, most of the student samples were calm or slightly nervous before and during administration of LA and only one participant out of the 71 was terrified. Instead, after the local anaesthetic was injected, the majority of the participants were calm and relaxed.…”

“…Practice on cadaveric models had been proposed but it is not usually done in the European universities due to ethical concerns and logistical problems . However, it seems that virtual technologies will play an important role in teaching dentistry in the future, but student‐to‐student injection continues to be the most common training method …”

Preclinical Local Anesthesia Education in Dental Schools: A Systematic Review

“…No interventional research has been conducted; instead, studies have been primarily survey‐based. Despite the lack of research evaluating peer injections, most students in two studies perceived this opportunity to apply clinical skills before seeing patients to be a valuable addition to their didactic instruction 13 , 14 . However, respondents in another study reported the need for voluntary participation and informed consent 13 .…”

“…In an attempt to gain familiarity with injection techniques, students often perform local anesthesia injections on one another before attempting them on their patients 13 , 14 . Dental students and educators alike value the experience of peer‐to‐peer injections, but have expressed concerns about the ethics of injecting healthy students, particularly if the curriculum requires it 13 . Likewise, although informed consent is critical, it has not always been given, and controversy exists regarding the ethical implications of peer injections 12 .…”