The teaching of occlusion in undergraduate dental schools in the UK and Ireland

Abstract

The teaching of occlusion in undergraduate dental schools in the UK and Ireland is a cornerstone of an integrated approach to the many different clinical disciplines in dentistry. This study investigated and evaluated the teaching of occlusion in undergraduate dental schools in the UK and Ireland, the thorough understanding of which would facilitate young graduates to become competent practitioners. Material and Methods A mixed-methods approach was employed, with primary data generated and collected by using a cross sectional questionnaire-based survey which was followed-up by semi-structured interviews. The hard copy questionnaires enquired about: i) whether occlusion was taught, ii) how long was spent by schools teaching occlusion, iii) what teaching resources were employed, iv) tutors' perceptions of how well prepared for general practice new graduates were and v) how was knowledge/skill assessed. Follow-up interviews were undertaken with volunteering respondents to triangulate responses. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was stored using the Framework Method and analysis using a thematic approach. Results 100% (n=18) of schools responded to the questionnaire. 66.67% (n=12) schools participated in follow-up interviews. All schools reported that they taught occlusion in their curriculum. Total hours reported teaching occlusion varied from 11 to 310 hours. 28% (n=5) of respondents reported insufficient time for the teaching of occlusion in the curriculum. There was a marked variation in: i) teaching methods, ii) resources employed, iii) assessment strategies to evaluate competency in occlusion and iv) how well prepared students were. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data identified several themes: i) variations in teaching pedagogy, ii) use of different resources, iii) variable assessment techniques, iv) evaluation of teaching and v) barriers to teaching occlusion. Conclusion This study reported on the variability in teaching occlusion between the undergraduate dental schools of the UK and Ireland. Recommendations for a coordinated teaching strategy with dedicated oversight to facilitate better student exposure to occlusion and promote student understanding of this topic is suggested.

Os índices de trincas e fraturas em laminados cerâmicos são por razões oclusais? Uma revisão sistemática

“…A existência de avaliação oclusal satisfatória, que preencha todos os requisitos listados acima, tem relação diretamente proporcional com o conhecimento dos profissionais, tanto clínicos gerais quanto especialistas, sobre a biomecânica da oclusão e sua interação com a articulação temporomandibular. Nenhum profissional ou estudante conseguirá realizar as etapas de diagnóstico das desordens temporomandibulares sem o correto embasamento teórico e treinamento clínico (O'Carroll, Leung, Fine, Boniface, & Louca, 2019;Racich, 2018). Nos resultados obtidos, foi observado que em todos os trabalhos que envolviam pacientes bruxistas, houve maior índice de fraturas e trincas, de frequência variável para cada tipo de cerâmica escolhida na restauração, e também associadas ao uso, ou não, de dispositivos para proteção das restaurações (Beier, Kapferer, Burtscher, & Dumfahrt, 2012;Granell-Ruiz et al, 2010;Gresnigt et al, 2019).…”

Evaluation of dental practitioner habits with occlusal assessment and the clinical application of practical techniques in occlusion, amongst a cohort of participants based in the UK, South Africa, Malta and Malaysia

“…Dynamic occlusion is influenced by neuromuscular control, by the temporomandibular joints (the posterior determinants) and the occlusal surfaces of the teeth (the anterior determinants) 3,4 . Dental practitioners require a clear understanding and should be able to apply the principles of occlusion to enable them to appropriately restore, reposition and replace teeth 5 . The importance of developing adequate knowledge and skills with occlusion is underpinned by the explicit requirements set by some of the governing dental councils for undergraduate teaching in this subject area 5 …”

“…Previous investigations into the teaching of occlusion at undergraduate level 5,9,10 have identified the need for standardised, clear and contemporaneous teaching guidance. The approach of teaching occlusion by the different disciplines within the profession, sometimes with conflicting ideas and the lack of coordination and consensus between them, may also be a barrier against the effective learning of the accepted concepts in occlusion during undergraduate training 5 . Variations have also been described in the undergraduate teaching hours devoted to occlusion between dental schools based in the UK and Ireland, as well as in the United States 5,9 .…”

Computer-Based 3D Simulation Method in Dental Occlusion Education: Student Response and Learning Effect

“…Learning effects are mainly influenced by the association of teaching modality and education topic [7]. Conventional pedagogics for occlusion education are based on traditional lectures, two-dimensional (2D) anatomical illustrations, and tangible anatomical models [8].…”