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C D Stephens
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ABSTRACT: In this paper, the author reviews the scope, and probable future impact, of information technology in dentistry.
Dental update 01/2003; 29(10):504-6, 508-12.
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ABSTRACT: To determine UK orthodontic consultants' attitudes to the provision of orthodontic advice to general dental practitioners by electronic means.
Questionnaire.
Conducted by email and surface mail as appropriate in August 2000.
All those UK NHS orthodontic consultants contained in the membership lists of the Consultant Orthodontists Group of the British Orthodontic Society.
An 86 per cent response was obtained from the 231 consultants.
More than half (58 per cent) of the consultants were interested in providing an electronic diagnostic service for the general dental practitioners in their locality and 70 per cent were in favour of further research into this possibility. Provided this was mediated through their GDP, only 26% would oppose consultant advice being given electronically from a centralized source.
A majority of UK orthodontic consultants support the concept of using teledentistry to make their advice more accessible to dentists and patients.
Journal of orthodontics 07/2002; 29(2):137-42.
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ABSTRACT: The aim was to survey current orthodontic teaching practice in the undergraduate syllabus at British dental schools and to test the abilities of undergraduate students according to the requirements of the GDC regulations.
Information collected by means of a questionnaire sent to each dental school in 1998 was compared with similar data from 1994. The orthodontic knowledge and treatment planning ability of students was assessed by a multiple-choice examination paper completed by a random 10% sample of students from each dental school.
In 1998 on average 195 curriculum hours were devoted to orthodontics and each student treated five patients. The teaching of fixed appliances had increased considerably between 1994 and 1998. The average MCQ score was 58% (range 39-72%). Students scored well on questions that tested basic knowledge but much less well when they were required to apply that knowledge. Only three schools felt that it was realistic to expect undergraduates to formulate orthodontic treatment plans, as they are required to do by the GDC.
Results support the view that undergraduate orthodontic training should concentrate on diagnosis and recognition of problems rather than on providing limited exposure to treatment techniques.
British dental journal 04/2002; 192(6):347-51. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To identify computer facilities available in 3 dental schools where 3 different approaches to the use of technology-based learning material have been adopted and assess dental students' perception of their own computer skills and their attitudes towards information technology.
Multicentre cross sectional by questionnaire.
All 181 dental students in their final year of study (1997-8).
The overall participation rate was 80%. There were no differences between schools in the students' self assessment of their IT skills but only 1/3 regarded themselves as competent in basic skills and nearly 50% of students in all 3 schools felt that insufficient IT training had been provided to enable them to follow their course without difficulty. There were significant differences between schools in most of the other areas examined which reflect the different ways in which IT can be used to support the dental course.
1. Students value IT as an educational tool. 2. Their awareness of the relevance of a knowledge of information technology for their future careers remains generally low. 3. There is a need to provide effective instruction in IT skills for those dental students who do not acquire these during secondary education.
European Journal Of Dental Education 09/2001; 5(3):101-8. · 1.18 Impact Factor
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C D Stephens
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ABSTRACT: This paper describes the electronic whiteboard, and discusses its potential as a clinical communication tool and its possible use in dental education.
Dental update 07/2000; 27(5):236-40.
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ABSTRACT: Currently two-thirds of European countries employ orthodontic auxiliaries and the UK is therefore unusual in not permitting their use. There is support from the orthodontic specialty for the concept of delegating routine intra-oral tasks to auxiliary personnel. The following describes a pilot project undertaken to determine the possible training structure for orthodontic auxiliaries. The modular course, which took place over a period of 4 weeks, is described and the results and implications are discussed.
Dental update 07/1999; 26(5):203-8.
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ABSTRACT: Surveys of final year dental students were conducted in 1996 and 1997 to see if there were any detectable differences in students' perception of their own information technology IT skills and attitudes towards information technology following the opening of a dedicated computer-assisted-learning (CAL) room. An increase was seen in students' confidence levels, with fewer assessing themselves as IT "beginners" (1996 = 36%; 1997 = 14%), and more assessing themselves as competent in some basic skills (52%; 41%). Although more students were found to be using basic computer facilities (word processing, email, the World Wide Web), there was little difference in attitudes towards these packages between the 2 years. There was a significant increase in the number of students agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement "the use of IT had added value to this course for me" (1996 = 39%; 1997 = 67%). The main obstacle which was identified by students as a barrier to using IT was the lack of adequate training. Over half the students in both years felt that insufficient training had been provided to enable them to cope with the course without difficulty.
European Journal Of Dental Education 06/1999; 3(2):64-73. · 1.18 Impact Factor
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British journal of orthodontics 09/1998; 25(3):235-6.
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ABSTRACT: To undertake a pilot study to determine a possible training programme for orthodontic auxiliaries.
Trainee hygienists who had been accepted onto a 2-year programme were asked to attend the Bristol Dental School well before their course was due to begin in order to participate in a pilot orthodontic assistant auxiliary training programme.
A modular course of one month's duration was constructed based on the programme at the University of British Columbia. This aimed to teach skills such as impression taking, bond placement, debracketing, band cementation as well as core knowledge relevant to these procedures.
At the end of the course all participants were judged to be performing the tasks they had been taught competently and safely.
UK dental nurses can be trained to fill the role of an orthodontic auxiliary. It would appear that an introductory clinical skills course of one week followed by an orthodontic skills training of three weeks is sufficient for a qualified dental nurse of above average abilities such as typifies those who are currently applying for places on UK dental hygiene courses. It is estimated that a further period of nine months supervised training will be necessary for those who have successfully completed such a training to develop clinically useful speeds when delivering these skills.
British dental journal 09/1998; 185(4):181-7. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The origins of informatics lie in the development of computers and data processing techniques since the 1950s. The subsequent application of these to the practice of healthcare continues to the present day, so that information technology now holds the potential to revolutionise healthcare through more rapid and efficient management of an ever increasing quantity of clinical information. In dentistry, no less than in medicine, electronic systems can make an extremely valuable contribution to clinical practice. For these systems to be clinically useful, however, they need to be properly understood by clinicians. This review paper outlines the scope of clinical informatics and argues that a grounding in clinical informatics is now essential for today's undergraduates to equip them to meet the challenge of practice in the 21st century.
European Journal Of Dental Education 11/1997; 1(4):153-61. · 1.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The origins of informatics lie in the development of computers and data processing techniques since the 1950s. The subsequent application of these to the practice of healthcare continues to the present day, so that information technology now holds the potential to revolutionise healthcare through more rapid and efficient management of an ever increasing quantity of clinical information. In dentistry, no less than in medicine, electronic systems can make an extremely valuable contribution to clinical practice. For these systems to be clinically useful, however, they need to be properly understood by clinicians. This review paper outlines the scope of clinical informatics and argues that a grounding in clinical informatics is now essential for today's undergraduates to equip them to meet the challenge of practice in the 21st century.
European Journal Of Dental Education 10/1997; 1(4):153 - 161. · 1.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A questionnaire was devised involving a group of dental students (n = 70) and a group comprising all consultant orthodontists in the UK (n = 170) to investigate the prevalence and the role of handedness in dental specialisation. Subjects were classified as being pure left-, mixed- or pure right-handed according to responses to a hand preference questionnaire and the results were compared with a very similar previous study of the general population. The prevalence of sinistrality (classified by writing) was recorded as 8.6% among dental students and 17.2% among orthodontists; this compares with 7.4% among the general population. More mixed-handers presented in both the dental groups compared to the general population. This agreed with the right shift theory of laterality. No significant correlation was noted between handedness and any other variable between the two dental groups.
Nederlands tijdschrift voor tandheelkunde 07/1997; 104(6):223-5.
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ABSTRACT: A questionnaire survey was carried out to ascertain a profile of orthodontic postgraduates in training in the United Kingdom during 1993. Information about the postgraduates, their programmes and their career plans was collected. Eighty-nine questionnaires were distributed to those enrolled in 13 of the training programmes in the U.K. at that time from which the response rate was 64 per cent. The results can be compared with a similar survey carried out in the United States of America in 1992 (Keith and Proffit, 1994).
British journal of orthodontics 06/1997; 24(2):163-7.
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ABSTRACT: This paper reports on two studies which investigated levels of discontinued orthodontic treatment amongst patients under 18 years, who had been treated in the General Dental Service (GDS) and Community Dental Service (CDS) of the National Health Service during June and July 1991. These complement the study of discontinued Hospital Dental Service treatment already reported. The studies indicated that, at the time, the levels were 13.1 per cent in the GDS and 12.5 per cent in the CDS. The figure for the GDS was much lower than that of 20 per cent reported in the Schanschieff Report. There was little difference in the levels of discontinued treatment between those working in the GDS with an orthodontic qualification (12.1 per cent) and those without (13.5 per cent). The results suggest that the levels for discontinued orthodontic treatment in those aged under 18 years of age may be lower than previously reported.
British journal of orthodontics 06/1996; 23(2):125-8.
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ABSTRACT: A sample of 172 orthodontic patients treated by 10 general dental practitioners in their practices was assessed in terms of treatment need and standard of treatment provided. The practitioners had been clinical assistants, for a minimum of 2 years, at a District General Hospital before starting any of the cases. Prior to treatment 70% of the cases had a 'clear need' for treatment on dental health grounds and 73% of the cases had a 'moderate' or 'great need' for treatment on aesthetic grounds. Using the Peer Assessment Rating nomogram to assess the treatment standard, 83% of patients could be classed as 'improved' or 'greatly improved' with treatment but 17% were 'worse or no different'. The standard of treatment produced by fixed appliances was found to be superior to that produced by removable appliances alone. When removable appliances were used the best results were obtained when consultant advice was given. The results for the clinical assistant sample are compared with the results for the GDS sample published in 1993. Ways of further improving the treatment standards produced by the general dental practitioners are considered.
British dental journal 03/1996; 180(3):91-7. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: An expert system for providing advice on the selection and treatment of cases suitable for treatment by means of removable appliances has been developed. Its assessment by peer review is described.
British journal of orthodontics 03/1996; 23(1):1-9.
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British journal of orthodontics 03/1996; 23(1):72-6.
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British dental journal 08/1995; 179(1):8. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study looked at the aesthetic and dental health components of the index of orthodontic treatment need in relation to peer assessment of dental health and aesthetic need (panel of 74 dentists). The dental health component had a Spearmans correlation coefficient of +0.64 and the aesthetic component +0.86 when compared with the mean subjective opinion of 74 dentists. It has been proposed to have three categories for both the dental health and aesthetic components in accordance with consensus opinion. The panel of 74 examiners were more likely to regard aesthetics as a greater need for treatment than dental health.
British dental journal 06/1995; 178(10):370-4. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A questionnaire was sent to 255 dental practitioners who had participated in an extended orthodontic training scheme, incorporating formal teaching and supervised clinical sessions over a period of not less than 24 months. The response of the practitioners was good; 78 per cent of the forms returned were suitable for analysis. Overall, the practitioners responded favourably to the schemes and felt that they had been of benefit to their clinical practice. The majority undertook more orthodontic treatment as a result and on average, fixed appliances were used in half of these treatments.
British journal of orthodontics 03/1995; 22(1):59-66.
