Dental students should realise early in their careers -- in dental school -- the importance of developing and mastering sound communication skills with patients. As a result, the aim of this study was to develop and implement a course in communication skills for third year dental students. The methodology employed in the study comprised the following three phases: Phase I: identification of spe...

An outbreak of 14 cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was discovered by chance in May 1993 among hemodialysis patients at a university hospital in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The outbreak occurred in 1992. Stored sera were used to establish the probable period of infection (PPI) for 10 of the 14 cases. A nested case-control study was carried out to evaluate possible transmission me...

INTRODUCTION In dentistry, as in surgery, there is a risk of cross-infection for both patients and staff The aim of this research was to evaluate procedures and behaviors enacted by dental staff which might engender a risk for themselves and their patients. METHODS A questionnaire was administered to 106 dental workers in Genoa (Italy), both public and private. Whenever personal interviews we...

This article reports the validation of an assessment instrument designed to measure the outcomes of training in evidence-based practice (EBP) in the context of dentistry. Four EBP dimensions are measured by this instrument: 1) understanding of EBP concepts, 2) attitudes about EBP, 3) evidence-accessing methods, and 4) confidence in critical appraisal. The instrument-the Knowledge, Attitudes, Ac...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of study is to find the prevalence of usage of different advanced endodontic instruments and techniques in pediatric dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS A self-administered, structured questionnaire written in English validated through a pretested survey was randomly mailed to the postgraduate students in different dental colleges. A total of 182 of the complete filled ques...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate modifications in root canal morphology following instrumentation with orifice openers using Computerized Tomography (CT). STUDY DESIGN Experimental in vitro study. A preoperative CT was performed on 49 molars to measure the root canal cross-sections. After preparing the canals with 6 different nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary system orifice opener type instruments and Gat...

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Exposure to patients' blood and body fluids would prone the dental students to the risk of blood borne infections. Several studies have shown a high prevalence of these exposures in dental settings particularly in developing countries. However, few studies have evaluated the epidemiology of these exposures in dental students in Iran. PURPOSE To assess the epidemiology...

BACKGROUND Evidence is required to quantify the potential risks of transmission of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob (vCJD) through dental procedures. Studies, using animal models relevant to vCJD, were performed to address two questions. Firstly, whether oral tissues could become infectious following dietary exposure to BSE? Secondly, would a vCJD-contaminated dental instrument be able to transmit dis...

Anxiety about and fear of dental treatment have been recognized as sources of problems in the management of child dental patients. It has been suggested that some individuals who are fearful of or anxious about dental treatment have a constitutional vulnerability to anxiety disorders as is evidenced by the presence of multiple fears, generalized anxiety or panic disorders. Concerning the child ...