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Biomedical subjects

A L McCann

Publications and source records attributed to A L McCann.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Maintaining women's oral health.

Women must adopt health-promoting strategies for both general health and the oral cavity, because the health of a woman's body and oral cavity are bidirectional. For general health-maintenance strategies, dental practitioners should actively advise women to minimize alcohol use, abstain from or cease smoking, stay physically active, and choose the right foods to nourish both the body and mind. For oral health-maintenance strategies, dental practitioners should advise women on how to prevent or control oral infections, particularly dental caries and periodontal diseases. Specifically, women need to know how to remove plaque from the teeth mechanically, use appropriate chemotherapeutic agents and dentifrices, use oral irrigation, and control halitosis. Dental practitioners also need to stress the importance of regular maintenance visits for disease prevention. Adolescent women are more prone to gingivitis and aphthous ulcers when they begin their menstrual cycles and need advice about cessation of tobacco use, mouth protection during athletic activities, cleaning orthodontic appliances, developing good dietary habits, and avoiding eating disorders. Women in early to middle adulthood may be pregnant or using oral contraceptives with concomitant changes in oral tissues. Dental practitioners need to advise them how to take care of the oral cavity during these changes and how to promote the health of their infants, including good nutrition. Older women experience the onset of menopause and increased vulnerability to osteoporosis. They may also experience xerostomia and burning mouth syndrome. Dental practitioners need to help women alleviate these symptoms and encourage them to continue good infection control and diet practices.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Developing a competency-based curriculum for a dental hygiene program.

A three-step process was used that involved developing a competency document, an evaluation plan, and a curriculum inventory. The competency document, Competencies for the Dental Hygienist, included three domains, nine major competencies, and fifty-four supporting competencies. These became the department's educational goals. The evaluation plan included multiple methods for assessing each of the nine major competencies. The faculty initially identified evaluation methods that were currently in place and then added strategies for the various gaps in the plan. The curriculum inventory defined the entire curriculum in terms of the competencies. For each supporting competency, there was a list of major and foundation topics, each linked to specific courses. The strategy used to identify both the evaluation methods and curriculum topics was to survey the faculty. Information from assessments and the curriculum inventory directed the modification of the curriculum for alignment with the competencies. This process has resulted in improvements in teaching, evaluation, and student learning. The strengths and weaknesses of this competency-based curriculum development are presented, with specific recommendations for other-programs undergoing similar curriculum development.

Competency-Based Education↗
PubMed1995

Program assessment practices in dental hygiene education.

A survey asked U.S. dental hygiene program directors to describe their assessment programs and satisfaction with these programs. A 65 percent response rate (138/212) resulted. The directors were less than satisfied with their assessment practices and how they use their assessment data. The majority use alumni (78 percent) and employer (61 percent) surveys and curriculum evaluations by students (57 percent). Fewer use patient satisfaction surveys (40 percent) and exit interviews (33 percent). Only 35 percent of the programs formally validate any instruments. They share the results with faculty (92 percent) but not students (42 percent) and alumni (25 percent). They use the data for curriculum revision (84 percent) but not for adding assessment measures (26 percent), remediation of students (25 percent), or gaining resources for the program (22 percent). Dental hygiene education needs a more comprehensive assessment model that is clearly linked to improvement.

Dental Hygienists↗
PubMed1991

Identification of nontraditional dental hygienists and their educational degrees. A strategy for baccalaureate program recruitment.

A pilot project was conducted to increase student applicant interest in a degree-completion program. Since applicants reported a preference for employment in nontraditional settings, and questioned whether further education was needed, a strategy was developed to identify dental hygienists in Michigan who were so employed, and to establish their educational levels. Through telephone interviews, nontraditional dental hygienists were asked to identify additional professionals that were known within the nontraditional network. Nontraditional employment was defined as any setting other than a private dental office, with job responsibilities not confined to patient care; dental hygiene educators were excluded. The interviews were conducted by one graduate student, one day a week, for 15 weeks. The interviewer generated a list of 44 Michigan dental hygienists employed in nontraditional job settings as defined in this study. In terms of educational levels, 23% had certificate/associate degrees (n = 10) as their highest degrees, 41% had bachelor's degrees (n = 18), and 36% had master's degrees (n = 16). Non-patient care was the job description for 93% of the nontraditional settings (n = 41). The implied need for baccalaureate and/or graduate education for nontraditional employment has positively affected recruitment for the degree-completion program. The relationship that has been established with the network of nontraditional dental hygienists has also improved recruitment efforts and enhanced the curriculum. This project suggests that the definition of nontraditional dental hygiene employment should not be limited to settings which involve patient care. Similar projects should be initiated in other states to improve interest in baccalaureate education.

Dental Hygienists↗
PubMed1990

A comparison of the clinical performance of students in two grading systems: letter and pass-fail.

The effects of letter and pass-fail grading systems on student performance have been little tested in the clinical setting. Thus, the present experiment was conducted to compare (1) the clinical performance of dental hygiene students in the two grading systems, and (2) student impressions regarding the effects of each grading system on performance. Performance was defined as the number of errors detected at the completion of three scaling/polishing procedures. Student impressions were assessed using a two-question, posttest questionnaire. Dental hygiene students (N = 19) in their first semester of patient care experiences were randomly assigned to letter and pass-fail groups. At the end of six months, the mean performances of the two groups were compared using the Student's t-test. Student impressions were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. No difference in clinical performance was detected between the two groups (p = .702), with a high level of performance demonstrated by both groups (about four total errors). Significant differences in student impressions were found, with the pass-fail subjects perceiving both types of grades as less important and less motivating to clinical performance than the letter subjects (p less than .05). These findings imply that a similar level of performance can occur with either grading system in the clinical setting. However, a pass-fail system may be more appropriate, since (1) it may motivate more task interest in clinical activities, and (2) the use of letter grades is more problematic. If further studies demonstrate similar results, dental hygiene educators should seriously consider implementation of pass-fail systems in the clinical setting.

Dental Hygienists↗
PubMed1989

Effectiveness of a national board review course for dental students.

In view of national concerns about student aptitude and overcrowded curricula, the effectiveness of review courses must be evaluated objectively. The present study is a statistical analysis of the impact of a review course on National Board Examination (NBE) Part I performance at the University of Detroit. The performance of dental students who had taken the course between 1985 and 1987 (N = 175) was compared to that of the prior three classes (N = 212). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust and compare mean scores on the NBE, using entering GPA and DAT scores, both measures of aptitude, as covariates. Only two of the five NBE scores demonstrated significant improvement. While aptitude contributed as much as 23 percent to NBE performance, the contribution of the review course was limited to 1.5 percent. The review course was most effective in areas that (1) were covered during the greatest number of terms, (2) were presented most recently, or (3) had the least number of topics on the NBE. This strategy for evaluating course effectiveness permits a dental school to easily assess the value of an NBE review course, as well as identify strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum.

Curriculum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dental and dental hygiene students' attitudes in a joint local anesthesia course.

In 1995, the local anesthesia course was combined for dental and dental hygiene students. It was also the first time that dental hygiene students were instructed clinically in local anesthetic techniques. Faculty felt it important to evaluate student attitudes regarding these curriculum changes. This study assessed students' perceptions of the adequacy of background preparation courses, concerns about administering local anesthetics and attitudes about its administration by dental hygienists. A pre/post survey was completed by dental and dental hygiene students. T-tests were used to determine if differences in attitudes existed between groups and if changes in attitudes occurred within groups after taking the course. Results indicated that both groups believed they had adequate background preparation. Apprehensions about administering local anesthetics were similar, but the dental hygiene students felt significantly less anxiety (p < 0.01). Results also differed significantly on the issue of hygienists administering local anesthetics, with hygiene students in support of it and dental students opposed (p < 0.01). Results confirmed that no changes were needed in the existing prerequisite courses for both groups. A need to address student anxiety about local anesthetic administration has been identified. In addition, it may be beneficial to expand dental students' appreciation of dental hygiene education to foster mutually successful working relationships in the future.

Anesthesia, Dental↗