Rosemarie R Zartman | Search PubMed

PubMed2006

Fabrication of custom clips for bar-and-clip attachments for implant-supported overdentures.

Bar-and-clip attachments for dental implants are a common and versatile device for improving the retention and stability of a removable prosthesis. Manufactured clips may be unsubstantial and may not always fit or provide the desired amount of retention for the bar. The purpose of this article is to describe a technique for custom fabrication of clip attachments. The wax pattern of the clips is fabricated and then cast in dental gold alloy. The gold clips are then cut to an appropriate size that will allow for a variety of clinical applications.

Dental Casting Technique↗

PubMed2002

Using OSCE-based evaluation: curricular impact over time.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is becoming more widely used for performance assessment in dentistry. The department of pediatric dentistry at Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD) began incorporating the OSCE into its curriculum in 1995. This article describes the evolution of the department's use of the OSCE and its impact on teaching and the curriculum. The discussion focuses on logistics and station design, curricular content and order, student anxiety, writing and scoring exams, and curriculum assessment. BCD has found that using an OSCE-based testing format is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but provides unprecedented feedback about students' understanding and pinpoints areas of confusion. The demands of an OSCE-based testing format reveal that students can master, to the level of competency, only a finite amount of information in a given time period. The timed, interactive aspects of the OSCE create high levels of student anxiety that must be addressed. Writing and scoring OSCE items are different from traditional test items. The OSCE is a valuable mechanism to assess the students' progress toward competency. This review of the process of incorporating OSCEs into a curriculum is the foundation for future assessment of the OSCE and its use for curricular improvement.

Clinical Competence↗