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Biomedical subjects

William F Bird

Publications and source records attributed to William F Bird.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Education of dentists in China.

China is geographically located in the east of Asia and its population exceeds 1.3 billion. An understanding of dental education in China is thus of interest. However, as there is little published information on this topic, this paper provides information about China regarding its dental history, dental school system including curriculum and dental licensure. High school graduates take a nationwide entrance examination to apply for dental school, of which there are more than 50 in China. A five year dental education leads to the BDS degree. Dental school graduates must then pass the nationwide licensure examination to practise dentistry. Currently, there are not adequate numbers of dentists to provide the necessary oral health care for people living outside metropolitan areas.

China↗
PubMed2005

Dental education in India and Japan: implications for U.S. dental programs for foreign-trained dentists.

An understanding of international dental education systems is critical for the education of foreign-trained dentists in U.S. dental programs. However, there is little information on this topic. This article provides information regarding 1) dental history, 2) dental school system, 3) curriculum/examination at dental school, and 4) dental licensure in India and Japan. There are 185 dental schools in India and twenty-nine in Japan. The number of first-year dental students is 12,872 and 2,647 in India and Japan, respectively. A five-year dental education, which includes 4,035 curriculum hours, leads to the B.D.S. degree in India, whereas a six-year dental education program, which includes 5,060 curriculum hours, leads to the D.D.S. degree in Japan. No undergraduate predental study is needed prior to entry into dental school in both countries. In India, the entrance examination is extremely competitive; however, there is no nationwide licensure examination. In Japan, dental schools use more sophisticated dental materials and equipment in the clinical phases of the curriculum than in India, but there is no clinical examination at the time of graduation. Several implications for U.S. dental programs for foreign-trained dentists with respect to screening applicants and curriculum development are discussed.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of written examinations required for dental licensure in Japan and the United States: contents, cognitive levels, and cultural implications.

The goal of this article is to describe differences between the written examinations required for dental licensure in Japan and in the United States. Candidate guides, old exams, and other published data pertaining to the Japan National Examination for Dentists (NED) and the U.S. National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) were used. Dental education in Japan consists of a six-year program following high school graduation. The U.S. counterpart is usually a four-year program following a bachelor's degree. The NED, which is made up of 330 questions, is a single, all-important gatekeeper test that immediately grants licensure to practice dentistry throughout Japan. The NED contains no evaluation of technical skills; it is purely a written exam. By contrast, in the United States, the NBDE Parts I and II, which consist of 900 questions, are only components of a three-step licensure process. An additional state or regional board examination on technical skills is required to obtain licensure to practice. There are 400 basic science questions on the NBDE Part I, while the NED has thirty. In terms of cognitive level, questions on the NED place more emphasis on recall, while those on the NBDE Part II are more focused on problem solving. The outcomes of this comparison provide dental educators with comparisons of the licensure examination process for Japanese and U.S. dentists.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2003

Caries protocol compliance issues.

Any caries control or caries protocol program must consider compliance as a measure of success. Lower bacterial counts on saliva tests and lower defs and DMFS scores suggest that some change has occurred. However, compliance with a caries risk protocol is about more than simple and convenient clinical outcome measures. We tend to think of compliance as an individual activity, but all influences on an individual need to be considered. Change may be from external influences rather than from the individual or even from providers interacting with an individual or community. Few studies have directly addressed caries risk protocol. The paradigm change described in this manuscript suggests six key global areas--beneficiary education, health provider network education, community and state agencies, legislative commitment, access to care, and research--as significant factors to be considered in compliance. An outline of the major areas and subheadings for a global caries protocol compliance paradigm are presented.

Colony Count, Microbial↗