Emerging Issues and Advancing Research on Dental Education and Training

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 December 2022) | Viewed by 22240

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
2. Department of Reconstructive Dentistry and Gerodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Interests: reconstructive dentistry; prosthetic dentistry; aesthetic dentistry; cosmetic dentistry; laminate veneers; implant dentistry; digital dentistry; implant surgery; evidence-based dentistry; medical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to Education Sciences. As an MDPI journal that publishes comprehensive full-length research papers with the scope to substantively address current issues in education, the journal has a section for healthcare professions’ education. More specifically, the importance of developing and improving Medical and Dental Education has made researchers and educators aware of the need to produce knowledge and implement new practices. Thus, it is necessary to share this information in an open-access format worldwide with our dental colleagues and reduce the inequalities in dental education between developed and developing countries.

This Education Sciences Special Issue intends to include high-quality articles that are solving educational research problems, and that report on the latest developments and findings in education in the fields of dental medicine, dental hygiene, dental technology, medicine, other dental-affiliated areas, including basic science, clinical, continuing, and postgraduate education, as well as patient education.

This Special Issue intends to include original data-based research reports, explications of theory, and reflections from the field. The journal prioritizes innovative, relevant, and multidisciplinary research.

Empirical studies or theoretical contributions that do not include a critical review analysis are also accepted.

Dr. Kelvin Afrashtehfar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Accreditation
  • Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
  • Clinical Training
  • Curriculum
  • Continuing Education
  • Dental Technology
  • Dentistry
  • Educational Status
  • Fellowship Training
  • Interprofessional Education
  • Problem-based Learning
  • Professional Education
  • Medicine
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Online Education
  • Patient Education
  • Patient-centered Care
  • Professional role
  • Postgraduate Education
  • Student Education
  • Teacher Education
  • Undergraduate Education

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 179 KiB  
Editorial
Metaverse, Crypto, and NFTs in Dentistry
by Kelvin I. Afrashtehfar and Aiman S. H. Abu-Fanas
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 538; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12080538 - 10 Aug 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2708
Abstract
The dental community has expressed a growing interest in the metaverse and its applications [...] Full article

Research

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11 pages, 939 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Learning Experience of High-Performing Preclinical Undergraduate Dental Students: A Qualitative Study
by Galvin Sim Siang Lin, Wen Wu Tan and Kelvin I. Afrashtehfar
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 801; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12110801 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1752
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the perceptions of high-performing undergraduate dental students in learning dental materials science. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with high-performing students who scored 80 marks and above in dental materials were conducted using an online video-chat platform. A purposeful sampling [...] Read more.
The current study aimed to explore the perceptions of high-performing undergraduate dental students in learning dental materials science. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with high-performing students who scored 80 marks and above in dental materials were conducted using an online video-chat platform. A purposeful sampling method was employed, and six students fulfilled the criteria. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed qualitatively using a thematic approach. Three major themes were identified: (1) Learning strategies, (2) Learning enablers and barriers, and (3) Coping with learning challenges. Six sub-themes emerged from the “learning strategies” theme: memorizing and repeating, peer learning, seeking learning resources, study planning, paying attention during class, and mnemonics. The enabler sub-themes include motivation, lecture notes, teachers, and hands-on, whereas the barrier sub-theme is content understanding. Moreover, family support and de-stress appeared as the sub-themes in coping with learning challenges. In short, the present exploratory study identified several major themes and sub-themes that can help dental educators comprehend the complexity of learning dental materials science and how it affects students’ academic performances. The current findings also offer learning recommendations for low-performing students to improve their academic achievements in the dental materials science course. Full article
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Review

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14 pages, 1848 KiB  
Review
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Dental Education: A Review and Guide for Curriculum Update
by Andrej Thurzo, Martin Strunga, Renáta Urban, Jana Surovková and Kelvin I. Afrashtehfar
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 150; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci13020150 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 16920
Abstract
In this intellectual work, the clinical and educational aspects of dentistry were confronted with practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI). The aim was to provide an up-to-date overview of the upcoming changes and a brief analysis of the influential advancements in the use [...] Read more.
In this intellectual work, the clinical and educational aspects of dentistry were confronted with practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI). The aim was to provide an up-to-date overview of the upcoming changes and a brief analysis of the influential advancements in the use of AI in dental education since 2020. In addition, this review provides a guide for a dental curriculum update for undergraduate and postgraduate education in the context of advances in AI applications and their impact on dentistry. Unsurprisingly, most dental educators have limited knowledge and skills to assess AI applications, as they were not trained to do so. Also, AI technology has evolved exponentially in recent years. Factual reliability and opportunities with OpenAI Inc.’s ChatGPT are considered critical inflection points in the era of generative AI. Updating curricula at dental institutions is inevitable as advanced deep-learning approaches take over the clinical areas of dentistry and reshape diagnostics, treatment planning, management, and telemedicine screening. With recent advances in AI language models, communication with patients will change, and the foundations of dental education, including essay, thesis, or scientific paper writing, will need to adapt. However, there is a growing concern about its ethical and legal implications, and further consensus is needed for the safe and responsible implementation of AI in dental education. Full article
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