Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students

A compromised oral health condition amongst patients with special health care needs (SHCN) has been associated with the reluctance and shortage of skills of dental professionals in managing such patients. Lack of training and experience at the undergraduate level are reported barriers to the provisi...

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Published in:European Journal of Dental Education
Main Author: Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2015
Online Access:https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84921340682&doi=10.1111%2feje.12101&partnerID=40&md5=9fc91b04466ee1d2681e213f3e618fcf
id 2-s2.0-84921340682
spelling 2-s2.0-84921340682
Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
2015
European Journal of Dental Education
19
1
10.1111/eje.12101
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84921340682&doi=10.1111%2feje.12101&partnerID=40&md5=9fc91b04466ee1d2681e213f3e618fcf
A compromised oral health condition amongst patients with special health care needs (SHCN) has been associated with the reluctance and shortage of skills of dental professionals in managing such patients. Lack of training and experience at the undergraduate level are reported barriers to the provision of care for this patient cohort. Undergraduate education therefore, plays an important role in producing professionals with the knowledge, skills and positive attitude in treating patients with SHCN. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, comfort and attitudes of Malaysian undergraduate dental students towards caring for patients with SHCN, as well as their perception on education in this field. A self-administered questionnaire was administered in the classroom style to final year undergraduate dental students in Malaysian public dental schools. Most students were aware of Special Needs Dentistry (SND) as a specialty after being informed by academic staff. The majority of the students demonstrated poor knowledge in defining SND and felt uncomfortable providing care for such patients. They perceived their undergraduate training in SND as inadequate with most students agreeing that they should receive didactic and clinical training at undergraduate level. A high percentage of students also expressed interest in pursuing postgraduate education in this area of dentistry despite the lack of educational exposure during undergraduate years. The study supports a need for educational reform to formulate a curriculum that is more patient-centred, with earlier clinical exposure in various clinical settings for students to treat patients with special health care needs, applying the concept of holistic care in a variable clinical condition. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

13965883
English
Article

author Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
spellingShingle Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
author_facet Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
author_sort Ahmad M.S.; Razak I.A.; Borromeo G.L.
title Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
title_short Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
title_full Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
title_fullStr Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
title_full_unstemmed Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
title_sort Special needs dentistry: Perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students
publishDate 2015
container_title European Journal of Dental Education
container_volume 19
container_issue 1
doi_str_mv 10.1111/eje.12101
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84921340682&doi=10.1111%2feje.12101&partnerID=40&md5=9fc91b04466ee1d2681e213f3e618fcf
description A compromised oral health condition amongst patients with special health care needs (SHCN) has been associated with the reluctance and shortage of skills of dental professionals in managing such patients. Lack of training and experience at the undergraduate level are reported barriers to the provision of care for this patient cohort. Undergraduate education therefore, plays an important role in producing professionals with the knowledge, skills and positive attitude in treating patients with SHCN. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, comfort and attitudes of Malaysian undergraduate dental students towards caring for patients with SHCN, as well as their perception on education in this field. A self-administered questionnaire was administered in the classroom style to final year undergraduate dental students in Malaysian public dental schools. Most students were aware of Special Needs Dentistry (SND) as a specialty after being informed by academic staff. The majority of the students demonstrated poor knowledge in defining SND and felt uncomfortable providing care for such patients. They perceived their undergraduate training in SND as inadequate with most students agreeing that they should receive didactic and clinical training at undergraduate level. A high percentage of students also expressed interest in pursuing postgraduate education in this area of dentistry despite the lack of educational exposure during undergraduate years. The study supports a need for educational reform to formulate a curriculum that is more patient-centred, with earlier clinical exposure in various clinical settings for students to treat patients with special health care needs, applying the concept of holistic care in a variable clinical condition. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
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