Predentation

Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that are distributed throughout the environment. Lytic phages and prophages in saliva, oral mucosa, and dental plaque interact with the oral microbiota and can change biofilm formation. The interactions between phages and bacteria can be considered a portion of oral metagenomics. The metagenomic profile of the oral microbiome indicates various bacteria. Indeed, there are various phages against these bacteria in the oral cavity. However, some other phages, like phages against Absconditabacteria, Chlamydiae, or Chloroflexi, have not been identified in the oral cavity...

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BACKGROUND: Successful pathway programs require early and sustained support of student participants. PURPOSE: We present the history and outcomes of a successful decade of continuous, grassroots, pathway programming at an individual dental institution. METHODS: Programmatic data were used to evaluate information on program participant demographics, academic pursuits, and career interests. Descriptive analyses were used to report on program enrollment as well as alumni academic and career outcomes...

AIM: Bacterial colonization of infants' oral cavities is a key factor for future caries risk. This study sought to longitudinally assess oral bacterial colonization in a group of predentate infants in relation to some mother and infant factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 mother-infant pairs were enrolled. When infants were 3-month-old, data were collected about some infant and mother factors; additionally, maternal Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores and salivary samples of mothers and infants were obtained...

BACKGROUND: The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) was established in 1975 with the goal of serving the public and the dental profession by developing and implementing standards that guide and maintain the quality of dental educational programs. These standards are defined broadly around competencies reflective of an evidence-based definition of general dentistry and that should be met by the new graduates to function as an entry level provider. Consequently, CODA "expects each school to develop specific competency definitions and assessment methods in the context of the broad scope of general dental practice"...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project was to evaluate the perceptions of predental students' shadowing experiences during a pandemic and further, explore innovative solutions that can be implemented to ensure that shadowing opportunities are equitable and accessible. METHODS: Data was collected via the Web 2.0 social media platform, Instagram (owned by Meta Platforms, Inc.) from 122 participants attending college in North America and are on the predental track: freshman (N = 11), sophomores (N = 25), juniors (N = 30), seniors (N = 34) and recent college graduates (N = 22)...

Dental education traditionally requires the use of dedicated fixed preclinic facilities to provide clinically relevant experiences to support the development of dexterity, critical thinking, and self-assessment skills that are essential for excellent patient care. As a result of the social distancing guidelines instituted at the height of the COVID pandemic, dental education was severely affected when education pivoted to remote instruction and had significant restrictions on in-person training. This study evaluated a novel application of modern technology to allow students to perform clinically relevant hands-on exercises away from dental school and, most importantly, receive feedback on their performance as an aid in their development...

BACKGROUND: Only twelve percent of dentists in 2020 self-identified as being Black, Latinx, or "Other," which includes American Indian. Moreover, the proportion of dentists from these groups profoundly fails to reflect the demographic composition of the U.S. overall. Evidence-based, ethically-grounded approaches are needed to successfully and continuously recruit and retain Black, Latinx, and American Indian dental students. We explored the barriers and opportunities to sustainable pathways to the dental profession...

The chronic underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minority practitioners in the U.S. health professions workforce is an oft-cited factor for disparities in health and health-care access affecting communities of color. As non-White providers are more likely to serve uninsured patients and practice in underserved areas, pathway/pipeline programs have been used for many years to increase the numbers racial/ethnic minorities in the health professions workforce. These programs target precollege, college, and postbaccalaureate students from historically underrepresented minority (HURM) groups (defined as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students) to stimulate interest in health professions careers and provide academic support, mentoring, enrichment experiences, and other resources to facilitate their successful admission to and completion of health professions school and entry into the workforce...

AIMS: This study was designed to examine demographics of University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry graduates over a recent 10-year period and factors related to their choice of rural or urban practice. Findings were compared to similar previous studies to analyze trends. METHODS: Using data from the annual Health Professions Tracking Service 2019 Dentistry Profile survey, we examined the demographic information of 169 graduates from 2009 to 2018 practicing in Nebraska at the end of 2018...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: There is a robust body of research on which factors dental schools consider when selecting students for acceptance, but there is considerably less research regarding what factors dental applicants consider when selecting a particular program. The aim of this investigation was to better understand which factors most influenced students to matriculate at a particular dental school and how the value of these factors has changed over time. METHODS: To answer this research question, an online survey was utilized to determine why students chose to attend Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CUCDM)...

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PURPOSE: Most students entering dental school have outstanding academic credentials. Despite this, some students face academic difficulties throughout their dental education. The study investigates outcomes at the end of the first-year and the end of the 4-year curriculum. METHODS: This study reviewed data from 177 students in the entering classes of 2015 and 2016. The regression models included 156 students who completed the 4-year curriculum on the traditional timeline...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: This study describes and evaluates efforts to transition an established pre-dental pipeline program to a remote platform, in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: The semester-long pipeline program, Saturday Academy at New York University College of Dentistry, was conducted remotely through Zoom, and materials for hands-on, pre-clinical activities, were mailed to participants. Saturday Academy aims to educate underrepresented minority and low-income high school students about the college application process and the dental profession...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: This study examines the journey of U.S. dental schools' predoctoral senior class of 2020, from the influences on and their motivations to pursue careers in dentistry, aspects of their dental school experiences, to plans upon graduation and the investment in their careers. METHODS: The study is an analysis of the results of the ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors, 2020 Graduating Class. Each year, ADEA surveys senior predoctoral students from the accredited U...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented unprecedented challenges and interruptions to education at all levels. As many across the world were required to stay at home, virtual educational resources were developed and relied upon to provide all levels and subjects of instruction. Introduction to Dental Medicine, a massive open online course in dentistry, experienced an increase in enrollment during the start of the pandemic and learners displayed a positive reception to the information provided...

This article, written by current student trainees within various intramural programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), describes how the NIH experience weaves world-class interdisciplinary research into the education of future oral healthcare professionals. This article highlights 4 programs and provides perspectives from current NIH student trainees on the significance of their programs to their career growth in an effort to increase program awareness for faculty and students, thus escalating participation of predental and dental students in programs at the NIH...

CONTEXT: Preclinical dental school instructors often observe some first-year students develop hand skills required for dental procedures more quickly and more easily than their peers. When questioned regarding prior experience, these advanced students often participated in physical activities that seem to predispose them to adapt their previously learned psychomotor hand skills to those required for dentistry. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the results of an Institutional Review Board approved 22-question survey of various lifelong predental school activities and correlations to first-year and second-year simulation clinic practical exam performance...

Objective: Although mitis-salivarius-bacitracin (MSB) agar is a commonly used selective medium for detecting Streptococcus mutans in clinical studies, non-S. mutans microorganisms are cultivatable on MSB agar. Since few studies have identified non-S. mutans bacteria grown on MSB, this study aimed to identify and differentiate MSB-grown non-S. mutans bacteria from predente infants' oral cavity. Study design: The saliva from 51 predente infants were plated on MSB agars. Bacteria colonies were characterized based on their morphology under direct visualization and light microscopic observation...

A 3-year-old female presented for evaluation of progressive snoring since birth. MRI revealed a fatty-appearing mass measuring 2.4 cm × 1.5 cm x 3.0 cm arising from the predental space of C1 and extending anteriorly through the prevertebral space into the retropharyngeal space. The patient underwent endoscopic trans-oral excision of the mass using electrocautery and blunt dissection, and pathological analysis yielded a diagnosis of fibrolipoma. CT imaging twelve months post-surgery showed no recurrence, and the patient remains symptom free two years later...