Current Trends in Fixed Prosthodontics Education in Undergraduate Dental Colleges

Muneeb Ahmed Lone; Uzma Anam Iqbal; Maham Muneeb Lone; Samira Adnan; Artak Heboyan; Naseer Ahmed; Mohmed Isaqali Karobari; Anand Marya

doi:10.1177/23821205231193282

Current Trends in Fixed Prosthodontics Education in Undergraduate Dental Colleges

J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2023 Aug 21:10:23821205231193282. doi: 10.1177/23821205231193282. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Muneeb Ahmed Lone¹, Uzma Anam Iqbal¹, Maham Muneeb Lone², Samira Adnan², Artak Heboyan³, Naseer Ahmed^{4

5}, Mohmed Isaqali Karobari^{6

7}, Anand Marya⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Prosthodontics, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
² Department of Operative Dentistry Sindh Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
³ Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia.
⁴ Department of Prosthodontics, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan.
⁵ Prosthodontics Unit, School of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
⁷ Conservative Dentistry Unit, School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore current trends in undergraduate fixed prosthodontics teaching at undergraduate dental level education.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included close-ended questions to inquire about the teaching practices of fixed prosthodontics at Bachelor of Dental Surgery level education. Electronic copies of the survey forms were sent to the heads or directors of department of prosthodontics responsible for undergraduate dental students teaching and learning in various institutes of Sindh by the help of Google forms in December 2020. The form included questions on sociodemographic details and questions inquiring the theoretical and clinical teaching practices in undergraduate fixed prosthodontics course. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS 25. Frequency distribution and percentages of categorical variables were recorded.

Results: Out of total 18 dental institutes of Sindh, 15 returned the completely filled form, giving a response rate of 83.3%. Seven (46.7%) schools teach various fixed prosthesis in the preclinical years to their students. All 15 colleges carry out didactic teaching and provide exposure by live clinical demonstrations for various fixed prosthesis. Faculty of 12 (80%) dental colleges where fixed prostheses are being constructed in the dental outpatient department mentioned that their students observe or assist the clinical procedures during their clinical rotation; but none of the students fabricate any type of fixed prosthesis in the clinical setting during their undergraduate years.

Conclusion: Didactic teaching and live clinical demonstrations of fixed prosthodontics is being carried out in all dental colleges of Sindh. Almost half of the dental schools teach crown preparation on phantom teeth during their preclinical course. Contrary to this, none of the students fabricate any type of fixed prosthesis in the clinical setting during their undergraduate years. As these procedures are not included in the current undergraduate curriculum, recommendations should be forwarded to governing educational body of the country to include cases of fixed prosthesis in their skill set prior to their graduation.

Keywords: clinical skills; dentistry; didactic teaching; fixed prosthodontics; undergraduate dental education.