Faculty Bibliography

A process for the development of assessments and supporting instructional components in competency-based dental education is described. This process is illustrated using the example of an educational module in the management of malocclusion and skeletal problems at New York University College of Dentistry. The process begins with identifying the final outcome of the skill to be assessed and constructing an assessment that represents a relevant clinical situation. Such an assessment requires students to employ key enabling or foundational knowledge, specified subskills, and evaluative criteria. Once the components essential to mastering the assessment are identified, an instructional module that facilitates attainment of competence can be developed. This module is complemented by a companion piece that is content-specific and directs teachers and students to reach instructional targets. Assessments, supported by the components described in this process, increase the cognizance of the dental educator and provide mechanisms to evaluate student achievement and instructional effectiveness

A course developed at the New York University College of Dentistry provides third-year predoctoral students with instruction and formative experiences leading toward competence in the management of malocclusion and skeletal problems. Based on clearly defined evaluation criteria that can be objectively assessed, faculty and students share a common standardized language to evaluate malocclusion and skeletal problems. The course incorporates clinical simulation cases reflecting a variety of malocclusions and dentofacial conditions at different developmental stages. Formative experiences including interviewing techniques and cephalometric, facial, and study cast analyses build skills that are applied to diagnosis and treatment planning. Objectified competency evaluation criteria facilitate student instruction, faculty standardization, and assessment. Elements of this course may be used to create a more uniform competency-based approach to predoctoral orthodontic curricula across dental schools, while also providing a model for the development of courses in other areas of education, especially with regard to credentialing health providers

Includes "NYU College of Dentistry Smile Evaluation Form" / Mitchell J Lipp

The role of occlusal factors in the etiology of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is reviewed. The rediscovery of TMD by J. B. Costen in 1934 and the origin of this concept are historically linked. Difficulties in scientifically studying TMD are addressed. TMD lacks specific indicators (signs and symptoms), are episodic and respond to placebos. Clinical success with specific literature (experimental, epidemiological and clinical studies) reviewed fails to support the concept that occlusal factors play a significant role in the etiology of TMD. The remodeling capacity of the temporomandibular joint demonstrates that the joint can accommodate and adapt to various occlusal conditions