title: Dental Students' Learning Experiences and Preferences Regarding Orofacial Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: Pain is a global health problem, the effects of which range from diminished quality of life to pain management costs and loss of work and productivity. Pain in the head and neck region is defined as a separate entity: orofacial pain (OFP). However, some graduates from dental schools have reported feeling less competent in their ability to diagnose OFP than in other areas of dentistry. The aims of this study were to assess how students at one U.S. dental school had learned about OFP and to identify the teaching methods and venues they would like to see enhanced in the school's OFP curriculum. A cross-sectional four-question survey was administered to 140 dental students in their third and fourth years; the survey had a response rate of 53%. Most students reported having gained their OFP knowledge mainly in dental school, and 91.9% selected didactic courses as the main teaching method in which they had learned about this topic. Clinical education was the main teaching venue these students said they would like to see enhanced in order to gain more knowledge in most forms of OFP; this result aligned with their learning preferences in general. These findings may help dental schools design their OFP curricula to take account of students' preferences as well as practical limitations regarding availability of clinical experiences.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Teich is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Clinical Operations, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Alonso is Assistant Professor, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Lang is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; and Dr. Heima is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. sorin@case.edu.
authors.forename: Sorin T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Teich
authors.affiliation: Dr. Teich is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Clinical Operations, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Alonso is Assistant Professor, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Lang is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; and Dr. Heima is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.
authors.forename: Aurelio A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Dr. Teich is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Clinical Operations, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Alonso is Assistant Professor, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Lang is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; and Dr. Heima is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Dr. Teich is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Clinical Operations, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Alonso is Assistant Professor, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Lang is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; and Dr. Heima is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heima
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis; D009820:Ohio; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: clinical education; clinical skills; dental education; orofacial pain; teaching methods; temporomandibular disorders