title: Preparedness of Entering Pediatric Dentistry Residents: Advanced Pediatric Program Directors' and First-Year Residents' Perspectives.
abstract: For children to receive needed oral health care, adequate training at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels of dental education is required, but previous studies have found inadequacies in predoctoral education that lead to general dentists' unwillingness to treat certain young populations. As another way of assessing predoctoral preparation, the aim of this study was to determine the perspectives of first-year residents and pediatric program directors about residents' preparedness to enter advanced education programs in pediatric dentistry. Surveys were sent to all 74 U.S. program directors and 360 first-year residents. The survey focused on procedures related to prevention, behavior management, restorative procedures, pulp therapy, sedation, and surgery, as well as treating patients funded by Medicaid and with special health care needs. Among the first-year residents, 173 surveys were returned for a 48% response rate; 61 directors returned surveys for an 82% response rate. Only half of the residents (55%) reported feeling adequately prepared for their first year in residency; less than half cited adequate preparation to place stainless steel crowns (SSCs) (42%) and perform pulpotomies (45%). Far fewer felt adequately prepared to provide treatment for children six months to three years of age, including examinations (29%), infant oral exams (27%), and children with severe caries (37%). The program directors were even less positive about the adequacy of residents' preparation. Only 17% deemed them adequately prepared to place SSCs and 13% to perform pulpotomies. Approximately half reported their first-year residents were inadequately prepared to treat very young children and children with severe caries (55% each). This study found that the perceived inadequacy of predoctoral education in pediatric dentistry was consistent at both the learner and educator levels, supporting previous studies identifying inadequacies in this area.
authors.affiliation: Mr. John Rutkauskas was a 2014 Summer Intern at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Seale is Regents Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dr. Casamassimo is Professor, Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University; and Dr. John S. Rutkauskas is Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutkauskas
authors.affiliation: Mr. John Rutkauskas was a 2014 Summer Intern at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Seale is Regents Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dr. Casamassimo is Professor, Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University; and Dr. John S. Rutkauskas is Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. sseale@bcd.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: N Sue
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Seale
authors.affiliation: Mr. John Rutkauskas was a 2014 Summer Intern at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Seale is Regents Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dr. Casamassimo is Professor, Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University; and Dr. John S. Rutkauskas is Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casamassimo
authors.affiliation: Mr. John Rutkauskas was a 2014 Summer Intern at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Seale is Regents Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dr. Casamassimo is Professor, Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University; and Dr. John S. Rutkauskas is Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rutkauskas
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032763:Behavior Control; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000592:standards; D003442:Crowns / Q000592:standards; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000592:standards; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000592:standards; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000592:standards; D004708:Endodontics / Q000193:education; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D008484:Medicaid; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000193:education; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000592:standards; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000193:education; D014481:United States
keywords: advanced dental education; clinical skills; dental care for children; dental education; graduate dental education; pediatric dentistry