A survey of the teaching of conscious sedation in dental schools of the United Kingdom and Ireland

Leitch, J.A. and Girdler, N.M. (2000) A survey of the teaching of conscious sedation in dental schools of the United Kingdom and Ireland. British Dental Journal, 188(4), pp. 211-216. (doi: 10.2344/0003-3006(2006)53[43:AFSOTT]2.0.CO;2)

Abstract

AIM: To assess and compare, for the first time, the quantity and quality of dental undergraduate teaching in conscious sedation in the dental schools of the UK and Ireland. This was achieved using a prospective, questionnaire-based survey. METHODS: Questionnaires were designed to collect information about undergraduate sedation education from teaching staff and final year dental undergraduates at the 16 dental schools in the UK and Ireland. Staff questionnaires were distributed to a nominated sedation teacher at each dental school and sought details of didactic and clinical sedation teaching methods, plus the quantity and perceived quality of sedation teaching. Student questionnaires were distributed to 5th year dental students and enquired about the quantity and quality of clinical sedation teaching received. The survey was undertaken during May-June 1998. RESULTS: Thirteen dental schools returned staff questionnaires (81%). Seven also provided a student response (44%). The proportion of final year students within the 7 schools who returned completed questionnaires was 38%. Sedation teaching was undertaken primarily by oral surgery and paediatric dental departments. Three schools also utilised anaesthetic departments and 2 schools had dedicated dental sedation departments. All but 2 schools provided didactic teaching on sedation (mean: 4.2 lectures, 1.8 seminars). Of the 7 schools which returned staff and student questionnaires, all provided some clinical training using inhalational and intravenous demonstration cases (mean 5.1 and 4.4 cases, per student, respectively). All but one school provided hands-on inhalational sedation experience (mean 2.6 cases per student) but only two schools provided any hands-on intravenous sedation experience. The quantity of hands-on experience was greater at the two dental schools with dedicated dental sedation departments. Across the schools students rated the overall quality of sedation teaching at average or above, but most staff graded the overall quality of teaching at below average. CONCLUSION: Dental undergraduate sedation teaching shows considerable variation across the dental schools surveyed. At most schools students gained little or no hands-on experience in sedation, especially in intravenous techniques. The undergraduate foundation for sedation education must improve if conscious sedation is to become the principal alternative to general anaesthesia in dental practice.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Leitch, Dr Jennifer
• Authors: Leitch, J.A., and Girdler, N.M.
• Subjects: R Medicine > RK Dentistry; R Medicine > RD Surgery
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences
• Journal Name: British Dental Journal
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group for the British Dental Association
• ISSN: 0007-0610
• Copyright Holders: © Copyright British Dental Journal
• First Published: First published in the British Dental Journal 188(4):211 -216
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher