Attard N, Schembri A, Caruana C, Agius A-M, Gainza-Cirauqui M L
Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Community Care, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Universirty of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Department of Dental Surgery, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Universirty of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Eur J Dent Educ. 2018 Aug;22(3):e624-e633. doi: 10.1111/eje.12367. Epub 2018 May 28.
Many societies have observed a steady increase of many older adults living longer due to advancements in health and standard of living. The dental team requires specialised training in gerodontology to better prepare for the future needs of the elderly patients. It is the aim of this study to report the undergraduate students' activities and perspectives on their work experience in a geriatric residence.
An anonymous online questionnaire on the theoretical and practical aspects of training was sent to students in dentistry and dental hygiene (DH) undergraduate courses. Students were also invited to discuss their experiences. Data of clinical treatment performed by the students were collected. The number of clinical hours of student exposure to patients was measured.
Completion of the questionnaire was high (90%). Both DH and dentistry students have in excess of 100 hours/y of clinical practice. Overall students rate their experience as a positive one that enriches patients' well-being. However they identify barriers to oral health and experience challenges related to their clinical work and level of competence (Kruskal-Wallis Test P < .05).
study participants were strongly motivated towards the management of frail older adults and cognisant of the barriers and constraints of achieving a reasonable level of oral health. Gerodontology programmes should be adaptable in order to create the appropriate environment and address socio-emotional challenges experienced by students.
由于健康状况和生活水平的提高，许多社会都观察到老年人寿命稳步延长。牙科团队需要接受老年牙科学方面的专业培训，以便更好地满足老年患者未来的需求。本研究旨在报告本科学生在老年护理机构的工作经历及相关活动和观点。
向牙科和口腔卫生专业本科课程的学生发送了一份关于培训理论和实践方面的匿名在线问卷。还邀请学生讨论他们的经历。收集了学生进行临床治疗的数据。测量了学生接触患者的临床小时数。
问卷完成率很高（90%）。口腔卫生专业和牙科专业的学生每年临床实践均超过100小时。总体而言，学生们认为他们的经历是积极的，丰富了患者的福祉。然而，他们指出了口腔健康方面的障碍，并在临床工作和能力水平方面遇到了挑战（Kruskal-Wallis检验P<0.05）。
研究参与者积极致力于照顾体弱的老年人，并意识到实现合理口腔健康水平所面临的障碍和限制。老年牙科学课程应具有适应性，以便营造合适的环境，并应对学生所经历的社会情感挑战。
