A survey examining the attitudes of general dental practitioners toward change in undergraduate dental education.

AIM

To determine the attitudes of general dental practitioners toward aspects of change in undergraduate dental education.

DESIGN

Descriptive postal survey using a cross-sectional random sample of general dental practitioners administered in 1997.

SUBJECTS

689 general dental practitioners practising in five regions of England with close proximity to a dental school selected by a one in two stratified random sample.

RESULTS

Response rate: 70%. The questionnaire was both valid and reliable with an internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.84. Responses identified strong support for preparing dental students for the wider role of the dentist and an emphasis toward self-directed learning. Other themes emerging from the investigation included support for learning to work as part of a dental team and for students to have experience of general dental practice early on in the undergraduate course.

CONCLUSIONS

These responses have implications for curriculum design, syllabus, teaching methods, resources and staff development for dental schools in the UK.