Graaf, J.M. de (2019) Endodontische Diagnostiek in de Mondzorgpraktijk. thesis, Dentistry.
Full text available on request.Abstract
PURPOSE: To meet the increasing demand for dental care in the Netherlands, the Minister for Public Health has passed an act that will grant dental hygienists the legal power to carry out tasks and perform certain treatments that in the past were done exclusively by dentists. This includes routine dental checkups and filling cavities. Dental hygienists will encounter endodontic pathologies during these procedures. As such, they should be able to recognize these and assess whether the patient should be referred to a dentist. The aim of this research is to assess whether additional education regarding endodontic diagnostics is necessary to prepare dental hygienists for dealing with endodontic pathologies. METHODS: in this research, a written multiple-choice exam consisting of ten case descriptions and ten corresponding questions was used. For every case, the participant was asked whether it was a case of A: a reversible endodontic pathology (reversible pulpitis), B: an irreversible endodontic pathology (irreversible pulpitis and/or periodontitis apicalis) or C: no pulp pathology. 27 sixth-year dental students and 26 fourth-year dental hygienist-students participated in this study. The correct answers were determined by 2 certified endodontists. Based on this, a total score was determined for each participant after which an unpaired t-test was used to compare the average scores of the two groups. RESULTS: significant difference was found between the scores of the dental students (M=7.37, SD=1.67) and the dental hygienist-students (M=4.62, SD=1.83); t(51)=5,73, p=0,000. The cases where the correct answer was ‘an irreversible endodontic problem’ were answered correctly by 64% of the dental students and 38% of the dental hygienist-students. The latter score was just above the score of 33% a participant would get by guessing the answers to all questions. CONCLUSION: the final-year dental hygienist-students turned out to be significantly less capable of recognizing endodontic pathology and distinguishing between reversible and irreversible endodontic pathologies than the final-year dental students. In particular, the dental hygienists-students often misdiagnosed irreversible endodontic pathologies as either a reversible endodontic pathology or even a healthy dental pulp. Based on the outcome of this research, it is recommended that dental hygienists receive more training with respect to endodontic diagnostics before they can be deemed capable of dealing with endodontic pathologies during routine dental checkups and treating cavities. As it stands now, dental hygienists are likely to miss irreversible endodontic pathologies, what would lead to patients not being referred for a necessary endodontic treatment. More research is needed to determine the theoretical and practical abilities of Dutch dental hygienists with regards to endodontic diagnostics.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Smith, drs. A.J.E. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Nov 2021 14:04 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Nov 2021 14:04 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2846 |
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