Şahin N, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2024 Feb;16(1):38-47. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2024.16.1.38

Dental education national qualification frameworks have been developed to meet both global standards and local healthcare needs. Despite sharing common objectives, there may be differences between national qualification frameworks due to priorities, cultural differences and resource availability. This study aimed to examine the national dental qualification frameworks of the United Kingdom, Türkiye and Pakistan, focusing on their structure, content and assessment methods to identify similarities and differences. A qualitative comparative approach was employed to examine national dental qualification frameworks. Data were collected from official documents, including the General Dental Council (GDC) guidelines for the United Kingdom, the Dentistry National Core Education Program (DUÇEP) for Türkiye, and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) guidelines. The analysis focused on predefined categories, such as curriculum scope, content, assessment, and graduate competencies. National dental qualification frameworks differences were observed in program duration, assessment methods, and the integration of public health components. The UK has comprehensive, encompassing multiple dental professions, with a strong emphasis on professionalism, ethics, and research. Turkey aligns with European Union standards, focusing primarily on clinical training. In Pakistan, a discipline-based learning technique is applied. Pakistan integrates community health and basic medical sciences. The differences are thought to be due to community needs and resource availability. Further studies should be carried out to standardize education all over the world.

Dental education in Türkiye has expanded rapidly, with new faculties established and increased student quotas. This growth may influence educational quality and student satisfaction. If this influence proves detrimental, the quality of public healthcare services may decline, or there may be a lag behind international standards. This study aimed to compare undergraduate students' satisfaction levels at long-established versus newly established dental faculties in Türkiye. A cross-sectional, multi-center survey was administered to undergraduate dentistry students (n = 828) from long-established (≥ 10 years) and newly established (<;10 years) faculties. Data were collected online using a two-part questionnaire comprising demographics and a 30-item Likert-type scale evaluating satisfaction with quality of educational programs, physical facilities, integration of modern technologies, evolving patient demographics, clinical experiences and professional outlook. Statistical analyses, including Pearson's Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests, were used to examine the relationships between student demographics and satisfaction variables. A total of 828 students participated (65.9% (n = 546) from long-established, 34.1% (n = 282) newly established faculties). Most were in their first or second grade, with 61.8% (n = 512) female. Across both faculty types, key reasons for choosing dentistry included professional satisfaction (32.9% (n = 272)) and societal prestige (26.2% (n = 217)). Significant differences were observed between long-established and newly established faculties regarding perceptions of theoretical course content, sufficiency of clinical experience, international competitiveness of the curriculum, adequacy of physical facilities, and overall university satisfaction (p < 0.05). Students from long-established faculties generally reported more favorable ratings in these domains. A notable proportion of students (34.9% (n = 289)) expressed concern about the future of the profession, with differences in worry levels observed between the faculty types (p < 0.05). Students in long-established faculties reported higher satisfaction across multiple domains, potentially reflecting more developed infrastructures and greater academic expertise. These findings highlight the importance of enhance physical resources, technological capacities, and clinical opportunities-particularly in newly established institutions. Strengthening these aspects may enhance student satisfaction and better prepare future graduates for the evolving demands of dental practice. Furthermore, fostering international accreditation and collaboration could support ongoing improvements in educational quality across all dentistry faculties in Türkiye.

Objective: This study evaluates the usefulness and information quality of Instagram posts related to smile aesthetic. Material and Methods: The search identified 6.4 million posts related to smile aesthetic. The three most used hashtags were selected: #smilemakeover, #smiledesign, and #hollywoodsmile. The ''Top 300 posts'' listed by the Instagram search algorithm were recorded for each hashtag (n=300). Out of 900 posts, 225 were suitable for the research topic. The reliability of their general information was analyzed using the modified DISCERN analysis based on five questions, and the usefulness score based on six criteria was assessed by two independent reviewers. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and comparisons were performed using the KruskalWallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test (p=0.05). Results: Of the posts, 81.3% (n=183) were uploaded by the dentist/clinic, 4.4% (n=10) by the patient, and 14.2% (n=32) by the dental technician. According to the reliability of the posts' general information, there was a highly significant difference in the posts between those uploaded by the dentist/clinic and the other groups (p<0.001). There is a statistically significant difference between the Usefulness score of dentist/clinic and dental technician (p0.05). Conclusion: Despite dentist/clinic accounts' posts being more reliable and more useful Instagram posts do not contain reliable information for patients.

Overdentures are tooth-supported complete or partial removable prostheses that are prepared on the remaining natural teeth, tooth roots, or implants in cases with maxillary constriction, vertical dimension loss, and traumatic or congenital jaw defects, whether the supporting teeth are prepared or not. In recent years, dental implants have become a highly successful and widespread treatment option for the prosthetic rehabilitation of completely edentulous patients. In the treatment of patients, fixed restorations can be carried out by placing a lot of implants; nevertheless, making implant-supported removable prostheses is also possible by placing a small number of implants due to existing systemic conditions of the patient, anatomical deficiencies in the jawbones, and high cost. In terms of patient satisfaction, prosthesis stability, retention, and chewing force, implant-supported removable prostheses are more successful when compared with traditional complete dentures. Numerous retentive systems with varying biomechanical characteristics have been developed for the connection of removable overdenture with implants. The study aims to guide clinicians with the current retentive systems and their indications. Overdenture protezler, destek dişleri hazır olsun ya da olmasın, maksiller daralma, dikey boyut kaybı, travmatik veya konjenital çene defektleri olan vakalarda kalan doğal dişler, diş kökleri veya implantlar üzerine hazırlanan diş destekli tam veya kısmi hareketli protezlerdir. Son yıllarda dental implantlar, tamamen dişsiz hastaların protetik rehabilitasyonu için oldukça başarılı ve yaygın bir tedavi seçeneği haline gelmiştir. Hastaların tedavisinde çok sayıda implant yerleştirilerek sabit restorasyonlar yapılabilmekte; ancak hastanın mevcut sistemik koşulları, çene kemiklerindeki anatomik eksiklikler ve yüksek maliyet nedeniyle az sayıda implant yerleştirilerek implant destekli hareketli protezlerin yapılması da mümkün olabilmektedir. Hasta memnuniyeti, protez stabilitesi, tutuculuk ve çiğneme kuvveti açısından implant destekli hareketli protezler geleneksel tam protezlere göre daha başarılıdır. Hareketli overdenture protezlerin implantlarla bağlantısı için farklı biyomekanik özelliklere sahip çok sayıda tutucu sistem geliştirilmiştir. Bu çalışma, mevcut retantif sistemler ve endikasyonları konusunda klinisyenlere yol göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır.