Curriculum guidelines for predoctoral pedodontics--a report.

During the past two years, the Section on Pedodontics of the American Association of Dental Schools has developed Curriculum Guidelines for Predoctoral Pedodontics. These guidelines provide a construct for scope and content of curriculum development including goals of instruction, appropriate educational methodologies in various settings, sequencing of instruction, necessary faculty and staff, as well as an evaluation statement. In addition, this article traces historically the development of the Guidelines by the Section. Accepted: April 20, 1980 * Past Chairman, Section on Pedodontics Introduction In 1974, the House of Delegates of the American Association of Dental Schools passed Resolution 7-74-H which stated: Resolved, that the American Association of Dental Schools strongly favor the development of guidelines by sections as course development aids for individual schools; but be it further Resolved, that when such guidelines are developed the following statement be appended: These guidelines have been developed by the Section on (appropriate section) of the American Association of Dental Schools for use by individual educational institutions as curriculum development aids. They are not official policy statements of the AADS and should not be construed as recommendations for restrictive requirements. In January of 1976, the Executive Committee of AADS passed a motion approving the Council on Sections proposed "Guidelines for Writing Curricular Guidelines" for use for the Association’s sections. Subsequently the guidelines were distributed by the Council on Sections to the various section officers for their use. At the annual session that year, the House of Delegates passed resolution 3-76-H reaffirming the Association’s policy relative to curriculuar guidelines as previously stated in Resolution 7-74-H. In 1978, by House Resolution 8-78-H, the previously stated Association policy was added to AADS Policy Statements. PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY Vol. 2, No. 3 221 Developmental Background At the annual session of the AADS meeting in Las Vegas, March, 1977, the Chairman of the Section on Pedodontics, David Nash of West Virginia University, appointed a committee of Section members to begin work on a guidelines statement for predoctoral pedodontics. The committee was chaired by Thomas Barber of the University of California, Los Angeles and Milton Gellin of the University of Kentucky. Committee members were David Avery, Indiana University; Milton Houpt, New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry; Jon Kapala, Boston University; Ted Oldenburg, University of North Carolina; William Posnick, University of North Carolina and Stephen Wei, University of Iowa. The Committee held an organizational meeting to develop strategies for preparing the document in May, 1977 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pedodontics in Bal Harbour, Florida. The activities of the committee resulted in an initial guidelines document being submitted to the officers of the Section in February, 1978. After careful review by the officers, Chairman Nash, Chairmanelect Robert Musselman of Louisiana State University and Secretary Bernard Machen of North Carolina, the decision was made to seek further suggestions from the membership. Consequently, a special meeting of the Section was called at the 1978 annual session in Washington for the purpose of discussing principles to be considered in drafting a final guidelines statement. The ADA Curriculum Survey was employed as a guide for the discussion. Subsequent to the meeting, Chairman Musselman appointed David Nash to chair a new committee composed of the Section officers to further revise the guidelines statement. A second draft of the guidelines was prepared and ready for review at an sd lboc meeting of the Section held during the American Academy of Pedodontics meeting in San Diego, May, 1978. A group of approximately 25 members of the Section reviewed this draft carefully and offered their constructive criticisms. As a result of this critique, a third draft was developed by the committee chairman and circulated by the Section chairman to all members of the Section on Pedodontics and all department of Pedodontics’ chairpersons in United States’ Schools of Dentistry for their review and comment. In September of 1978, the completed document was mailed to all members of the Section with a ballot requesting their approval. The document was favorably received and was subsequently submitted to the Administrative Board of the Council on Sections. It was accepted by them in October of 1978 with the recommendation that it be published. The Executive Board of the AADS accepted the guidelines at their meeting in January, 1979. In addition, the guidelines were submitted to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pedodontics for their review. This body endorsed the guidelines for teaching predoctoral pedodontics in November, 1978. The Section on Pedodontics attempted to obtain active participation of every member of the Section in the development of the guidelines. The open meetings held for discussion as well as the circulation of the several drafts of the document provided ample opportunity for each member to participate in its formulation. The Section does not believe the guidelines should be considered final but should undergo re-evaluation and revision on a regular basis. Any member of the Section on Pedodontics may propose a revision or addition to these guidelines. These recommendations must be submitted to the Section officers in ample time to be circulated to all the Section members 30 days prior to the annual session. The specific suggestion will then be acted on during the Section’s business meeting. An addition was suggested and circulated to all the members prior to the Section’s meeting in March, 1979 in New Orleans. The addition gave special emphasis to dentistry for the adolescent and was approved unanimously by the members. Subsequently this addition and the entire Curriculum Guidelines for Predoctoral Pedodontics were reviewed and approved by the Administrative Board of the Council on Sections and the American Association of Dental Schools Executive Committee. The addition was also endorsed by the American Academy of Pedodontics at their annual meeting in May, 1979. The Curriculum Guidelines for Predoctoral Pedodontics are reprinted here in their entirety: Preface These guidelines have been developed by the Section on Pedodontics of the American Association of Dental Schools for use by individual educational institutions as curriculum development aids. They are not official policy statements of the AADS and should not be construed as recommendations for restrictive requirements. PREDGCTORAL CURRICULUM GUIOELINES Nash and Mus~elman Introduction Pedodontics* is that area of dentistry concerned with the provision of comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care for children from birth through adolescence including care for special patients beyond the age of adolescence who demonstrate mental, physical and/or emotional problems.** It constitutes a significant portion of the practice of dentistry. Because of the several unique aspects of providing dental care for children, pedodontics has attained the status of an independent yet integrated area of subject matter within the dental curriculum. The focus and perspective of the child must be considered in educating dentists who are skillful in rendering intricate and demanding care, have knowledge of the human organism essential to making sound judgments and possess an attitude of social responsibility traditionally expected of a health practitioner. The curriculum in pedodontics provides such a focus and perspective. Curriculum Goals The goals of the curriculum in pedodontics are to: , ̄ Prepare student dentists to provide, either by treating or in selected instances referring, comprehensive dental care for the pediatric patient. ̄ Create an attitude toward pedodontics in student dentists so that subsequent to graduation they will provide care for the pediatric patient. ̄ Develop an attitude toward learning so that student dentists will seek opportunities to further their knowledge and skills in pedodontics subsequent to graduation. ̄ Sensitize student dentists to their environment to the extent they will actively seek to fulfill their responsibility as health professionals to the children in the community. Curriculum Scope And Content The series of integrated learning experiences in pedodontics is designed to achieve the goals as specified. Provision of comprehensive patient care requires that the dental health practitioner be capable of completing several basic tasks. Upon completion of the pedodontic curriculum, the dentist should be able to: ̄ Differentiate between normal and abnormal physical and pyschological development of the child. ̄ Guide the behavior of the child to the extent that necessary dental procedures can be completed. ̄ Develop a data base from which to formulate an accurate diagnosis. ̄ Diagnose the nature of a child’s oral health problem and plan appropriate therapy. ̄ Effectively communicate with the child’s parents. ̄ Implement a scientifically-based, effective program of primary prevention. ̄ Render restorative care for primary and young permanent teeth whose structural integrity has been compromised. * As used, pedodontics is synonymous with the term Pediatric Dentistry. ** Definition of the American Academy of Pedodontics. PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY Vol. 2, No. 3 223 ̄ Treat pulpally affected primary and young permanent teeth. ̄ Superintend the developing occlusion in such a manner that selected malocclusions can be prevented or intercepted with appropriate therapy. ̄ Manage care for the child subsequent to oral trauma. ̄ Manage dental care for that portion of the population that are mentally, physically and/or emotionally handicapped. ̄ Refer to appropriate individuals those children for whom the dentist is not qualified or competent to provide required care. The curriculum in pedodontics must address itself to several general areas in anticipation of preparing the practitioner to achieve the prescribed objectives. The scope and depth of instruction in each area may vary from one educational institution to another depending upon the particular circumstances and constraints. In certain institutions the charge for instruction of the subject matter may be to an organizational unit other than pedodontics. Regardless, the following are core items for presentation: Growth and Development Parameters of physical growth and development, personality development, craniofacial growth, dental development including prenatal development, the infants’ mouth, primary dentition, mixed dentition, early permanent dentition and developmental disturbances of the teeth and oral structures.